SNN114667 - 8 Regent Street, Finedon, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN9 5NB

Archaeological monitoring was carried out by Souterrain during groundwork for four new semidetached dwellings in the historic core of Finedon, a Northamptonshire town located c. 2.7 km north of Wellingborough. Despite extensive documentary evidence, archaeology has, so far, contributed little to knowledge of the origin and development of Finedon. The archaeological potential of the Application Site was reasonably inferred from its location at Dolben Square, a place anciently believed to the assembly point of a Saxon hundred (administrative division) from which Finedon derives its place name. Bounded by an ancient main thoroughfare to the south and a former stream course to the north, the site was already enclosed at the time of the parliamentary inclosure of Finedon in the early 19th century. Prior to the planning permission the site was occupied by a 20th century health centre, and before that by tenements and outbuildings ranged around a courtyard, the majority of which were built in the 19th century. Three stages of archaeological monitoring took place between the 3rd of August and the 26th of October 2022, comprised of: trial pits; removal of existing concrete strip footings and ground reduction; and excavation of foundation trenches. The investigation revealed the magnitude of ground modification that took place prior to construction of the health centre; the southern half of the site razed to the upper geological boundary, while the northern half, substantially raised above the bank of the stream with building rubble. There were no significant archaeological features or artefacts, and no buried ancient soil horizons were observed. The steepness of the ancient topography, down to the stream, suggests that the early enclosure was used for grazing as opposed to arable. The report places the Application Site and property into its archaeological and historic context and provides an illustrative, photographic and descriptive account of observations.