SNN116523 - Copse Lodge Solar Farm, Halse Road Greatworth, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample Excavation

In March 2024, Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological strip map and sample excavation on land off Halse Road, Greatworth, Northamptonshire, known for planning purposes as Copse Lodge Solar Farm. An area of 0.25ha was excavated, expanding the southwestern part of Trench 22 from a preceding trial trench evaluation that had identified an undated but possibly prehistoric pit containing fired or burnt clay. The excavation revealed an undated pit similar to that seen in Trench 22, the remains of a broadly east/west aligned ridge and furrow system, as well as two post-medieval/modern drainage ditches and other modern disturbance including wheel ruts. The pit likely represents a lower level of (possibly seasonal) activity within the agricultural hinterland of a known Iron Age/Roman settlement located to the south-east of the site. Although fired clay fragments recovered from the pit in Trench 22 were tentatively interpreted as oven lining, only a small number of non-diagnostic fragments of fired clay were recovered during the excavation from similar but undated pit 1002, in the west part of the excavation area, and no evidence for any structural remains or in-situ burning was encountered. Similarly, it is likely that Iron Age and Roman pottery fragments recovered from the fill of an excavated furrow are derived from activity relating to the settlement to the south-east or represent low-level ancillary activity within the agricultural land surrounding the core settlement.