SNN116871 - ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESK-BASED ASSESSMENT: CHELVESTON ROAD, CHELVESTON, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

This Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment has been prepared by RPS for Federal Estates Ltd for c.4.27 ha of land located east of Higham Road and Caldecott Road, Chelveston, on the border of Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire (centred at National Grid Reference SP 994 691). The western two thirds of the site straddle agricultural fields, whilst the eastern third, is located within the Chelveston Renewable Energy wind and solar farm.This Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment has been prepared in compliance with the National Planning Policy Framework, local planning requirements and relevant guidance documents. There are no designated heritage assets within the site. No designated archaeological assets (i.e. Scheduled Monuments and Registered Battlefields) are assessed to be sensitive to the proposed development. The assessment of impacts on Built Heritage Assets does not fall within the scope of this report. Three non-designated heritage assets are recorded within the site. These comprise cropmarks of linear features, enclosures and pits and the posited extent of the medieval settlement of Caldecott at the western end of the site, and runways and associated infrastructure of RAF Chelveston, within the eastern 600m of the site. Geophysical survey of the site has identified anomalies corresponding with the cropmarks at the western end of the site, covering roughly 0.42 ha, and no archaeological anomalies elsewhere. The anomalies/cropmarks are undated, but unstratified and unabraded Roman pottery (including Samian and colour coated ware) recovered c.60m to the west of the site, indicate a Late Iron Age/Roman origin. Though cropmarks of probable Prehistoric and/or Roman settlement are known off-site to the north and south of the central section of the site, no geophysical anomalies of an archaeological origin or cropmarks, were identified elsewhere within the site. The anomalies within the site clearly underly Medieval furrows, and therefore, pre-date the Medieval period. No evidence of Medieval settlement associated with Caldecott has been identified within the site. Extensive archaeological work was carried out prior to the development of the Chelveston Renewable Energy wind and solar farm. No significant remains associated with RAF Chelveston are expected to survive in the eastern area of the siteOverall, the site has a high potential for Iron Age/Roman settlement remains of local importance at the western end of the site, and a low potential for archaeological remains elsewhere within the site boundary.