SNN114640 - Titchmarsh Lodge Solar Farm, Thrapston, Northamptonshire: Geophysical Survey report

Ecus Ltd carried out a geophysical survey for Arcus Consulting in October and November 2022. Three fields comprising c.61.4ha of agricultural land were surveyed at Titchmarsh Lodge,Thrapston, Northamptonshire. A fourth field of 4.2ha intended for survey was omitted due to access issues. The work was carried out in support of a planning application to North Northamptonshire County Council for a solar farm development. The survey produced good data and confirmed the presence of three enclosures and a trackway in Field 1, previously identified from aerial photographs and recorded in the Northamptonshire Historic Environment Record (1875/0/3, 1875/0/1, 1875/0/2). The survey extended and enhanced the known information in Field 1 and identified up to seven additional enclosures to the east in Fields 2 and 3, though two are relatively faint, and therefore difficult to interpret with any confidence. The enclosures generally appear to be of Iron Age through to early medieval forms and include field boundaries and tracks. Ridge and furrow of probable medieval date covers all the survey areas, though it is fainter and less clear in the northwest of the survey area and along the eastern side, suggesting later field improvement in these areas. Two larger dipolar anomalies towards the east side of the survey have highly magnetic fills and may represent infilled palaeochannels or possibly quarries.