SNN115018 - Land off Prospect Avenue, Rushden, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Strip, map and Sample Investigation

Between March to April 2022, Cotswold Archaeology carried out an archaeological strip, map and sample investigation at Land off Prospect Avenue, Rushden, Northamptonshire. An area of approximately 0.25ha was excavated within the development site. The earliest recorded archaeological features identified during the excavation dated to the Roman period (Period 1) and comprised a number of ditches and pits, as well as two limestone surfaces. The ditches appeared to represent potential agricultural or settlement elements including the remains of a rectangular enclosure, with evidence for internal sub-divisions. There was no evidence of further land-use until the establishment of a ridge-and-furrow agricultural system in the medieval period. A colluvial layer, of probable medieval date, covered the northern corner of the excavation area. A moderate assemblage of Late Iron Age to Roman and medieval to post-medieval/modern pottery (801 sherds, 10,032g) was recovered from the excavation area. In addition to this, animal bone and other artefacts (CBM, clay tobacco pipe, fired clay, lithics and metalwork) was also recovered. The majority of this was material was associated with Roman dated deposits. Information from OASIS online form.