SNN110674 - Land off the A45, Little Irchester, Northamptonshire, Archaeological Evaluation Report

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Lark Energy to undertake archaeological mitigation works on land opposite 7 to 11 Claudius Way, Higham Road, Irchester, Northamptonshire (hereafter ‘the Site’). The Site is approximately 10.8 ha in size and is centred on National Grid Reference (NGR) 490810 266290.Previous archaeological field investigations had been undertaken on the Site in relation to the development of a solar photovoltaic farm, comprising a geophysical survey and a trial trench evaluation. These identified a significant concentration of archaeological features in the south-west corner of the Site constituting part of a Late Iron Age–Early Romano-British settlement, possibly of two phases, consisting of a complex of enclosures, possible trackways and related boundaries, a pottery kiln and a possible waterhole.Subsequently, planning consent for the development was granted subject to an archaeological condition (as advised by the Assistant Archaeological Advisor of Northamptonshire County Counciland outlined in a project brief). This was in respect of preservation in situ of the significant archaeological remains within the south-west of the Site and the need for further archaeological observation and investigation [a watching brief] on all intrusive groundworks across the remainder of the Site. This also included the requirement for a proposal for analysis to result in publication of the archaeological results of all phases of work relating to the project. This collectively is referred to as a programme of archaeological mitigation.The watching brief was maintained during intrusive groundworks associated with the construction of the solar photovoltaic farm in February and March 2016, with an additional day visit in April 2016. A small number of archaeological deposits infilling ditches were identified in a single cable trench excavated for CCTV adjacent to the south-western site boundary, in the area of significant archaeology. The groundworks did not impact on these deposits and so no further investigation was undertaken, although a few sherds of Roman pottery were recovered from the surface of some of these deposits.In total a very small quantity of archaeological finds were recovered from the watching brief. These finds were predominantly unstratified (not in their original depositional context) and, therefore, there is very little to add to the data acquired from the preceding archaeological evaluation. Despite this, the watching brief was successful in corroborating the earlier results by confirming that the limit of the Late Iron Age–Early Romano-British settlement is within the area preserved in situ.In accordance with the condition attached to the planning consent, a statement of potential and proposals in relation to the results from all phases of archaeological investigations associated with the solar photovoltaic farm development is outlined within this report, which will lead to the production of a short article to be submitted to the county journal, Northamptonshire Archaeology.