SNN113684 - Land north of Oundle Road, Weldon, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Orion Heritage, on behalf of BAM Construction Ltd, to undertake an archaeological evaluation of a 6.2 ha parcel of land located on land north of Oundle Road, Weldon, Corby, Northamptonshire, as part of the pre-application works for the building of a secondary school. The evaluation succeeded in achieving its aims and objectives, as set out in the WSI. The trenching identified the post-medieval field boundaries where they remained, as well as identifying a small number of Romano-British cut features within the north-eastern edge of the site. It also established that the remainder of the site does not contain large concentrations of archaeological features, with 43 of the 48 trenches excavated reporting no archaeological remains. The Romano-British features uncovered along the north-eastern edge of the site suggest enclosure and possible sparse settlement activity within this area. A pit or ditch terminus was found in trench 25 and contained a moderate quantity of 1st and 2nd century AD Roman ceramics, and the remains of a probable square/rectilinear enclosure or structure within trench 14. The size of the enclosed area identified with the two parallel east–west ditches and possible north–south return in trench 14 would suggest that these features were more likely to relate to a structure rather than an enclosure, although no internal features or postholes were identified. The recovered environmental evidence backs up the presence of Romano-British agricultural regimes within the area. The post-medieval remains located on site reflect the field boundaries in place during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but the evaluation has demonstrated that only a north–south running boundary was a ditch, while the lack of any east–west ditch running across the field would suggest that this boundary comprised a hedgerow. The archive resulting from the evaluation is currently held at the offices of Wessex Archaeology in Sheffield. The Northamptonshire Archaeological Resource Centre has agreed in principle to accept the archive on completion of the project, under the accession code ENN110031. Deposition of any finds with the museum will only be carried out with the full written agreement of the landowner to transfer title of all finds to the museum.