SNN112366 - Toll Bar Road, Islip, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation

In January and February 2017 Foundations Archaeology was commissioned to undertake an archaeological evaluation of a single ploughed field directly east of the A6116, Islip, Northamptonshire (NGR: SP 984 786 - centred). The project was commissioned by Ben Stephenson of BSA Heritage on behalf of Catesby Estates Limited. The evaluation comprised the excavation of four 50m evaluation trenches, within an area subject to geophysical survey by GSB Prospection Ltd in 2014, the results of which indicated the presence of complex archaeological deposits, including rectilinear enclosures, ring ditches, ditches and pits. An earlier evaluation on the eastern side of the field was undertaken by Foundations Archaeology in 2016. This phase of evaluation identified concentrated archaeological deposits within all four of the excavated trenches. A sample of these probable features were archaeologically investigated and showed that the area contained well-preserved archaeological evidence with a number of phases of activity. Artefactual material was limited, but the majority of the datable evidence, in the form of both pottery and coins, was from the Roman period. Two copper alloy objects were identified in the subsoil of Trenches 1 and 2 by metal-detector during the evaluation. These comprised a belt buckle of early Post-medieval date and a button of similar or perhaps slightly earlier date. The evaluation has revealed that the archaeology in this area was more frequent and complex than that indicated by the previous investigations and included a probable posthole, which most likely would have been too small to register on the geophysical survey. The evaluation also identified a relict ridge and furrow system orientated broadly west northwest-east southeast across site