SNN112181 - A Medieval Manorial Farm at Lime Street, Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire

Excavations on land of off Lime Street, Irthlingborough ,found activity from the early-middle Iron Age, Roman, Saxo-Norman and medieval periods. Part of an Iron Age settlement comprised some pits and a house ring ditch set within a small enclosure. Roman activity was represented by a scatter of residual pottery, some minor ditch systems and a small pit group. 11th century medieval settlement comprised group of postholes and pits, and a system of boundary ditches was probably of the same date. Through the 12th and 13th centuries activity was still sparse comprising a scatter of small pits and deep quarry pits. A pit containing a primary pottery assemblage of early 13th century date denotes the presence of a house. By the early 14th century a group of three buildings were established: a long malt house/barn, dovecote and a building with mortared walls that might have served as a kitchen/bakehouse These buildings are clearly appropriate to a manorial farm, and probably served a nearby manor house Later documentary evidence indicates that the land was owned by the Battaile manor of Irthlingborough. The scale of the malthouse suggests was used for commercial production. These buiIdings and associated pit groups were abandoned tit the end of the 14th century, after less century of use. After partial robbing the site seems to have been left undeveloped until terracing and further robbing occurred in the 18th century.