SNN114367 - Archaeological Excavation Report: Land off Whites Lane, Harlestone, Northamptonshire

Allen Archaeology Limited was commissioned by David Wilson Homes South Midlands to undertake an archaeological excavation on land off Whites Lane, Harlestone, Northamptonshire, in support of a planning application for a residential development. The site lies near to known heritage assets including a pit alignment of probable Early Iron Age date identified by excavation to the east of the site, and subsequently by an archaeological evaluation of the site. The fieldwork comprised the excavation of two areas, Area 1 located around the pits identified in the evaluation as the probable pit alignment, and Area 2 which centred on an isolated pit recorded during the evaluation. In Area 1 the continuation of the pit alignment was confirmed, and artefactual material recovered suggested an early Iron Age date, corresponding to dating evidence recovered from a length of the same pit alignment recorded to the east of Harlestone Road. The form of the pit alignment was also demonstrated to be similar to that recorded in previous excavations. The only other feature recorded in Area 1 was a field boundary or drainage ditch of probable post-medieval date. In Area 2, no archaeologically significant deposits or features were identified other than the pit recorded in the evaluation, which was fully excavated. Dating evidence from the pit suggested that it was broadly contemporary with the pit alignment in Area 1. The fieldwork has preserved by record a short additional length of a known pit alignment, and has produced evidence for the form, function and dating of the feature in concordance with previous results.