SNN111528 - Land between 75a and 75b, High Street, Irchester, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN29 7AA: A Programme of Archaeological Work 2017

During November 2017, Benchmark Archaeology (BA) undertook a programme of Archaeological Observation, Investigation and Recording (hereinafter AWB) on land between 75a and 75b, High Street, Irchester, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN29 7AA (NGR: 492505 265933, Figures 1 - 3). Planning permission has been granted by The Borough Council of Wellingborough for the construction of 3 bedroom and 2 bedroom semi-detached dwellings with associated parking (Planning Ref: WP/17/00464/FUL). The site lies within an area of archaeological potential. The work was commissioned and funded by Gaskell Build Ltd. Due to the archaeological potential of the site the Assistant Archaeological Advisor (AAA), Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) has recommended that a programme of AWB be undertaken on the site during groundworks with the potential to expose, truncate or destroy deposits of archaeological significance. Prior to the fieldwork a Project Design (Cherrington 2017) specifying the methodology to be employed during the AWB was produced as a requirement of the document entitled ‘Brief For A Programme Of Archaeological Observation, Investigation, Recording, Analysis And Publication Of Works On Land Between 75a And 75b High Street, Irchester, Northamptonshire’ issued by the AAA, NCC. The AWB was successful in its aim of providing a written, drawn and photographic record of the features and deposits encountered during development. The only feature recorded was Post-medieval date and comprised an east – west aligned limestone building foundations (F102, 101). These foundations are almost certainly associated with the agricultural buildings depicted on Ordnance Survey mapping between 1884 and 1989. During the work it became apparent that the site had been subject to high levels of truncation caused by historic use as a farmyard and more recent use as a construction compound some years prior to the current development. Outside the footprint of the excavated areas (Areas A –C) it is proposed to raise existing levels with imported materials resulting in no impact to potential archaeological levels. No features or deposits of archaeological significance were recorded and no pre-modern finds were recovered.