SNN108450 - Mill Marina, Midland Road, Thrapston, Northamptonshire: An Archaeological Field Evaluation

In September 2005 Archaeological Solutions conducted an archaeological evaluation of land at the Mill Marina, Midland Rd, Thrapston, prior to determination of a planning application to redevelop the site. An archaeological desk-based assessment has previously been carried out for the site by AS, this identified Thrapston as an historic medieval market town of Saxon origins and recorded that the local area of was also rich in late pre-historic activity. In addition a water mill has been recorded in Thrapston since the Domesday Survey of 1086 and through-out the medieval period, giving added potential for the presence of archaeological remains associated with an earlier mill structure within the assessment site. The field evaluation revealed archaeological remains in Trench 1 only; these comprised two brick floors, a large concrete footing and a robber/demolition trench which can be associated with the 1950s demolition of the post-medieval mill building. A test pit excavated in Trench 1 revealed a stratigraphy comprising post-medieval make-up and levelling layers, possibly deposited to consolidate and raise the area on which the post-medieval mill was constructed. No evidence for an earlier mill structure was present. Trench 2 revealed late 20th century made ground back filling the by-pass channel for the post-medieval mill, truncated by a shallow linear 20th century ditch and the construction cut for a 1970s culvert. Trench 3 was negative; late 19th century/ early 20th century concrete floors and walls were identified at the southern end of the trench, deposits recorded in the remainder of the trench suggest that the area had been stripped to the natural substrate and then built up with made ground and industrial dump deposits during the post-medieval period.