SNN108720 - Land Between 11 & 17 Churchill Road, Welton, Daventry, Northamptonshire

The results of the trial trenching show that there are no significant archaeological deposits within the footprint of the proposed building. Trench 1 revealed the natural substrate comprising of Lias clay represented the geological horizon sloping gently down form north-east to south-west following the natural contour of the land. This was devoid of any archaeological features cut within its surface. The clay was overlain by a thick homogenous deposit of a relict sub-soil evidence of an earlier sub-soils horizon and the retrieval of a dozen sherds of medieval pottery from within the layer indicating that it was being utilised during this period. It seems likely that these sherds, recovered throughout the layer were deposited during cultivation activities such as manuring and ploughing and distributed evenly by continual turning of the soil. In the field to the east of the site which is currently short grass, there is clear evidence of terracing marked by two shallow scarps to the north and south of the field with and area of flat ground between. The development site would have as shown on the OS First Edition (1885) formed part of this field, a brook on the east side forms a natural boundary whilst Churchill Road provides its western limit. Its position parallel with the terraced platform shows that the site is likely to have originally formed part of the same terraced landscape. The range of pottery types present is significant and indicates the main period of activity was from around the mid 13th to mid 14th century, as common late medieval (15th century +) vessel forms or fabrics were entirely absent. The absence of these later fabrics suggests perhaps a time when cultivation ceased within the field. The later sub division of this field along the road frontage and subsequent development for housing and within the site, cultivation for allotments masks any evidence of this former terracing.