SNN115182 - Kelmarsh Hall Wind Farm, Northamptonshire: Magnetometer Survey Report

A magnetometry survey was carried out across 15.6ha of land at the proposed site of Kelmarsh Hall Wind Farm in Northamptonshire. The survey included eight separate 1ha areas centred on turbine bases and fourteen 30m wide corridors centred on cable routes and tracks. The survey results revealed anomalies of archaeological potential within three of the turbine survey areas (Turbines 1, 4 and 5). The anomalies indicate the presence of linear boundaries, pit alignments and enclosures. The magnitude of the anomalies and their morphology would also be consistent with settlement within two of these areas (Turbines 1 and 5). The survey corridors associated with tracks and cables revealed anomalies of uncertain origin and no anomalies were interpreted as having obvious archaeological potential on purely morphological evidence. However, ditch-like anomalies were revealed in some of the corridors and archaeology should be considered along with agricultural and natural features. Natural features within the subsoil and underlying geology and erosional features, such as rilling and colluviation, may account for a number of low magnitude discrete and amorphous anomalies located by the survey. Evidence of early agricultural cultivation practices in the form of ridge and furrow are widespread and are combined with more modern agricultural marks.