SNN113965 - Land east of Northampton Road, Brackley, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Field Evaluation

In response to planning application for a mixed use development of land east of Northampton Road, Brackley, Northamptonshire the Assistant Archaeological Advisor for Northamptonshire County Council (AAA) advised that there was insufficient information to assess the potential impact of any development or for an appropriate mitigation strategy to be prepared. The AAA, therefore, recommended that a programme of archaeological field evaluation was needed to assess the potential of the development area in line with the guidance contained in the National Planning Policy Framework. Albion Archaeology was commissioned to carry out the Stage I field evaluation, which comprised geophysical survey followed by trial trenching. The geophysical survey identified the presence of probable archaeological features across the survey area (Stratascan 2012). The subsequent trial trenching confirmed the presence of a number of archaeological features with moderate levels of sub-surface preservation. The majority of archaeological features identified during the trial trenching could be correlated with anomalies revealed by the geophysical survey. In addition, a significant number of other features were revealed within the trenches that were not susceptible to geophysical survey. The layout and form of these features, together with recovered artefacts, suggest that the site contains remains of settlement activity, comprising roundhouse gullies, storage pits, enclosure ditches and postholes. A moderate quantity of artefacts was recovered from these features, including pottery and animal bone. The pottery is dated to the early-middle Iron Age. Two settlement foci were identified: one at the north end and one at the south end of the development area. The remains are likely to represent lowstatus settlement activity, associated with two or more unenclosed farmsteads and, as such, have the potential to be of local and regional significance. The eastern part of the site was devoid of significant archaeological remains, other than features associated with a post-medieval field boundary. Traces of medieval ridge and furrow were only identified across the western part of site, respecting the post-medieval boundary. These remains are of no more than local significance.