SNN110307 - Land at White Gables, Brooks Road, Raunds, Northamptonshire: Archaeological strip, map and sample investigation

Planning permission (EN/13/01575/FUL) was granted by East Northamptonshire Council for the erection of a new house with two associated garages at White Gables, Brooks Road, Raunds, Northamptonshire. Because the proposed development lies in an archaeologically sensitive area of medieval and post-medieval activity, the Assistant Archaeological Advisor for Northamptonshire County Council (AAA) advised that a condition should be attached to the planning permission requiring the implementation of a mitigation programme of archaeological strip, map and sample investigation. Albion Archaeology was commissioned to carry out the archaeological works, the approach to which was specified in a written scheme of investigation that was approved by the AAA prior to commencement of fieldwork. The investigations revealed medieval and post-medieval ditches on a NW-SE alignment within the footprint of the proposed building. The function of the ditches is uncertain. It is likely that they represent boundary and/or drainage ditches. Remains of a modern hedgerow were also recorded. A test pit excavated within the footprint of the proposed new garages revealed no archaeological remains. No evidence for medieval or post-medieval settlement was revealed within the investigation area. However, the good preservation of pottery within the ditch fills and a moderate assemblage of charred plant remains suggest the presence of a focus of domestic activity in the vicinity. In 2010, evidence for medieval settlement was revealed within evaluation trenches dug 50–100m to the NE and SE of the current investigations. The ditches on the development site are roughly parallel to current property boundaries. This could indicate that plots existed along Brooks Road from the medieval period onwards. The lack of settlement features on the site suggests that the area was part of a backyard or garden plot in between Brooks Road and the settlement to the east. The late Saxon pottery recovered from the subsoil is the north-easternmost discovery of remains of this period within Raunds. While it was residual in a medieval context it is nevertheless of importance as it indicates some level of Saxon activity in the vicinity of the development site. The results of the archaeological investigation have added to the knowledge and understanding of the origin and development of nucleated and dispersed medieval settlements in eastern Northamptonshire. However, in the context of Raunds itself, the discovered remains are of local significance only.