SNN115688 - Digital Archive from a Geophysical Survey, Topographical Survey and Evaluation at Buxton Drive, Desborough, Northamptonshire 2022

Introduction This collection comprises raw geophysics data, GIS data, images, a photo register, a report and site records from a geophysical survey, topographical survey, and evaluation on land off Buxton Drive, Desborough, Northamptonshire. Work was undertaken between July and September 2022 by Allen Archaeology. Avant Homes commissioned Allen Archaeology Limited to undertake the archaeological works as a condition of planning consent for a residential development. A geophysical survey using magnetometry and an earthwork survey was undertaken in July 2022, followed by an archaeological evaluation by trial trenching in September 2022. The geophysical survey consisted of a detailed gradiometer survey of as much of the development area as was suitable, coming to approximately 3.4 hectares. The survey was undertaken in a series of 30m grids across the site. The grids were marked using pre-programmed grids on the Leica GS08 Netrover. Magnetic data was collected on a north - northeast to south - southwest alignment due to the layout of the fields. The geophysical survey clearly revealed ridge and furrow cultivation across both fields, aligned northeast to southwest in the western field and roughly northwest to southeast through the eastern field. The potential hollow way banks identified in the earthwork survey were also slightly more prominent within the survey than the ridges within the rest of the field. The modern cultivation, likely potatoes, was also seen within the results in the eastern field, as well as negative linear features likely representing modern activity. A pair of potential positive features within the eastern field could represent ditches either side of a trackway, or possibly drainage features. The earthwork survey identified and recorded the ridge and furrow earthwork features within the western field. The survey also identified more prominent banks, aligned with the ridge and furrow, towards the southeast end of the field which may relate to a former hollow way. Seven trenches were excavated during the evaluation at various locations across the site. Medieval ridge and furrow were observed in trench 1 and a single isolated gully in trench 3.