SNN104819 - Land at Dando Close, Wollaston, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Assessment Report, September 2003

In response to archaeological conditions placed on a number of planning consents for the development of land to the north of Dando Close, Northamptonshire, The Heritage Network was commissioned by the developers to undertake a programme of archaeological work to meet the planning authority’s requirements. An archaeological evaluation, completed in early 1998, demonstrated a spread of early and middle Saxon features across the northern half of the site. Further evaluation in the autumn of that same year showed that these features did not extend into the southern half of the site. The main excavation was undertaken in two phases in the summer of 2000, with a further stage of excavation on an extension of the site to the north, carried out in 2002. In the course of the work eight sunken featured buildings were identified, together with at least ten post-built structures, and associated features and deposits, largely ranging in date from the C5th AD to the C14th AD. The various finds assemblages suggest a domestic settlement, with associated craft and industrial activities, including weaving and metalworking. A programme of further research is proposed to clarify the function of identified structures and the phasing of the settlement and its associated activities. The present site lay immediately south of the village in an area focussed on Hall Manor, and undoubtedly formed part of the 2 hides held by Corbelin from Countess Judith. The earthworks of Hall manor lie to the south-west on the other side of the London Road. Cartographic evidence suggests that the present site had remained open land at least since the C18th and possibly as far back as the medieval period. Late C18th maps show an area of small, enclosed fields to the north of the curvilinear boundary which formerly crossed the site, with larger more open fields running down to the brook to the south of this boundary. The boundary ran approximately east to west, curving northwards at the eastern end. It was recorded as crossing the southern half of the present site on all maps looked at. It is possible that this was an ancient, perhaps manorial, boundary. Despite the plethora of postholes in the south-west, the overall impression of Areas 1 and 2 is of a settlement that has been carefully laid out. There was a noticeable absence of archaeological features in a strip running north to south, which lay towards the eastern end of the site, and a further gap in the central part of the northern section.