SNN110506 - Land off Mill Lane, Greens Norton, Northamptonshire: Archaeological field evaluation

On behalf of davidson Developments Ltd, Bidwells is preparing a planning application for the residential development of land off Mill Lane in Greens Norton, Northamptonshire. A desk-based heritage statement and geophysical survey have already been carried out, but the County Archaeological Advisor advised that archaeological trial trenching would also be required to provide sufficient information to assess the potential impact of the development. This advice is in line with the guidance contained in the National Planning Policy Framework. Albion Archaeology was commissioned by Davidson Developments Ltd to carry out the trial trenching. The geophysical survey had identified the presence of probable archaeological features across the survey area. The subsquent trial trenching confirmed the presence of a number of archaeological features with good levels of sub-surface preservation. The majority of the archaeological features identified during the trenching could be correlated with anomalies revealed by the geophysical survey. In addition, a number of other features were revealed by the geophysical survey. In addition, a number of other features were revealed within the trenches that were no detected by the geophysical survey. The layout and the form of the features, together with the recovered artefacts, suggests that the site contains remains of peripheral settlement activity comprising enclosure, field system and trackway ditches, bedding trenches, storage pits and at least one posthole. The pottery dates to the Iron Age and Roman periods.