SNN111428 - 37 West Street, Easton on the Hill, Northants: A programme of archaeological monitoring and recording

Archaeological monitoring and recording was carried out during alterations, renovation and extensions to the Grade II listed building of 37 West Street and two associated barns, ground reduction for a new access road into the property from Orchard Way and the excavation of associated service trenches. No archaeological deposits or features were revealed during the groundworks. It is possible that terracing for the construction of 37 West Street in the 17th century removed potential archaeological remains near the front of the property and in other areas ground reduction only removed topsoil so the archaeological level was not reached. However, it is also likely that the land to the rear of 37 West Street has always been agricultural land, and later gardening plots, and was never built upon or used for settlement. No features pre-dating 37 West Street were found but a small number of medieval and post-medieval pottery sherds with a date range from 1100-1700 were retrieved from the subsoil to the immediate rear of the main house. The relatively good preservation of the pottery suggests that they were not imported through manuring, but originate from medieval occupation nearby, possibly the earthworks recorded c. 250m to the north. A rapid, photographic survey was undertaken of the interior of 37 West Street after most of its modern fittings, floors and wall coverings had been removed. No further information on the chronology of the building was revealed, however, several illustrative historic elements of the building were recorded. The most interesting were the carving of the initials and date ‘WD [?]1830’, most likely marking alterations to the house by its then owner William Duncomb, and a flagstone floor in the northern main room of the house. The flagstone floor was dated to the early 20th century by a 1909 Edward VII penny found in the sub-base underneath the floor. The nature of the timber braces of the reed wall on the ground floor, highlighted as potentially 17th century in the building survey by ABRS, suggest that this is more likely to be a 19th century replacement.