SNN115070 - King’s Meadow Lane, Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire: Archaeomagnetic Dating Report 2003

During archaeological excavations at King’s Meadow Lane in Higham Ferrers in advance of redevelopment for housing, remains of the flue of a Roman grain drier were discovered. Archaeological evidence suggests that it dates from the late C3rd - 4th AD and the English Heritage Centre for Archaeology was asked to provide archaeomagnetic analysis with a view to confirming when it was last fired. Measurements suggest that the fabric of the grain drier had not been heated to a sufficient temperature to record a completely stable magnetisation. Nevertheless, a direction of remanence has been isolated and this is consistent enough between samples that a date for the last firing of the feature can be estimated. This date is, however, of relatively poor precision and it has only been possible to date the last use of the grain drier to some time between the late C3rd and early C5th AD.