SNN109881 - Archaeological desk-based Heritage Assessment of land at the proposed White Mills Marina, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire Archaeology conducted a desk-based heritage assessment of land at the proposed White Mills Marina, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire. There are no designated assets within or adjacent to the site, although a number are located within the wider search area, including the Grade 1 Registered Park of Castle Ashby 800m to the South. Extensive activity has been recorded on the light, free-draining soils of the Nene Valley and significant areas have been excavated in advance of quarrying, including the Neolithic and Bronze Age funerary complex at Grendon and Iron Age and Roman Activity to the west, in part investigated at Clay Lane. However, much of this activity is located on the first gravel terrace overlooking the River Nene, while the site lies on alluvial deposits of the valley bottom. A watermill, latterly known as White Mills, may have had its origin in the medieval period and was located south of the site. It is considered that there is a low potential for environmental remains from the Palaeolithic period and Neolithic or Bronze Age funerary monuments. The site was likely to have been marginal land from the Iron Age period and it is considered that there is a low/moderate potential for below-ground archaeological remains to low/local significance.