Land at South Barn Stratford Road, Deanshanger Northamptonshire
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Land at South Barn Stratford Road, Deanshanger Northamptonshire Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample Investigation for Dr Peter Berkin CA Project: 660085 CA Report: 13352 June 2013 LAND AT SOUTH BARN STRATFORD ROAD, DEANSHANGER NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample Investigation CA Project: 660085 CA Report: 13352 prepared by Peter James, Project Supervisor date 20 May 2013 checked by Roland Smith, Regional Manager date 30 May 2013 approved by Roland Smith, Regional Manager signed date 4 June 2013 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 Cirencester Milton Keynes Andover Building 11 Unit 4 Office 49 Kemble Enterprise Park Cromwell Business Centre Basepoint Business Centre Kemble, Cirencester Howard Way, Newport Pagnell Caxton Close, Andover Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ MK16 9QS Hampshire, SP10 3FG t. 01285 771022 t. 01908 218320 t. 01264 326549 e. [email protected] © Cotswold Archaeology South Barn, Stratford Road, Deanshanger, Northamptonshire: Strip, Map and Sample Investigation CONTENTS FIG. 1: SITE LOCATION PLAN ...................................................................................... 1 FIG. 2: LOCATION PLAN .............................................................................................. 1 FIG. 3: SITE PLAN ......................................................................................................... 1 FIG. 4: SECTIONS ......................................................................................................... 1 FIG. 5: GENERAL VIEW OF THE INVESTIGATION, LOOKING NORTH ...................... 1 FIG. 6: PITS 1012 AND 1014, LOOKING NORTH-WEST (SCALE 1M)SUMMARY ....... 1 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 3 The site .............................................................................................................. 3 Archaeological background ................................................................................ 4 Archaeological objectives ................................................................................... 5 Methodology....................................................................................................... 5 2. RESULTS .......................................................................................................... 6 The finds evidence ............................................................................................. 7 3. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................... 8 4. CA PROJECT TEAM .......................................................................................... 9 5. REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 9 APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ................................................................... 10 APPENDIX B: THE FINDS ............................................................................................. 12 APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM .......................................................................... 13 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1: Site location plan Fig. 2: Location plan Fig. 3: Site plan Fig. 4: Sections Fig. 5: General view of the investigation, looking north Fig. 6: Pits 1012 and 1014, looking north-west (scale 1m) 1 © Cotswold Archaeology South Barn, Stratford Road, Deanshanger, Northamptonshire: Strip, Map and Sample Investigation SUMMARY Project Name: Land at South Barn, Stratford Road Location: Deanshanger, Northamptonshire NGR: NGR SP 7696 3990 Type: Strip, map and sample investigation Date: 29th April - 7th May Location of Archive: Cotswold Archaeology’s Milton Keynes Office Site Code: SRD 13 In late April and early May 2013 an archaeological strip, map and sample investigation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology on land at South Barn, Stratford Road, Deanshanger in Northamptonshire. The fieldwork was carried out on behalf of Dr Peter Berkin in advance of the construction of a new dwelling on the site. The investigation revealed four phases of field boundaries. The earliest two phases, from one of which a small assemblage of abraded, possibly Iron Age pottery, was recovered, may be Iron Age or Roman in date. The third phase of field boundary may be late medieval or post-medieval in date and vestiges of ridge and furrow cultivation represent the last phase of agricultural activity. A number of shallow pits was also recorded. No finds were recovered from them and their date and function is uncertain, although some may have been excavated to recover limestone rubble. The results of the archaeological project have provided further evidence for field boundaries within a landscape that was intensively farmed in the Iron Age and Roman periods. Excavations in 2011, less than 100m to the south of South Barn, recorded a series of field boundaries and a track way dating to the Roman period. These field systems probably formed part of the wider farming estate attached to the Roman villa recorded at Kingsbrook School, Deanshanger, c. 250m to the south-east of South Barn. 2 © Cotswold Archaeology South Barn, Stratford Road, Deanshanger, Northamptonshire: Strip, Map and Sample Investigation 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In late April and early May 2013 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological strip, map and sample investigation for Dr Peter Berkin at South Barn Stratford Road, Deanshanger in Northamptonshire (centred on NGR: SP 7696 3990; Fig. 1). The investigation was undertaken to meet the requirements of a condition attached to planning permission (S/2012/0751/FUL) for the construction of a new dwelling adjacent to the existing South Barn. 1.2 The requirement for the investigation followed the advice of Liz Mordue, Assistant Archaeological Advisor, Northamptonshire County Council (AAANCC), archaeological advisor to South Northamptonshire Council (SNC), that important buried remains may be disturbed by the construction of the new dwelling. The AAANCC prepared a Brief for the investigation (2012) and CA (2012) prepared a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) to meet the requirements of the Brief. The WSI was approved by the AAANCC, on behalf of SNC, prior to the commencement of archaeological work on site. 1.3 The fieldwork also followed best practice as set out in the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Excavation (IfA 2008), the Management of Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991) and the Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MORPHE): Project Manager’s Guide (English Heritage 2006). It was monitored by Liz Mordue, AANCC, including site visits on Thursday 2nd and Tuesday 7th May 2013. The site 1.4 South Barn is located to the east of the village of Deanshanger and north of the Stratford Road (Fig. 1). The proposed development will take place within the existing garden of South Barn (Fig. 2 and 5), which has open fields to the north and east, with a large residential development proposed in the field to the south. The site is generally flat, lying around the 75m OD contour, but with a slight fall to the south. The site lies on deposits of Blisworth Limestone of the Jurassic Great Oolite Series (BGS Sheet 202). 3 © Cotswold Archaeology South Barn, Stratford Road, Deanshanger, Northamptonshire: Strip, Map and Sample Investigation Archaeological background 1.5 The archaeological background to the site was set out in the WSI and was based on a search of the Northamptonshire Historic Environment Record (HER). The study area for this search was a 500m radius centred on the proposed development site. The following paragraphs present a brief synthesis of the HER data. Sites are identified by their HER Event IDs (in bold). 1.6 Part of Deanshanger Conservation Area enters into the south-western edge of the study area. The proposed development site is outside of the Conservation Area boundary. Prehistoric 1.7 Cropmarks visible on aerial photographs (ENN7853) show a series of possible prehistoric enclosures to the east of the current site; these have not been investigated archaeologically. 1.8 A possible Bronze Age round barrow (ENN105805) survives as an earthwork within the south-eastern edge of the study area. Iron Age/Romano-British 1.9 Kingsbrook School lies to the south of Stratford Road. The school site has been subjected to a number of archaeological interventions (ENN7566, ENN105939, ENN7573, ENN7574, ENN7846, ENN17639, ENN103764, ENN103890) and geophysical surveys (ENN105936, ENN17638, ENN103762, ENN103763, ENN105938). These investigations have provided evidence for a probable Late Iron Age roundhouse and extensive Romano-British settlement activity, including a villa and numerous associated outbuildings. There was also evidence for Romano-British quarrying and agriculture. 1.10 An archaeological excavation to the north of Stratford Road immediately south of the current site uncovered a trackway and ditches dating to the late 1st century to early 2nd century AD (Northamptonshire Archaeology 2012). Early medieval 1.11 The archaeological evaluation that preceded the excavation to the north of Stratford Road (ENN105615; CA 2010) revealed a wide, shallow feature containing Saxon