SNN115149 - Stanton Cross Area 10, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Investigation & Trial Trenching

The Borough Council of Wellingborough granted outline planning permission (WP/2004/0600/O) for a mixed-use development – known as Stanton Cross – to the east of Wellingborough. RPS agreed with the North Northamptonshire Council Archaeological Advisor (NNCAA) that a programme of trial trenching would be required to conclude the archaeological evaluation of Area 10 of the Stanton Cross development. Area 10 lies on the west side of the Stanton Cross development area, centred on SP 9095 6880. It is an area of former arable farmland, bounded to the south by recent residential development off Cydonia Way, to the east and north by further arable farmland, and to the west by pasture/flood meadows on the east bank of the River Ise. The latter is a tributary of the River Nene, which lies c. 1.5km south of Area 10. The fieldwork was undertaken in two stages: 13th–18th January 2022 and 2nd–4th February 2022. A total of three trial trenches were excavated, two measuring 30m long and 2.2m wide and the third a 10 x 10m square. The trench layout was designed to target geophysical anomalies that had been interpreted as archaeology. The evaluation and investigation identified a large multi-phased, NW-SE aligned, prehistoric boundary. It primarily comprised an alignment of large, sub-circular pits, which was subsequently replaced by a ditch of similar size and depth. Three smaller boundary ditches on varying alignments were identified to the south of the prehistoric boundary. Although no firm dating evidence was recovered, their spatial layout and alignment in relation to historical mapping suggests that they represent post-medieval/modern field boundaries. The prehistoric pit alignment/boundary ditch is likely to be of local to regional significance. It has potential to address a number of research aims highlighted in the regional agenda. The smaller boundary ditches to the south of the pit alignment are likely to relate to post-medieval agricultural activity and as such have no potential to address regional research themes. The project archive will be deposited with the Northamptonshire Archaeological Resource Centre (ARC). The digital archive will be submitted to the Archaeology Data Service (ADS). Details of the project and its findings will be submitted to the OASIS database in accordance with the guidelines issued by Historic England and the ADS (reference no. albionar1-503589).