Land at 9 High Street Earls Barton Northamptonshire Archaeological

Land at 9 High Street Earls Barton Northamptonshire

Archaeological Evaluation

for Howkins & Harrison acting on behalf of

Miss J Barker and Mr A Barker

CA Project: 660039 CA Report: 12044

March 2012

Land at 9 High Street Earls Barton Northamptonshire

Archaeological Evaluation

CA Project: 660039 CA Report: 12044

prepared by Simon Carlyle, Project Manager

date 7 March 2012

checked by Simon Carlyle, Project Manager

date 9 March 2012

approved by Roland Smith, Regional Manager

signed

date 12 March 2012

issue 01

This report is confidential to the client. Cotswold Archaeology accepts no responsibility or liability to any third party to whom this report, or any part of it, is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means without permission.

© Cotswold Archaeology Unit 4, Cromwell Business Centre, Howard Way, Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes MK16 9QS t. 01908 218320 e. [email protected] © Cotswold Archaeology Land at 9 High Street, Earls Barton: Archaeological Evaluation

CONTENTS

SUMMARY...... 4

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 5

2. FIELDWORK RESULTS ...... 8

3. DISCUSSION...... 15

4. CA PROJECT TEAM ...... 16

5. REFERENCES ...... 16

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS...... 18 APPENDIX B: THE FINDS AND PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE ...... 21 APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM ...... 23

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Fig. 1 Site location plan, 1:25,000 Fig. 2 Trench location plan, showing archaeological features, 1:2000 Fig. 3 Plans and section of Roman features in Trenches 4 and 6 Fig. 4 Trench 4, Roman oven 406, looking south Fig. 5 Trench 4, Roman ditch 408, looking south-east Fig. 6 Plan and section of post-medieval features in Trench 2 Fig. 7 Trench 2, general view, ditch 202 in foreground, looking south Fig. 8 Trench 1, ditch 102, looking south-east

3 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at 9 High Street, Earls Barton: Archaeological Evaluation

SUMMARY

Project name: 9 High Street, Earls Barton Location: 9 High Street, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire NGR: SP 8523 6395 Type: Evaluation Date: March 2012 Site code: EBT 12

In February 2012, an archaeological evaluation, comprising the excavation of six trial trenches, was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology on a block of land to the north of 9 High Street, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire. The work, which was commissioned by Howkins and Harrison, acting on behalf of Miss J Barker and Mr A Barker, was undertaken prior to the submission of planning proposals for the residential development of the land.

In the southern half of the site evidence was found for a Roman settlement, possibly a small farmstead. The remains consisted of three, perhaps four, relatively substantial, steep-sided ditches that may form part of a number of enclosures, two pits, a small, keyhole-shaped oven, a dark, charcoal-flecked occupation layer and a circular hearth. A small assemblage of Roman pottery, mostly dating to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, with some later Roman fabrics also present, and fragments of animal bone were recovered from the features.

Later activity was encountered near the centre of the site where the remains of a timber building, possibly a barn, and an associated ditch were investigated. The remains appeared to relate to a roughly rectangular ‘platform’, visible as a slight earthwork on the surface of the field; no dating evidence, other than an iron nail, was recovered from the remains, but the location of the building in the corner of a field shown on a late 18th-century map of the area suggests that it dates to the post-medieval period.

An undated ditch in the north-east corner of the site may be prehistoric as its fill had a leached appearance and it contained a small ‘crumb’ of possible prehistoric pottery, although this may have been residual.

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 An archaeological evaluation, comprising the excavation of six trial trenches, was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology (CA) on a block of land to the north of 9 High Street, Earls Barton, (site centred on NGR: SP 6222 6701; Fig. 1). The work, which was commissioned by Howkins and Harrison, acting on behalf of Miss J Barker and Mr A Barker, was carried out in February 2012, prior to the submission of planning proposals for the residential development of the land.

1.2 The archaeological evaluation, which had been requested by Lesley-Ann Mather, Northamptonshire County Council’s Archaeological Advisor (NCCAA), forms part of a programme of archaeological work being carried out on the site. Previous stages comprised a geophysical survey, carried out by GSB Prospection Ltd (GSB 2011), and a desk-based assessment prepared by CA (2011). The scope of works has been set out in a two-part brief issued by NCCAA (2011a and b).

1.3 The project was undertaken in accordance with the approved Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) prepared by CA (2012), the Institute for Archaeologists’ Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluation (IfA 2008), and the English Heritage procedural documents Management of Archaeological Projects 2 (EH 1991) and the Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MoRPHE): Project Manager’s Guide (EH 2006). The fieldwork was monitored by Lesley-Ann Mather, NCCAA, with a site visit being made on 7 February 2012.

The site

1.4 The site, which covers an area of approximately 1.3ha, is situated to the north of 9 High Street, in the historic centre of the village of Earls Barton; parts of the site lie less than 100m from the church and earthworks of the motte and bailey castle. It comprises a single residential property, 9 High Street, and to the north an associated complex of outbuildings and farmyard, a small vegetable garden, an area of scrub to the west, and a single long, narrow pasture field. The northern and eastern boundaries are formed by walls and fences, dividing the site from modern residential development. The southern boundary is formed by a stone wall, beyond which is High Street. A fence forms part of the western boundary and divides the site from the adjacent Vicarage, while the remainder of the western boundary is formed by a tree-lined boundary dividing the site from playing fields.

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1.5 The site is situated on the south-facing slopes of the valley of the River Nene, the ground descending from 99m above Ordnance Datum (aOD) at the northern boundary to 91m aOD at the High Street. The geology generally comprises Ooidal ironstone of the Northampton Sand Formation, with inter-bedded sandstone and siltstone of the Stanford member outcropping at the extreme northern end of the site. There are no recorded drift deposits within the site, although it overlooks extensive alluvial gravel terraces to the south.

1.6 A full account of the historical and archaeological background of the site and the surrounding area is presented in the DBA prepared by CA (2010), on which the following summary is based. The Northamptonshire Historic Environment Record (HER) contains no records of any archaeological findspots or remains within the site. However, outlying parts of the castle, including the eastern bailey bank and ditch, are thought to extend into the site; this has not been substantiated by geophysical survey (GSB 2011).

1.7 There are a number of prehistoric sites in the vicinity, the earliest of which is a possible Bronze Age ring ditch that has been identified from cropmarks c. 450m to the west of the site. Later prehistoric activity, dating to the Iron Age, has been investigated at Mallards Close, c. 250m to the north of the site, and closer to the floodplain, c. 450m to the south.

1.8 The Iron Age settlement at Mallards Close was superseded by a Romano-British settlement, comprising a stone-walled enclosure that may have surrounded a villa, built in the mid 2nd century AD. A number of other Iron Age sites in the area were occupied in the Roman period.

1.9 Remains from the Saxon and medieval periods are well-recorded in and around the village. The church of All Saints (Grade I listed) has a Late Saxon tower and Saxon burials have been recorded in the cemetery, suggesting that the church may have had an earlier Saxon precursor. Saxon settlement remains have been investigated c. 400m to the west of the site. The village was recorded as ‘Barton’ in Domesday Book in 1086 and was then under the ownership of Countess Judith, niece of William the Conqueror. Berry Mount, the remains of a Norman motte and bailey castle dating to the 11th century, is a Scheduled Monument located 60m west of the site. Parts of the eastern defences of the bailey may extend into the site. Other medieval remains close-by includes the possible site of the manor house, a 15th-

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century house, fishponds and the remains of an open field system. The long, narrow field within the site possibly preserves the boundaries of a medieval burgage plot.

1.10 The village continued to expand in the post-medieval period and there are a number of listed buildings in the village that date to the 17th and 18th centuries. From around 1800 the village became a centre for the boot and shoe industry and a number of factories were built nearby, and ironstone was also worked at a number of quarries in the surrounding area. The modern village continues to expand and now lies only c. 3km from the edge of the eastern suburbs of Northampton. The site is partially situated within the Earls Barton Conservation Area, as defined by the Wellingborough Borough Local Plan.

1.11 No intrusive archaeological investigations have been carried out on the site, although a magnetometer survey has been carried out as part of the current phase of works (GSB 2011). This detected no archaeologically significant anomalies within the survey area, other than two short ditch-like features, one of which may be the remains of a former boundary shown on early mapping of the area. However, severe magnetic disturbance masked over half of the site, so it is possible that this noise will have concealed the weaker responses from buried archaeological remains, if present.

Archaeological objectives

1.12 The objectives of the evaluation, as outlined in the brief (NCCAA 2011a), were to:

 establish the date, nature and extent of activity or occupation on the development site,  recover artefacts to assist in the development of a type series within the region,  and recover palaeoenvironmental remains to determine local environmental conditions.

The results of the evaluation will assist NCCAA in making an informed judgement on the significance of the archaeological resource and the likely impact upon it of the proposed development.

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Methodology

1.13 The evaluation comprised the excavation and investigation of six trial trenches (145 linear metres) within the site, positioned in accordance with the approved trench plan (Fig. 2). The trenches were positioned either to target geophysical anomalies or to provide a reasonable overall coverage and sample of the site. The trenches were surveyed using a Leica 1200 series SmartRover GPS, in accordance with CA’s Technical Manual 4: Survey Manual (CA 2009).

1.14 The trenches were excavated using a JCB-type mechanical excavator fitted with a 1.8m wide toothless ditching bucket. All machine excavation was undertaken under constant archaeological supervision to the top of the first significant archaeological horizon or the natural substrate, whichever was encountered first. Where archaeological deposits were encountered they were excavated by hand and recorded, in accordance with Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual (CA 2007).

1.15 Three 40-litre samples were taken from Roman deposits with the potential for the recovery of palaeoenvironmental remains and processed in accordance with Technical Manual 2: The Taking and Processing of Environmental and Other Samples from Archaeological Sites (CA 2003) and Environmental Archaeology: a guide to the theory and practice of methods from sampling and recovery to post excavation (EH 2011). All artefacts recovered were processed in accordance with Technical Manual 3: Treatment of Finds Immediately after Excavation (CA 2010).

1.16 The archive and artefacts from the evaluation are currently held by CA at their offices in Milton Keynes. Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner, the artefacts and the site archive will eventually be deposited in a county store, when this service is provided. A summary of information from this project will be entered onto the OASIS online database of archaeological projects in Britain.

2. FIELDWORK RESULTS

2.1 Summary In the southern half of the site, in Trenches 3, 4 and 6, evidence was found for a Roman settlement, possibly a small farmstead. The remains consisted of three, perhaps four, relatively substantial, steep-sided ditches, two pits, a small, keyhole- shaped oven, a dark, charcoal-flecked occupation layer and a circular hearth. A

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small assemblage of Roman pottery and fragments of animal bone was recovered from the features. Later activity was encountered near the centre of the site, in Trench 2, where the remains of a timber building, possibly a barn, and an associated ditch were investigated. The remains appeared to relate to a roughly rectangular ‘platform’, visible as a slight earthwork on the surface of the field; map evidence suggests that the ditch and building date to the post-medieval period. A small, linear ditch in Trench 1 is undated but the leached appearance of its fill suggests that it may be prehistoric. A small ‘crumb’ of possible prehistoric pottery with a coarse, flint-tempered fabric was found during the excavation of the ditch but it disintegrated when lifted, so the date of the ditch remains uncertain. No archaeological remains were encountered in Trench 5.

General stratigraphy

2.2 The geological substrate was predominately coarse, angular ironstone gravel and small cobbles in a hard, orangey-brown sandy silt matrix, with patches of mid yellowish-brown sand. The only variation to this was in Trench 1, where the substrate was firm light yellowish-white clayey silt (siltstone) with bands of ironstone pebbles in an orangey-brown sandy silt matrix. The overlying subsoil was typically mid brown sandy clayey silt with occasional ironstone pebbles, varying in thickness between 0.15m and 0.31m. The topsoil, which was typically c. 0.3m thick, was mid to dark brownish-grey humic silt.

Roman remains

Trench 3 2.3 Towards the southern end of the trench there was a ditch, 304, aligned north-west to south-east, from which was recovered over thirty sherds of Roman pottery and a small quantity of animal bone (Fig. 2). It measured c. 1.8m wide by over 0.55m deep and had a well-defined north-eastern edge with a very steep slope; due to the accumulation of groundwater and ground conditions the base and the opposing side of the ditch were not attained. It is possible that the ditch continues into Trench 4 (ditch 408), c. 30m to the south-east.

Trench 4

2.4 At the eastern end of the trench there was a steep-sided ditch, 408, that may be a continuation of the ditch investigated in Trench 3 (ditch 304), although its alignment tended more to the north. It measured 1.3m wide and had very steep, almost

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precipitous sides (Figs. 3 and 5); due to flooding by groundwater it could not be bottomed, but probing with an iron spike suggests that it was c. 1m deep and had a narrow concave base. Roman pottery, dating to the mid to late 2nd century AD, was recovered from the ditch, along with a small quantity of animal bone and two pieces of fired clay.

2.5 A roughly parallel ditch, 404, was identified at the western end of the trench; the ditches lay approximately 7m apart. The ditch, which was 1.6m wide, had steeply sloping sides, but it was only excavated to a depth of 0.13m in order to preserve the remains of an oven, 406, so the full depth and profile was not determined. Pottery recovered from its fill, 403, dates to the late 1st to 2nd centuries AD.

2.6 Cut into the top of ditch 404 was a keyhole-shaped oven, 406, positioned with the circular chamber to the east and the stokehole opening out to the west (Figs 3 and 4). The oven measured 1.38m long, had a maximum width, across the stokehole, of 1.07m and the chamber had a diameter of 0.92m. Within the chamber was a small platform, made from several flat limestone cobbles and large fragments of tile. The oven was only partly excavated, to a depth of 0.13m, but from its fill was recovered five sherds of late 1st- to 2nd-century pottery, over thirty fragments of animal bone, three of which had been burnt, and over thirty pieces of fired clay that may be the remains of the oven’s superstructure.

2.7 Lying between the two ditches were two pits, 410 and 412. Both pits were only partly exposed within the trench and neither was excavated, but nine sherds of 2nd- century pottery were recovered from the surface of pit 412 when the surface of the trench was cleaned following machining. Both pits appeared to be oval or roughly circular in plan, with pit 410 measuring 0.86m long by over 0.38m wide and pit 412 0.98m long by over 0.51m wide.

Trench 6

2.8 Overlying the ironstone substrate at the eastern end of the trench was a layer, possibly an occupation layer, of dark grey, charcoal-flecked slightly clayey silt, 602 (Fig. 3). The deposit, which contained mid-2nd to 3rd-century Roman pottery and fragments of animal bone, was up to 0.12m thick, c. 6m wide and extended beyond the limits of the trench to the north and south. Its western edge was cut by a later Roman ditch and it petered out to the east, just beyond a roughly circular patch of charcoal with clearly

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defined edges, 609, that may be the remains of a Roman hearth. This had a diameter of c. 0.5m and the edges were slightly scorched in places, indicating in situ burning.

2.9 The ditch, 603, which cut the western edge of the occupation layer, 602, was aligned north-north-west to south-south-east and was 2.3m wide; due to the depth of the trench it was only excavated to a depth of 0.29m, but probing with an iron spike demonstrated that it was over 1.1m deep and had steeply sloping sides. Pottery from the ditch dated to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. The large quantity of ironstone and limestone pebbles and cobbles in the top of the ditch suggest that it may have been deliberately back-filled.

2.10 Overlying the ditch was a layer of subsoil, 605, and a possible buried topsoil horizon, 611, the remains of an earlier land surface, although the two deposits were virtually indistinguishable from each other and the buried topsoil layer could only be seen with any clarity at the eastern end of the trench. Here they had a combined thickness of up to 0.72m, reducing to 0.56m at the western end of the trench. Overlying these deposits in the central and eastern parts of the trench was a layer of dark soil, 606, containing 19th-century glass and pottery, over which had been deposited a layer of rolled ironstone gravel, 607, probably the remains of a former yard surface. This was overlain by dark garden soil, approximately 0.4m thick, which formed the surface of the modern kitchen garden.

Post-medieval remains

Trench 2

2.11 Trench 2 was excavated through a roughly rectangular platform, measuring c. 19m east to west by 8m north to south, which was faintly visible on the surface as a low- relief earthwork. Running along the northern edge of the platform was a ditch, 202, that measured 1.55m wide by 0.45m deep and had a V-shaped profile, splayed on its northern side (Figs. 6 and 7). The ditch wasn’t visible on the surface where the trench intersected with the platform, but it could be discerned on the surface further to the east and appeared to extend beyond the eastern end of the platform; this is confirmed by reference to the geophysical survey results which show the ditch crossing the site for a distance of at least c. 28m (GSB 2011).

2.12 Parallel and to the south of this, at a distance of 0.5m, was a shallow cut, 205, running down the centre of which was a very precise, well-defined band of dark

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brown, stone-free silt, 207, with stony silt, 206, on either side. Excavation demonstrated that this feature was probably a sill beam slot, the cut to hold the beam measuring 0.7m wide by 0.17m deep, holding a timber measuring 0.19 wide by at least 0.17m thick and over 1.6m long. An iron nail was recovered from the dark brown silt, 207, that had replaced the timber when it decayed.

2.13 To the south of the beam slot there was evidence for possible floor layers, comprising rammed ironstone gravel, 209, and a poorly sorted mix of river pebbles and limestone gravel, 211. A long, rectangular slot embedded in layer 211 is probably the remains of a timber of a similar size to 207. To the north the floor layer 209 was overlain by a mixed deposit, up to 0.19m thick, of mid-dark brown clayey silt and a spread of limestone cobbles, 208, that may have been the remains of a collapsed dry stone wall; to the south the floor layers were overlain by subsoil, 210 and 213.

Undated remains

Trench 1 2.14 Near the centre of the trench was a ditch, 102, aligned north-west to south-east and measuring 1.2m wide by 0.56m deep (Figs. 2 and 8). It corresponds with the linear anomaly detected by the geophysical survey in the north-east corner of the site (GSB 2011), which shows it to be at least 22m long. The ditch is undated but it was sealed by the subsoil and the fill of the ditch had a leached appearance, suggesting that it may be prehistoric. A prehistoric date is further suggested, but not confirmed, by the near-recovery of a small ‘crumb’ of possible prehistoric pottery with a coarse, flint-tempered fabric, which was found during the excavation of the ditch; this disintegrated when lifted, so the date of the ditch remains uncertain.

The finds and palaeoenvironmental evidence

The finds by Angus Crawford

2.15 Artefactual material, the majority comprising Roman pottery, was recovered from ten deposits. Most material was hand-collected, with small quantities of pottery, fired clay, burnt flint and animal bone retrieved following the processing of bulk soil samples (Appendix B). Roman pottery codings used in this report and Appendix B in parenthesis have been adapted from the recording system used for large Roman pottery groups from the area (Perrin 2006; McSloy forthcoming).

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Pottery 2.16 Roman pottery was identified from ten deposits (Appendix B). The condition for the hand-collected group is good with no surface loss and some large sherds present. The large majority comprises greywares (C4 and C17) and hard cream grogged ware (A1/A3), types which are known to be produced locally in the Upper Nene Valley (Johnston 1969). Less common are shell-tempered (B1) and Lower Nene Valley colour-coated wares.

2.17 Dating for the Roman group centres on the 2nd century, though with some elements (deposit 306) seemingly later. Production of the abundant hard cream grogged wares (A1/A3) is known to span the late 1st to earlier 3rd centuries. Identifiable forms include bowls of distinctive wide, curved-sided profile (deposits 405, 407 and 411) and jars of medium-mouth/necked (deposit 405) and neck-less, channel- rimmed type (deposit 305). Greyware types (C4/C17) are representative of a longer- lived local tradition probably extending into the 4th century. The forms present consist of medium-mouthed jars with characteristic multiple neck cordons (deposits 305, 405, 407), and one curved-sided dish (deposit 305). A sherd from deposit 411 exhibits lozenge-shaped dot-panel decoration and probably comes from a poppy- head or ovoid form beaker, most likely dating to the first half of the 2nd century. Other indications of dating are from the colour-coated wares: clay ‘roughcasted’ beaker sherds from deposit 407 probably date to the mid 2nd century AD; a beaker of funnel-necked and indented form from deposit 306 is of late Roman type, probably dating to the late 3rd or 4th centuries (Perrin 1999, 96).

Animal bone, by Jonny Geber 2.18 The recovered animal bone (149g) was fragmented and moderately well preserved (Appendix B). The identified species include cattle (Bos taurus), horse (Equus caballus), sheep/goat (Ovis aries/Capra hircus) and rodent (Rodentia sp.). The majority of the fragments derive from post-cranial and meat rich elements, suggesting that they primarily derive from food waste, although no evidence of butchery marks was observed. Three fragments recovered from the fill, 405, of oven 406, were burnt.

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Palaeoenvironmental evidence by Sarah Cobain

2.19 Three 40 litre soil samples were retrieved from three different deposits with the intention of recovering evidence of industrial or domestic activity to assess the palaeoenvironmental potential of deposits. The samples were processed by standard flotation procedures, as detailed in Technical Manual 2: The Taking and Processing of Environmental and Other Samples from Archaeological Sites (CA 2003).

2.20 Samples were taken from the fill, 305, of ditch 304 (Sample 2) and the possible occupation layer 602 (Sample 3), both of which date to the Roman period. Ditch 304 contained a small number of well preserved carbonised spelt glume bases (Triticum spelta) and an oat (Avena spp) cereal grain. The sample taken from deposit 602 contained a small number of poorly preserved barley (Hordeum vulgare), oat and emmer/spelt (Triticum dicoccum/spelta) cereal grains. This material represents cereal processing waste that has been burnt. The charcoal from these two features was present in small quantities and generally very poorly preserved; identifiable fragments included cherry spp (Prunus spp) and ash (Fraxinus excelsior) from deposit 602. In general this plant macrofossil and charcoal material appears indicative of domestic waste either from cereal processing or domestic cooking activities, although due to the limitations of evaluation work, it is not possible to confirm which stages of cereal processing they represent.

2.21 One sample was recovered from the fill, 405, of the Roman oven, 406 (Sample 1). The plant macrofossils from this feature were abundant, but poorly preserved; the cereal grains that were identifiable were recorded as barley. This material is likely to represent grains that had been accidentally burnt whilst cereal crops were being dried prior to milling or during domestic cooking activities. The charcoal from this oven was moderately abundant and well preserved, and derived from ash and hawthorn/rowan/crab apple spp (Crataegus monogyna/Sorbus spp/Malus sylvestris). Most of the charcoal exhibited curved growth rings, indicating it was from twigs or small roundwood branches and most likely collected locally from scrub woodland.

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3. DISCUSSION

3.1 The results of the magnetometer survey carried out by GSB (2011) had been inconclusive, due to the high levels of magnetic disturbance on the site, although two linear anomalies, interpreted as potentially being of archaeological interest, were identified. The evaluation was successful in confirming the archaeological nature of these features, but also identified a hitherto unknown Roman settlement in the area masked by the magnetic disturbance.

3.2 The Roman settlement, probably a small farmstead, was encountered in the central and southern part of the site. Based on the available dating evidence provided by the pottery recovered from the features, it appears to have prospered in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, and was probably abandoned in the 4th century AD. Within the trenches three, or perhaps four, relatively large ditches were identified; these are likely to form enclosures surrounding areas of habitation and agricultural activity. Although no remains were found for buildings or other structures, the quantity of pottery recovered from the site and its good state of preservation suggest that dwellings were located nearby. Further evidence for habitation comes in the form of a possible occupation layer at the southern end of the site, consisting of a dark, charcoal-flecked layer containing fragments of animal bone and sherds of Roman pottery, on the surface of which a contained fire, probably a hearth, had been burnt. A small, keyhole-shaped oven found in the central area also indicates domestic occupation; this was probably used for cooking food, perhaps placed in pots or, if used as a bread oven, directly on the tile and stone slab inside the main chamber. Its use as a domestic oven is further supported by the recovery of charred barley grains and sherds of pottery from its collapsed remains. The oven is likely to have been placed away from any buildings to avoid the risk of the spread of fire, so this area may have functioned as a ‘backyard’. Two Roman pits were found in the same area.

3.3 The remains of the possible building and associated ditch in the northern half of the site probably date to the post-medieval period, although no artefactual dating evidence, other than an iron nail, was found to confirm this. The lack of pottery and animal bone from the site of the building (the type of material to be expected in and around the site of a domestic dwelling) suggests that the building may have been a barn or some other agricultural building. The building appears to have been largely

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timber-built and to have been situated on a platform, which can still be seen on the surface of the pasture field as a low-relief earthwork. A ditch, on the same alignment as existing field and property boundaries that cross the site, ran along the northern edge of the platform and continued further to the east. The building is not shown on the 1885 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map of the area, nor on the 1771 Enclosure Map, suggesting that it dates to the mid 18th century or earlier, but it is positioned in the south-west corner of a field shown on these maps, which makes a post-medieval, rather than a medieval date, more likely.

3.4 The small ditch in the north-east corner of the site, as detected by the geophysical survey (GSB 2011), is undated but there is some suggestion that it may be prehistoric. The leached appearance of its fill is often a characteristic of the fill of prehistoric features and its alignment is at odds with the medieval/post-medieval layout of the modern village, suggesting that it is earlier. The tiny ‘crumb’ of possible prehistoric flint-tempered pottery noted in the fill of the ditch may be residual, but it could indicate a prehistoric date for the ditch.

4. CA PROJECT TEAM

The fieldwork was undertaken by Simon Carlyle, assisted by Dan Riley and Mark Patenall. The report was written by Simon Carlyle, with contributions from Angus Crawford and Sarah Cobain, and the illustrations were prepared by Lorna Gray. The archive has been compiled and prepared for deposition by Jeremy Mordue. The project was managed for CA by Roland Smith.

5. REFERENCES

BGS (British Geological Survey) 1999 A formational framework for the Lower Jurassic of England and Wales (onshore area), BGS Research Report, RR/99/01

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2011 Land at 9 High Street, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire; Archaeological Desk-based Assessment, CA typescript report 10203

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2012 Land at 9 High Street, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire; Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Investigation

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GSB (GSB Prospection Ltd) 2011 Land at 9 High Street, Earls Barton; Magnetometer Survey, GSB report 2011/63

Johnston, D.E. 1969 ‘Romano-British Pottery Kilns near Northampton’, Antiq. J. 49(i), 75–97

McSloy, E. forthcoming ‘The Late Iron Age and Roman pottery’, in V. Crosby forthcoming Excavations at Stanwick, Northamptonshire

NCCAA (Northamptonshire County Council’s Archaeological Advisor) 2011a Brief for a programme of archaeological investigation of land at 9 High Street, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire

NCCAA (Northamptonshire County Council’s Archaeological Advisor) 2011b Brief for the archaeological evaluation of land at 9 High Street, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire

Parry S.J. 2006 Raunds Area Survey: An Archaeological Study of the Landscape of Raunds, Northamptonshire 1985-94 Oxford, Oxbow Books

Perrin, J.R. 1999 ‘Roman Pottery from excavations at and near to the Roman Small Town of Durobrivae, Water Newton, Cambridgeshire, 1956–58’, J. Roman Pottery Stud. 8, 10–136

Perrin, J.R. 2006 ‘Romano-British pottery’, in Parry 2006, 84–91

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Trench 1

No. Type Description Length Width Depth Spot-date (m) (m) (m) 101 Natural Firm light yellowish-white clayey silt with bands - - - of ironstone pebbles in an orangey-brown sandy silt matrix. 102 Ditch Linear cut, aligned NW-SE, edges parallel and 1.6+ 1.2 0.56 Undated well-defined, sides steeply concave, concave base. 103 Fill of 102 Firm light to mid greyish-brown slightly clayey - - 0.23 silt with very occ. ironstone pebbles. 104 Fill of 102 Soft mid greyish-brown slightly sandy silt with - - 0.35 very occ. ironstone pebbles. 105 Subsoil Soft mid brown slightly sandy clayey silt with - - 0.18 mod. ironstone pebbles. 106 Topsoil Soft dark greyish-brown slightly sandy organic - - 0.33 silt with mod. ironstone pebbles.

Trench 2

No. Type Description Length Width Depth Spot-date (m) (m) (m) 201 Natural Ironstone pebbles and small cobbles in a hard - - - orangey-brown sandy silt matrix. 202 Ditch Linear cut, aligned E-W, edges parallel and 1.6+ 1.55 0.45 Post- well-defined, mod. steep-sided V-shaped medieval profile, splayed on N side, narrow concave ? base. 203 Fill of 202 Firm light to mid brown silty clay with very occ. - - 0.15 ironstone pebbles. 204 Fill of 202 Soft mid greyish-brown clayey silt with very - - 0.30 occ. ironstone pebbles. 205 Trench Linear cut, aligned E-W, edges parallel and 1.6+ 0.7 0.17 Post- well defined, shallow concave profile. medieval ? 206 Fill of 205 Soft mid brown slightly sandy stony silt with - - 0.17 Post- mod. to freq. ironstone pebbles. medieval ? 207 Beam slot Linear slot, roughly square in section, aligned 1.6+ 0.20 0.17 Post- E-W, filled with soft dark brown organic silt, no medieval inclusions other than an iron nail. ? 208 Layer Mixed deposit of crushed ironstone pebbles, - - 0.19 Post- mid brown clayey silt, mid-dark brown clayey medieval silt and sub-angular limestone cobbles. ? Deposit is slightly banked, occurs to S of ditch 202 and corresponds with ‘platform’ visible on surface. 209 Layer Mid to dark brownish-orange crushed or - - n/e Post- weathered ironstone. medieval ? 210 Layer Soft mid brown slightly sandy silt with very occ. - - n/e Post- ironstone pebbles. medieval ? 211 Layer Firm light to mid brown slightly sandy silt, - - n/e Post- clayey in places, with poorly sorted mix of river medieval pebbles and limestone pebbles. ? 212 Beam slot Linear slot, aligned WNW-ESE, rectangular 1.12+ 0.19 n/e Post- terminal at W end, filled with mid to dark medieval brownish-grey silt, no inclusions. ? 213 Subsoil Soft mid brown slightly sandy clayey silt with - - 0.16 mod. ironstone pebbles.

214 Topsoil Soft dark greyish-brown slightly sandy organic - 0.27 silt with mod. ironstone pebbles.

Trench 3

No. Type Description Length Width Depth Spot- (m) (m) (m) date 301 Topsoil Soft dark greyish-brown slightly sandy organic silt - - 0.30 with mod. ironstone pebbles. 302 Subsoil Soft mid brown slightly sandy clayey silt with mod. - - 0.30 ironstone pebbles. 303 Natural Ironstone pebbles and small cobbles in a hard - - - orangey-brown sandy silt matrix. 304 Ditch Linear cut, aligned NW-SE, NE edge mod. well- 2.1+ 1.6+ 0.55+ Roman defined, very steep slope, SW edge not located, base not attained. 305 Fill of 304 Soft, dark brown clayey silt with orangey-brown - - 0.20+ mottles and freq. ironstone pebbles. 306 Fill of 304 Soft orangey-brown clayey silt with freq. ironstone - - 0.20 pebbles. 307 Fill of 304 Soft mid brown silt with freq. ironstone pebbles. - - 0.15

Trench 4

No. Type Description Length Width Depth Spot- (m) (m) (m) date 401 Topsoil Soft dark greyish-brown slightly sandy organic silt - - 0.20 with mod. ironstone pebbles. 402 Subsoil Soft mid brown slightly sandy clayey silt with - - 0.28 mod. ironstone pebbles. 403 Fill of 404 Mid brownish-grey silty clay with mod. ironstone - - 0.13+ pebbles and cobbles (slightly claggy). 404 Ditch Linear cut, aligned N-S, edges parallel and well- 2.2+ 1.6 0.13+ Roman defined, only partly excavated, appears to have very steeply sloping sides. Cut by 406. 405 Fill of 406 Soft dark brown silty clay with occ. fine to coarse - - 0.13+ pebbles and freq. charcoal flecks and Roman pottery sherds. Several flat cobbles and tile fragments had been arranged in the E half of the feature to form a small platform. 406 Oven Keyhole-shaped cut, aligned E-W, circular part to 1.38 1.07 0.13+ Roman E, steeply sloping sides, base not attained (only (max) partly excavated). 407 Fill of 408 Soft mid brown silty clay with yellowish-brown - - 0.75+ mottles and freq. ironstone pebbles and cobbles, very claggy. 408 Ditch Linear cut, aligned NNW-SSE. edges parallel and 2.1+ 1.3 0.75+ Roman well-defined, very steep sides, base not attained due to groundwater seepage. 409 Fill of 410 Soft mid to dark brown silty clay with yellowish- - - n/e brown mottles and mod. ironstone pebbles, Roman pottery on surface (not excavated). 410 Pit Partially exposed circular or oval cut, extends 0.86 0.38+ n/e Roman beyond limits of trench to NE, edges well-defined (not excavated) 411 Fill of 412 Soft mid to dark brown silty clay with yellowish- - - n/e brown mottles and mod. ironstone pebbles (not excavated) 412 Pit Partially exposed circular or oval cut, extends 0.98 0.51+ n/e Roman beyond limits of trench to SW, edges well-defined (not excavated) 413 Natural Ironstone pebbles and small cobbles in a hard - - - orangey-brown sandy silt matrix.

Trench 5

No. Type Description Length Width Depth Spot- (m) (m) (m) date 501 Topsoil Mid brown sandy silt. - - 0.29 502 Subsoil Light reddish-brown sandy silt. - - 0.20 503 Natural Coarse ironstone gravel in an orangey-brown silty - - - sand matrix, patches of mid yellowish-brown sand.

Trench 6

No. Type Description Length Width Depth Spot-date (m) (m) (m) 601 Natural Coarse ironstone gravel in an orangey-brown - - - silty sand matrix, patches of mid yellowish-brown sand. 602 Layer Soft dark grey slightly clayey silt with freq. - - 0.12 Roman charcoal flecks, occ. Roman pottery and animal bone fragments. Occurs to E of and cut by ditch 603, possible occupation layer. 603 Ditch Linear cut, aligned N-S, edges parallel and well- 1.6+ 2.3 1.1+ Roman defined, only partly excavated, appears to have very steep sides, probing suggests that it is over 1.1m deep. Cuts 602. 604 Fill of 603 Light brownish-grey silty clay with freq. ironstone - - 0.27+ pebbles and cobbles (claggy). 605 Subsoil Soft mid brown slightly clayey silt with occ. to - - 0.72 mod. ironstone pebbles and very occ. charcoal flecks. 606 Layer Soft dark greyish-brown slightly clayey silt with - - 0.18 occ. to mod. ironstone pebbles and occ. charcoal flecks. Occurs in section in E half of trench. 607 Yard Crushed ironstone pebbles forming a layer of - - 0.13 surface fairly consistent thickness beneath the topsoil. 608 Topsoil Soft dark brownish-grey, almost black slightly - - 0.38 sandy organic silt with occ. ironstone pebbles. 609 Hearth Roughly circular patch of charcoal, some 0.46 0.53 n/e Roman scorching of surrounding deposit indicating in situ burning 610 Layer Soft mid greyish-brown slightly clayey silt with - - 0.21 mod. ironstone pebbles and very occ. charcoal flecks, only visible in section at E end of trench.

APPENDIX B: THE FINDS AND PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE

The pottery Context Description Count Weight(g) Spot-date 202 Roman pottery: Misc greyware (C10) 1 20 RB 305 Roman pottery: Upper Nene greyware (C4; C17); hard cream 7 251 C2 grogged (A1/A3) 305 Roman pottery: Upper Nene greyware (C4); hard cream grogged 5 15 “ <2> (A1/A3) Animal bone: Rodent, indet. 20+ 2 306 Roman pottery: Upper Nene greyware (C4); hard cream grogged 17 137 MC3-C4 (A1/A3); Lower Nene Valley colour-coated ware (D1) Animal bone 8 21 307 Roman pottery: hard cream grogged (A1/A3) 2 13 LC1-EC3 403 Roman pottery: Upper Nene greyware (C4); hard cream grogged 9 113 LC1-C2 (A1/A3); Fine whiteware D9; black sandy C11; shell- tempered B 405 Roman pottery: Upper Nene greyware (C4; C17; C20); hard cream 37 677 LC1-C2 grogged (A1/A3); 405 Roman pottery: Upper Nene greyware (C4); shell-tempered B 5 22 “ <1> Fired clay 30+ 5 Burnt flint/stone 15 2 Animal bone: Large mammal, caprovine; 3 fragm. burnt 30+ 14 407 Roman pottery: Upper Nene greyware (C4); hard cream grogged 24 312 MLC2 (A1/A3); shell-tempered B; Lower Nene Valley colour- coated ware (D1) Fired clay 2 13 Animal bone: Cattle, horse, large mammal 12 84 411 Roman pottery: Upper Nene greyware (C4); hard cream grogged 9 80 EMC2 (A1/A3); 602 Roman pottery: Upper Nene greyware (C4); hard cream grogged 14 352 MC2-C3 (A1/A3); shell-tempered B1 602 Roman pottery: Upper Nene greyware (C4); hard cream grogged 13 54 “ <3> (A1/A3); shell-tempered B; Lower Nene Valley colour- coated ware (D1) Animal bone: Cattle, caprovine, large mammal 20 14 604 Roman pottery: Upper Nene greyware (C4; C20); shell-tempered 4 39 C2-C3 B1 Animal bone: Cattle 1 35

The palaeoenvironmental evidence

Sample No No Context fill/cut Volume (L) % of sample processed Flots (g) Flot Weight Material Weight (g) Identification (where applicable)

5 plus Ash (3) Charcoal flot Hawthorn/rowan/crab apple (4) Barley ++ Plant 2 plus Fat hen spp + macrofossils flot 405 1mm and Indeterminate cereal grain ++++ 1 40 100% 100 /406 0.25mm Burnt bone 14 Burnt 2 flint/stone Fired clay 5 Pottery 22 <1 plus Charcoal Too small to identify flot Oat + Plant <1 plus Indeterminate cereal grain + 305 1mm and macrofossils flot 2 40 100% 22 Spelt glume bases + /304 0.25mm Small <1 mammal bone Burnt bone 2 Pottery 15 <1 plus Ash (2) Charcoal flot Cherry spp (2) Barley + Dock spp + Plant <1 plus 1mm and Emmer/spelt + 3 602 40 100% 80 macrofossils flot 0.25mm Indeterminate cereal grains + Oat + Animal bone 14 Pottery 54

Key: + = 1-5 items; ++ = 6-20 items; +++ 21-40 items; ++++ = >40 items

Species List Family Species Common Name Amaranthaceae Chenopodium spp Fat hen spp Oleaceae Fraxinus excelsior Ash Poaceae Avena spp Oat Hordeum vulgare Barley Poaceae spp Indeterminate cereal grains Triticum spelta Cereal chaff – spelt glume bases Triticum spelta Emmer/spelt Polygonaceae Rumex spp Dock spp Rosaceae Crateagus monogyna/ Sorbus spp/Malus sylvestris Hawthorn/rowan/crab apple Prunus spp Cherry spp

APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM

PROJECT DETAILS Project name Land at 9 High Street, Earls Barton Short description (250 words maximum) In the southern half of the site evidence was found for a Roman settlement, possibly a small farmstead. The remains consisted of three, perhaps four, relatively substantial, steep-sided ditches that may form part of a number of enclosures, two pits, a small, keyhole-shaped oven, a dark, charcoal-flecked occupation layer and a circular hearth. A small assemblage of Roman pottery, mostly dating to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, with some later Roman fabrics also present, and fragments of animal bone were recovered from the features. Later activity was encountered near the centre of the site where the remains of a timber building, possibly a barn, and an associated ditch were investigated. The remains appeared to relate to a roughly rectangular ‘platform’, visible as a slight earthwork on the surface of the field; no dating evidence, other than an iron nail, was recovered from the remains, but the location of the building in the corner of a field shown on a late 18th-century map of the area suggests that it dates to the post- medieval period. An undated ditch in the north-east corner of the site may be prehistoric as its fill had a leached appearance and it contained a small ‘crumb’ of possible prehistoric pottery, although this may have been residual. Project dates 6-8 February 2012 Project type Field evaluation Previous work Geophysical survey (GSB 2011); desk-based assessment (CA 2011) Future work Unknown Monument type Romano-British settlement features, post-medieval remains Significant finds Roman pottery PROJECT LOCATION Site location 9 High Street, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire Study area 1.3ha. Site co-ordinates SP 8523 6395 PROJECT CREATORS Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology (CA) Project Brief originator Northamptonshire County Council Project Design (WSI) originator CA Project Manager Roland Smith (CA) Project Supervisor Simon Carlyle (CA) PROJECT ARCHIVE Accession no: n/a Content Physical Roman pottery, animal bone, fired clay Paper Site records Digital Northants HER Report, digital photos BIBLIOGRAPHY

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2012 Land at 9 High Street, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation. CA typescript report 12044

23 N Cirencester 01285 771022 Cotswold Milton Keynes 01908 218320 Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE 9 High Street, Earls Barton Northamptonshire Northamptonshire

FIGURE TITLE Site location plan

0 1km

FIGURE NO. Reproduced from the 2005 Ordnance Survey Explorer map with PROJECT NO. 660039 DATE 06-03-2011 the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller DRAWN BY LG REVISION 00 of Her Majesty's Stationery Office c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeology Ltd 100002109 APPROVED BY PJM SCALE@A4 1:25,000 1

Cirencester 01285 771022 Cotswold Milton Keynes 01908 218320 4 Trench 4, Roman oven 406, looking south. (Scale 1m) Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]

5 Trench 4, Roman ditch 408, looking south-east. PROJECT TITLE (Scale 1m) 9 High Street, Earls Barton Northamptonshire

FIGURE TITLE Photographs

PROJECT NO. 660039 DATE 07-03-2012 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY LG REVISION 00 APPROVED BY PJM SCALE@A4 N/A 4&5

Cirencester 01285 771022 Cotswold Milton Keynes 01908 218320 7 Trench 2, general view with ditch 202 in foreground, Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk looking south. (Scale 1m) e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE 9 High Street, Earls Barton Northamptonshire

FIGURE TITLE Photograph

PROJECT NO. 660039 DATE 07-03-2011 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY LG REVISION 00 APPROVED BY PJM SCALE@A4 N/A 7 8

Cirencester 01285 771022 Cotswold Milton Keynes 01908 218320 8 Trench 1, ditch 102, looking south-east. (Scale 1m) Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE 9 High Street, Earls Barton Northamptonshire

FIGURE TITLE Photograph

PROJECT NO. 660039 DATE 07-03-2012 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY LG REVISION 00 APPROVED BY PJM SCALE@A4 N/A 8