SNN106696 - Westwood Biogas Plant, Higham Park, Rushden: Archaeological Watching Brief, 2008

Biogen (UK) Ltd is building a biogas plant, with associated access roads, on the site of Higham Park. The planned development lay within an area of coprmarks that have provisionally been dated to the prehistoric or Roman periods. The southern limit of the development area follows the southern boundary of a medieval deer park, which was enclosed with earthworks. Because of the archaeological potential of the site, a condition was attached to the planning permission requiring a programme of archaeological works be carried out. An initial trial trenching evaluation of the site identified the remains of an extensive former field system. Although no dating evidence was recovered, its form was characteristic of similar systems dating to the Roman period. The subsequent watching brief on construction of groundworks identified further remains of the field system but no reliable evidence was recovered to confirm its putative Roman date.