SNN110505 - Land to the rear of 22 High Street, Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Field Evaluation

Planning permission was granted by East Northamptonshire District Council for the development of land to the rear of 22 High Street, Irthlingborough. Condition 17 required a programme of archaeological work in accordance with a written scheme of investigation. The County Archaeological Adisor advised that the first stage of archaeological works should comprise an archaeological field evaluation (trial trenching) to assess the archaeological potential of the site. The trial trench evaluation was undertaken on 13th April 2016. The trench was 8m long, 1.6m wide and c0.95m deep. The only archaeological features present were two ditches of post-medieval/modern date. The features may represent backyard boundaries of properties that fronted onto the High Street. They may also ahve functioned as drainage ditches, running from the high ground to the north-west to the low ground to the south-east. The absence of ay earlier features, deposits or artefacts suggests that the area to the north of the High Street was first utilised in the post-medieval period with the medieval settlement associated with the 12th century church of St Peter being restricted to south of the High Street. The ditches identified within the site are of negligable significance and have no potential to address regional archaeological research agenda. The findings of the evaluation also suggest that the development of the site will have little or no significant archaeological impact.