SNN111772 - The Bungalow, Higham Road, Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire: Summary Report and Updated Project Design

This document presents a summary of the results of archaeological investigation undertaken in advance of residential development at The Bungalow, Higham Road, Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, centred at NGR SP 9034 7428. The document also contains an Updated Project Design for analysis and publication of the results of the fieldwork. A planning application (KET/2010/0662) was made to Kettering Borough Council and, in line with the guidance contained in PPS5 Planning for the Historic Environment, Northamptonshire County Council’s Assistant Archaeological Advisor requested a programme of archaeological investigations. The first stage, undertaken in January 2011, comprised field evaluation in the form of trial trenching. This demonstrated that the known Roman settlement to the north continued into the development area. Therefore, a second stage of investigation, open area excavation, was required by the Assistant Archaeological Advisor. This was undertaken in March/April 2012 and provided the majority of the evidence reported on in this document. The open area excavation examined part of a Roman settlement which is now known to extend over c. 1.8ha. The settlement had a regular layout of enclosures and trackways, although these were modified over time. Although the settlement is believed to have been occupied throughout the Roman period the majority of the evidence from the development area was of late 2nd–3rd-century AD date. The archaeological remains investigated within the development area comprised a major boundary ditch, an adjacent enclosure and contemporary activity foci. The Roman finds recovered included pottery, brick and tile, metal and glass artefacts, and animal bone. No evidence for late Iron Age or Saxon activity was present. The presence of furrows indicates that during the medieval period the land was part of the open field system associated with Burton Latimer. A small number of undated and/or modern features were also identified. Analysis and publication of the datasets produced by the investigations is proposed to assist in addressing local, regional and national research objectives relating to Roman settlement, economy and society. The methodologies, project team and timescale required to complete this project are presented in the Updated Project Design and in more detail in the appendix. The end product will be the publication of the results in the county journal Northamptonshire Archaeology and, subject to the landowner’s permission with regard to the artefacts, the deposition of the project archive in the appropriate county store.