SNN111380 - Geophysical survey of hinterland fields adjacent to Watling Street to the North West of the Posting Station of Bannaventa, Norton, Northamptonshire

CLASP conducted a large scale geophysical (fluxgate gradio-meter) survey of four arable fields, covering a total area of 29ha, to the North-West of the Roman Posting Station of Bannaventa, Whilton Lodge in Norton Parish, Northamptonshire. The survey covered the area between the scheduled area encompassing the Roman Posting Station and the B4036 Long Buckby to Daventry road. The fields are bounded on the eastern side by the A5 (Roman Watling St.) and to the west by the headwater tributaries of the River Nene. The field work was undertaken in several separate surveys by volunteers of the CLASP Geophysical Team. The fieldwork (centred OS SP640560 264930) was commissioned to observe and record the extent of any residual archaeological landscape remains connected with the Posting Station. CLASP’s rationale was to help establish and characterize the nature of any remaining archaeology associated with the site, identify any extra mural development and examine the immediate hinterland for Roman activity in the general area to the north west of the late 3rd/4th century settlement. Discrete geophysical features were observed, indicating the presence of a range of period-based activity within the survey fields. The findings unmistakably implied the existence of widespread Roman and possible underlying Late Iron Age landscape, together with regularly laid-out ribbon development along Watling Street. A broad expanse of features constituting paddocks, enclosures, possible roundhouses and trackways situated further to the north-west on the more elevated contours radiated out from the north gate of the Roman Posting Station indicated the extent of the site. The hinterland features offer widespread evidence of the agricultural regime practised and outlines the link between the fields and the inhabited settlement itself, illustrating some aspects of the nature of rural and domestic daily life at the site.