SNN115099 - AWHf C3- Fieldwork Report for Trial Trench Evaluation at Lower Boddington, Northamptonshire

The trial trench evaluation was undertaken on land located within the civil Parish of Boddington between the villages of Upper Boddington and Lower Boddington, Northamptonshire. The Site comprised a single parcel of land, all under grassland, Fields 7, 8, 12 and 13 moving from south-east to north-west, incorporating parts of four large arable fields and pastures and covering a total area of 20.5 ha. A geophysical survey of the Site revealed several linear anomalies in the central western area (Field 12), which appeared to mark an area of settlement or land-use in this part of the Site that may have pre-dated extant ridge and furrow features. Ridge and furrow features extend across much of the Site, indicating a number of former open fields; in addition to these, at least five large linear features were observed in the eastern part of the Site, some of which appeared to respect areas of ridge and furrow and may be later medieval/post-medieval field boundaries. A total of 133 trenches were excavated, exposing numerous ditches and pits, and largely confirming the results of the geophysical survey and assumptions based on previously recorded archaeology. A number of further, mostly discrete features not previously detected as geophysical anomalies, were also exposed. Most of the features remained undated. Artefactual material recovery was very sparse across much of the site, with the vast majority of dateable finds being of post-medieval date, though a single worked flint of possible Neolithic/Early Bronze Age date and two abraded sherds of medieval pottery were also present. A single sherd of Roman pottery was also noted in an environmental sample. A presence of medieval and post-medieval ridge and furrow cultivation was also confirmed. The concentration of features was not even across the Site, with the majority of features located within Field 12.