Dodford Wharf Farm High Street, Weedon Northamptonshire
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Dodford Wharf Farm High Street, Weedon Northamptonshire Archaeological Evaluation for Barry Howard Homes CA Project: MK0358 CA Report: MK0358_2 Event No: ENN110039 December 2020 Dodford Wharf Farm High Street, Weedon Northamptonshire Archaeological Evaluation CA Project: MK0358 CA Report: MK0358_2 CA Site code: DWF 20 Event No: ENN110039 Document Control Grid Revision Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for Approved revision by 1 11/11/2020 Jonathan APS Draft - APS Orellana 2 14/12/2020 Jonathan APS Final Client review APS Orellana 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 © Cotswold Archaeology Dodford Wharf Farm, High Street, Weedon, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation CONTENTS SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... 2 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 3 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................ 4 4. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 6 5. RESULTS .......................................................................................................... 7 6. THE FINDS ........................................................................................................ 8 7. THE ENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE ................................................................. 9 8. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................... 10 9. CA PROJECT TEAM .......................................................................................... 10 10. REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 11 APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ................................................................... 13 APPENDIX B: THE FINDS ............................................................................................. 15 APPENDIX C: PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE ............................................... 16 APPENDIX D: OASIS REPORT FORM .......................................................................... 17 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25,000) Fig. 2 Trench location plan showing archaeological features and geophysical survey results (1:750) Fig. 3 Trench location plan showing archaeological features and geophysical survey results (1:400) Fig. 4 Trenches 1 and 2, sections and photographs (1:20) Fig. 5 Trenches 3 and 4, sections and photographs (1:20) Fig. 6 Trenches 6 and 8, sections and photographs (1:20) 1 © Cotswold Archaeology Dodford Wharf Farm, High Street, Weedon, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation SUMMARY Project Name: Dodford Wharf Farm Location: High Street, Weedon, Northamptonshire NGR: 462874 260089 Type: Evaluation Date: 9-10 November 2020 Location of Archive: To be deposited with the Northamptonshire Archaeological Resource Centre Site Code: DWF 20 Event No: ENN110039 An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in November 2020 on land at Dodford Wharf Farm, High Street, Weedon, Northamptonshire. Twelve trenches were excavated across the 1.7ha site. A preceding Archaeological Desk-based Assessment and Geophysical Survey indicated the potential for heritage assets of archaeological interest to survive within the development area. The evaluation identified five ditches, two pits and a posthole in the northern part of the site. These features were artefactually undated. Two of the ditches corresponded closely to a sub-circular geophysical anomaly. 2 © Cotswold Archaeology Dodford Wharf Farm, High Street, Weedon, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In November 2020 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation on land at Dodford Wharf Farm, High Street, Weedon, Northamptonshire (centred at NGR: 462874 260089; Fig. 1). This evaluation was commissioned by Barry Howard Homes. 1.2 Planning permission (application ref: DA/2019/029) had been granted by Daventry District Council (DDC) for an outline application for the demolition of existing agricultural buildings and redevelopment to provide up to 47 dwellings, widening and improvement of existing vehicular access and road off the A45 on land at Dodford Wharf Farm. Permission was subject to a suite of conditions one of which (condition 27) requires the implementation of a programme of archaeological works. 1.3 Following discussions with the Assistant Archaeological Advisor, Northamptonshire County Council (Liz Mordue – AAANCC), the first stage of the programme comprised a geophysical survey, undertaken in 2019 (Magnitude 2019, see section 2 below) that identified anomalies of probable archaeological and uncertain origin. Consequently, the requirement for a second stage of work, comprising a trial trench evaluation, was defined by the AAANCC, in their capacity as archaeological advisor to DDC. 1.4 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2020) and approved by the AAANCC. The fieldwork also followed the Standard and guidance for archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2014), Management and Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MoRPHE) PPN3: Archaeological Excavation (Historic England 2015) and Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MoRPHE): Project Manager’s Guide (Historic England 2015). 1.5 The evaluation fieldwork was monitored by the AAANCC, including a site visit on 10th November 2020. The site 1.6 The evaluation site comprises two plots of land measuring c.1.7ha in total extent. The site is bounded to the west by the West Coast mainline (formerly known as the 3 © Cotswold Archaeology Dodford Wharf Farm, High Street, Weedon, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation London and North-Western Railway), to the east by the Grand Union Canal (formerly known as the Grand Junction Canal), and to the south by the A45. The recorded geology within the site comprises siltstone and mudstone of the Dyrham Formation (BGS 2020), overlain by superficial glaciofluvial deposits of sand and gravel with freely-draining slightly acid but base-rich soils (Cranfield University 2019). 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 The site has been the subject of a Heritage Desk-Based Assessment (CA 2018) and a Geophysical Survey (Magnitude Surveys 2019). The following text is summarised briefly from these sources, which should be referred to for a more-comprehensive background. Prehistoric period (pre-AD 43) 2.2 Cropmarks visible on historic aerial photographs of land outlying Hadland House Farm, c.800m north-east of the site, are indicative of the buried remains of ring ditches (as typically surround Bronze Age barrows, a type of funerary monument, and Bronze and Iron Age roundhouses) and sub-rectangular ditched forms (as are typical of Iron Age or Romano-British settlement and/or livestock enclosures). 2.3 During a programme of archaeological work undertaken by Northamptonshire Archaeology for the proposed A45 Northampton to Daventry Link Road, geophysical survey identified a previously-unknown sub-rectangular enclosure on the east-facing slopes overlooking the River Nene, c.400m north-west of the site. It measured c.50m x c.40m with a possible entrance on the north side and had adjoining enclosures on the north and south sides. A subsequent evaluation established an Iron Age date for this enclosure ditch. Roman Period (AD 43 – 410) 2.4 Geophysical survey of land to the south of Church Street, c.950m south-east of the site, has detected ‘a complex network of positive linear and curving anomalies probably representing former ditches’ of three sub-circular enclosures and associated features of probable later prehistoric and/or Romano-British settlement activity. This site likely represents a small farmstead that either preceded the Roman 4 © Cotswold Archaeology Dodford Wharf Farm, High Street, Weedon, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation conquest or co-existed with higher status romanised rural settlements such as Whitehall Villa at Nether Heyford, c. 2.3km south-east of Weedon. 2.5 The A5 traces the route of the Roman road of Watling Street, which connected the port of Dover with the town of Wroxeter via numerous other Roman towns such as Towcester, passing c. 40m to the east of the site. However, there are no indications of associated roadside activity in the vicinity of the site. Early medieval and medieval (AD 410 – 1549) 2.6 Archaeological investigations in and around Church Street, c. 950m south-east of the site, have recorded evidence only for Saxon and medieval occupation and domestic activity. 2.7 An archaeological evaluation conducted to the rear of 46 Church Street in 1994, c. 600m south of the site, recorded a series of ditches and several pits, associated with early medieval pottery. Post-medieval and modern periods (AD 1549 to present) 2.8 The site likely remained as agricultural land throughout the post-medieval period. In the early to mid-18th century, turnpike roads were established through/around Weedon – along what are now the A5 and the A45. In 1790, the Grand Junction