SNN111465 - An archaeological evaluation on land at Mickle Well Park, Daventry, Northamptonshire

An archaeological trial trench evaluation was undertaken in December 2013 at land at Mickle Well Park, Daventry, Northamptonshire, by University of Leicester Archaeological Services on behalf of CgMs Consulting. The fieldwork was undertaken to inform the preparation of a planning application for residential development and following a desk-based heritage assessment and a geophysical survey in order to assess the potential impact of the development on any archaeological remains as may have been present. The archaeological evaluation, comprising six 30m by 1.8m trenches, at Mickle Well Park, Daventry, revealed localised evidence of archaeological activity in the form of a small ditched enclosure of possible Late Iron Age date in the western sector of the assessment area and of further likely field ditches, at least two of which are of late 1st and 2nd century Romano-British date. Pottery and ceramic building material recovered from the latter hint at the presence of settlement in the near vicinity, whilst the presence of wheat chaff from three of the ditches is indicative of crop processing activity in the near vicinity. A small but wide-ranging assemblage of animal bone confirms the presence of domesticated animals as well as domestic fowl and hare. The site archive will be deposited with the Northamptonshire County Council Museums Service under accession number NH-MWD 2013.