SNN111451 - Barby Hill Reservoir, Barby Hill, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Monitoring during ground investigations

A programme of archaeological monitoring was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology during ground investigations associated with the maintenance and development of the Barby Reservoir, Northamptonshire. The ground investigations comprised the excavation of three test pits to determine the degree of disturbance to archaeological deposits caused by previous phases of construction at the site. Previous archaeological investigations within the south of the site revealed intercutting ring ditches, gullies and pits dating to the mid to late Iron Age. Several of these features were cut by two large boundary ditches of a similar date. The current archaeological monitoring identified a feature, probably a prehistoric ditch, in one test pit and buried soil horizons (the former land surface), sealed by redeposited clay from the construction of the reservoir, in two test pits. The survival of the former land surface beneath made-ground deposits suggests that archaeological remains may be preserved within parts of the site. There was no artefactual material pre-dating the modern period in the excavated deposits. Archaeology was encountered during the previous excavation at an average depth of 147.89m aOD. The current works identified buried topsoil at between 148.34m and 148.53m aOD, sealing potential archaeological levels at between 148.03m and 148.33m aOD. This correlates well with the levels from the previous excavations.