SNN112676 - Dodford to Borough Hill Replacement Water Main: Archaeological Watching Brief

Anglian Water built a replacement water main between Dodford Reservoir (NGR 462180 260600) and Borough Hill Reservoir (NGR 458470 261950), near Daventry, Northamptonshire, between November 2005 and February 2006. A permanent presence watching brief was undertaken by Network Archaeology Limited during topsoil stripping and pipe trench excavation of the pipeline. Seven sites, ranging in date from Iron Age to early modern, were recorded during the watching brief. Two known sites (the Daventry to Weedon Railway and a postmedieval earthen dam) were corroborated by the watching brief. The remaining sites were mostly post-medieval and early modern agricultural remains, including a possible field boundary wall, midden deposits and pits, recorded near Dodford Village. One of the most significant sites was a small pit (or posthole) of possible Iron Age date located to the south-west of the village. The distribution of unstratified finds recovered following topsoil stripping showed a remarkable correlation with known sites. All of the medieval pottery, which included a possible sherd of late Saxon date, was located in the vicinity of Dodford Village at the east end of the pipeline. A concentration of late prehistoric flints was found in the vicinity of several major prehistoric sites at the west end of the pipeline. Significantly, a Neolithic leaf-shaped arrowhead found on the pipeline added to the growing body of evidence for pre-Bronze Age activity in this area.