SNN117012 - Land at 12 Oundle Road, Weldon, Corby, Northamptonshire NN17 3JT: A Programme of Archaeological Work 2021

During October 2021, Benchmark Archaeology (BA) undertook a programme of Archaeological Observation, Investigation, Recording, Analysis And Publication Of Works (OIR) on land at 12 Oundle Road, Weldon, Corby, Northamptonshire NN17 3JT (NGR: 492902 289506, Figures 1 - 3). The work was commissioned and funded by Katie Rowley. Planning permission (NC/21/00199/DPA) was granted by North Northampton Council (NNC) for residential development comprising a single-storey rear extension on the site. The site lies within an area of archaeological potential where Medieval iron working remains and Post-medieval activity was anticipated. Due to the archaeological potential of the site the Archaeological Advisor (AA) to North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) recommended that a programme of OIR be undertaken on the site during groundworks with the potential to expose, truncate or destroy deposits of archaeological significance. Prior to the OIR fieldwork a Project Design (Cherrington 2021) specifying the methodology to be employed during the OIR was produced and submitted as a requirement of planning permission. The OIR was successful in its aim of providing a written, drawn and photographic record of the deposits revealed during the development. No features or deposits of archaeological significance were recorded and no pre-modern finds were recovered. No evidence for Medieval iron working / smelting was observed. Based on the HER entry, it appears that the location of the recorded iron smelting furnace (2659/22/2) is likely to be further to the southeast in close proximity to the Willow Brook. The archive is currently stored at the offices of BA prior to deposition with Northamptonshire Archaeological Resource Centre. The completed OASIS form appears in Appendix 1.