SNN72880 - Land Adjacent to Main Road, Crick, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment and Non-Intrusive Evaluation

Detailed geophysics produced anomalies which were interpreted as of archaeological significance. Features in Area 1 coinciding with a section of the earthworks considered to be part of the medieval village. The anomalies mainly comprise linear and slightly curvilinear patterns, these suggesting a complexity not apparent from the earthworks. The features could represent property boundaries or even individual structural remains. Walkover survey showed that the earthwork plan published by RCHME in 1981 was still almost entirely intact in 1996. A sewer pipeline was observed to have caused some destruction along a narrow corridor running north-east to south-west across the site, mostly ridge and furrow of the medieval open field system. The site lies in an area of high archaeological potential. The western quarter of the site earmarked for public open space and part of that earmarked for residential use are occupied by earthworks that almost certainly form part of the original medieval village. Further features appear to lie beneath the earthworks. The adjacent ridge and furrow is not significant apart from the headland bank which forms the boundary between the medieval fields and the village remains. The earthworks are the only remaining elements of the medieval village, appearing to represent several elements such as houses, yards, possible roads and a pond or well. They are well-preserved and survive up to 1m high in places. There has been only minor disturbance of the site since c.1800. They do not however fulfil all the criteria for designation as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Irrespective of this, the in-situ preservation of the village earthworks is desirable, possibly by increasing the area of public space.