SNN110636 - Nene Park, Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire: Archaeological evaluation report, 2016

In 2016 Wardell Armstrong Archaeology was commissioned by Wardell Armstrong LLP on behalf of their client Conalgen Enterprises SA to undertake an archaeological evaluation of land at Nene Park, Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire (NGR SP 957 710) (Figure 1). This was a result of formal planning consent being sought and a recommendation by the planning archaeologist for an archaeological investigation by trial trenching. The proposed development site is located in an area which has been identified as being of archaeological interest due to the presence of prehistoric and historic remains in the surrounding landscape. This is linked to previous work undertaken by the Northamptonshire Archaeological Unit. This included a geophysical survey, as well as trial trenches which identified field boundaries interpreted as dating to the Iron‐Age/Romano‐British period (Northamptonshire Archaeology 1995). Four trenches were excavated in accordance with the WSI though one of these needed to be altered to avoid a buried service for flood‐lighting and the single 50m trench was replaced by two separate trenches measuring 35m and 15m. The archaeological evaluation was undertaken over three days from the 18th‐20th April 2016. The investigation revealed no remains which were interpreted as archaeological; either artefatual remains or structural remains. All trenches produced evidence of the alluvial environment in which the site has historically developed. The results of the fieldwork at Nene Park may, in fact, lead to the re‐interpretation of results from previous phases of test‐pitting in the area suggesting that previously identified achaeological pits and linear features were actually naturally occurring pedological features.