SNN113244 - Copse Lodge Solar Farm, Greatworth, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation

An archaeological evaluation was carried out on behalf of JBM Solar Projects 20 Ltd., in support of the planning application for a new solar farm and associated infrastructure at Copse Lodge, Halse Road, Greatworth. A geophysical survey was undertaken across the whole site in 2020, which revealed a large Iron Age and/or Romano-British settlement directly to the south-east of the site, along with areas of ridge and furrow ploughing across the majority of the site. All the trenches were excavated to the geological natural and significant archaeological features were present in 4 trenches. These included parts of an adult human burial, above which Roman pottery was recovered. A number of Roman ditches were recorded to the north-west of, and clearly associated with, the Iron Age and/or RomanoBritish settlement recorded to the south-east of the site by the geophysical survey. A pit in trench 22 contained a large quantity of burnt clay fragments, which may have been from a former oven lining. No dateable material was recovered from the pit and a small number of undated ditches were also recorded across the site.