SNN111851 - Land at Badgers Farm, Cosgrove, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in June 2018 on land at Badger’s Farm, Cosgrove, Northamptonshire. Eight trenches were excavated to inform a forthcoming planning application for a green burial ground. The evaluation sought to assess the archaeological resource within the site, including its presence/absence, character, extent, date, integrity, state of preservation and quality, to identify and assess the particular significance of any heritage asset, considering the impact of the proposed development upon it, and to avoid or minimise any such impact. Archaeological remains correlated quite well with the results of the geophysical survey. This had identified a series of irregularly formed anomalies, which proved to accord with the locations of several infilled ditches relating to a putative small Late Iron Age and Roman period settlement or farmstead with two trackways aligned across the centre of the site, which were aligned perpendicular. Other remains were identified as former field boundaries and pits, probably relating to contemporary or later agricultural activity. Artefactual evidence suggested that whilst there is some evidence of Late Iron Age activity, the majority of archaeological activity occurring prior to the medieval period is likely to have dated to the Roman period.