SNN112758 - Harpole to Weedon Anglian Water Pipeline Phase 2 Archaeological Evaluation Report

Between the 26th of April and the 7th of May 2021, Oxford Archaeology East (OA East) conducted a programme of archaeological evaluation along Phase 2 of the proposed route of a new water pipeline, running between the villages of Harpole and Weedon Bec, Northamptonshire (SP 65595 60412 to SP 62200 60642). Ten trenches were excavated along the 4km route of Phase 2 (c.3.4ha). This work was undertaken to aid in identifying the preservation and extent of any non‐designated heritage assets and followed on from an earlier programme of geophysical survey. The results of this evaluation also augment the data collected by the previous works carried out along Phase 1 in 2020. Archaeological remains were identified throughout the evaluation area, appearing sparsely across most trenches, while Trench 100 at the western end of Phase 2 was found to be devoid of any archaeology. The earliest datable features included three Roman enclosure ditches found at the eastern end of the evaluation (Trenches 108 and 109). The small pottery assemblage retrieved from all three ditches include fragments dating to the Early and Late Roman periods (1st to 4th century AD), suggesting the possibility of a sustained period of Roman activity in the area. These Roman ditches may have closely related to the numerous ditches revealed towards the western end of Phase 1 in 2020. Some of these features also produced assemblages of Roman pottery. Medieval activity is represented by the presence of ridge and furrow cultivation exposed across the site. All trenches, from Trench 104 to 109 revealed up to four furrows. A number of undated ditches, pits and a posthole appeared in Trenches 101 to 105, more towards the west of the evaluation area. A ditch excavated in Trench 103 produced a Late Mesolithic/Early Neolithic flint arrowhead, although this could be a residual artefact, as opposed to firmly dating the ditch. Two modern former field boundaries were exposed, one running north to south through Trench 106 and another in Trench 101, aligned east to west. Across the evaluation, there was a notable lack of archaeological evidence relating to settlement, industrial or funerary activity. The archaeological remains found may have generally related to periods of agricultural activity in the area, potentially spanning the prehistoric, Roman, and medieval to modern periods. Some archaeological features identified corresponded with the results of the geophysical survey. These mainly include the Roman enclosures revealed in Trenches 108 and 109 and the medieval ridge and furrow systems exposed across the site. The majority of other features uncovered were not identified in the survey, with the exception of two undated ditches excavated in Trenches 103 and 105 and a modern former field boundary revealed in Trench 106.