SNN115666 - Shacks Barn Farm, Towcester, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Impact Assessment

In October 2020 Cotswold Archaeology was commissioned by Clowes Developments toundertake an Archaeological Impact Assessment in respect of land at Shacks Barn Farm,Northamptonshire. The Site is located directly to the east of the A43 and directly to the south of the A413, the south-western extent of the Site is bounded by a solar farm and the southeastern extent is bounded by arable farmland. The development proposal seeks the construction of a commercial development site for mixed employment, c.10ha in total area. The objective of this assessment was to assess the archaeological potential and significance of the Site and identify the nature and extent of previous impacts. The Site has been the subject of previous archaeological investigation in the form of geophysical survey and archaeological trial trenching prior to the construction of the A43 Improvement Scheme. The evaluation results indicated a low archaeological potential for currently unrecorded prehistoric remains, and no evidence of the projected line of the Roman road between Towcester and Alchester was encountered. The overall archaeological potential for the Site is considered to be low, on the basis of the results of the previous works undertaken in the immediate vicinity having not identified any significant archaeological remains. The A43 Improvement Scheme required a programme of soil disposal and the construction of a site compound on the Site. This programme appears to have stripped areas of topsoil across the Site prior to the deposition of material moved from the road development works. A large area of the Site served as the compound for the A43 Improvement Scheme. The topsoil strip and construction of compound within the Site will have negatively impacted on any potential archaeological remains within the Site. The eastern portion of the Site is unlikely to have been subject to the same level of disturbance, and there is therefore an increased archaeological potential in this area, as any present remains will not have been previously truncated or disturbed. This Assessment was produced in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and local policy and is considered to provide sufficient information to inform determination of the planning application.