SNN112880 - Riverview Gardens, Ringstead Road, Denford, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN14 4EL: Archaeological Investigation, November 2021

In October 2021 an archaeological investigation was carried out by Souterrain prior to groundwork for a new dwelling on a plot of land at Riverview Gardens, Denford, a village in the northeast of the county of Northamptonshire. Based on the historic origins of Denford and occasional archaeological discoveries, the site was considered to have potential for buried remains pertaining to the medieval settlement or its manor. In addition, since the site lies just above the 40 m contour on the south side of the River Nene, it was considered to have potential for Iron Age to Roman-British remains. Similar locations, both within and beyond the village are known to have been a preferred location for settlement and intensive agriculture during these periods. The report provides a précis of the historical and archaeological knowledge. Ground reduction and investigation took place over 50% of the area of development impact, providing a representative sample of the site. The ground appeared to have suffered only superficial disturbance, yet no archaeological features were present and the soils were devoid of artefacts. The negative evidence seems to suggest that this land lay outside the bounds of the medieval village, possibly within an area of non-arable use, since there was no observable trace of former cultivation strips. It was not possible to determine land-usage during the Iron Age to Roman-British periods. The report provides an illustrative, photographic and descriptive account of the work.