SNN105322 - Report on The Evaluation of A Possible Hillfort or Henge at Holcot, Northamptonshire

In May 2005 a report by Dr T C Welsh (Welsh 2006) was sent to the Northamptonshire Sites and Monments Record (SMR) in which an enclosure, possibly a hillfort or a henge, was identified at Holcot, Northamptonshire. The study of aerial photographs taken in 1947 and 1990 appeared to show a large sub-circular soilmark enclosing an area of approximately 2.4ha (Welsh 2005). The site is centred on NGR SP 798688, current land use is under set-aside but it is due to be planted with trees before the end of 2005. On Tuesday 6th September 2005, a 31m evaluation trench was excavated by a mechanical excavator using a 1.5m untoothed ditching bucket. The trench was laid out near the south west corner of the field across the area where a slight bank-like feature was visible 9fig. 4). However when excavated the trench revealed that there was no evidence for a substantial ditch or the remains of a bank. At the point at which such a ditch may have been expected however (based on aerial photographs) the natural became more clay and less stony. A single sherd of medieval/Post medieval pottery was recovered from the subsoil at a depth of approximately 60cm. The evaluation demonstrated that the soilmarks were not the remains of a previously unknown hillfort or henge. It is possible that the soilmark resulted from localised changes in the nature of the natural subsoil, brought about by peri-glacial changes to soil drainage characteristics. One unexpected find from the topsoil was a pair of Great Crested Newts, which were removed from harms way and relocated to a neighbouring hedge.