Yelvertoft Marina Yelvertoft Northamptonshire Programme of Archaeological Work
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Yelvertoft Marina Yelvertoft Northamptonshire Programme of Archaeological Work for SBRice Consulting CA Project: 660238 CA Report: 14349 August 2014 Yelvertoft Marina Yelvertoft Northamptonshire Programme of Archaeological Work CA Project: 660238 CA Report: 14349 prepared by Peter James, Project Supervisor date 31 July 2014 checked by Derek Evans, Project Manager date 1 August 2014 approved by Simon Carlyle, Principal Fieldwork Manager signed date 1 August 2014 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 Stanley House Kemble Enterprise Park Cromwell Business Centre Walworth Road Kemble, Cirencester Howard Way, Newport Pagnell Andover, Hampshire Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ MK16 9QS SP10 5LH t. 01285 771022 t. 01908 218320 t. 01264 347630 f. 01285 771033 e. [email protected] © Cotswold Archaeology Yelvertoft Marina, Yelvertoft, Northamptonshire: Programme of Archaeological Work CONTENTS SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... 2 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 3 The site .............................................................................................................. 3 Archaeological background ................................................................................ 4 Archaeological objectives ................................................................................... 4 Methodology....................................................................................................... 5 2. RESULTS .......................................................................................................... 8 3. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................... 9 4. CA PROJECT TEAM .......................................................................................... 9 5. REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 9 APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS .................................................................... 10 APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM........................................................................... 11 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25,000) Fig. 2 The site, showing earthwork survey results (1:1000) Fig. 3 Section of stripped area, looking south (scale 1m) Fig. 4 Stripped area, looking north-west 1 © Cotswold Archaeology Yelvertoft Marina, Yelvertoft, Northamptonshire: Programme of Archaeological Work SUMMARY Project Name: Yelvertoft Marina Location: Yelvertoft, Northamptonshire NGR: SP 5998 7416 Type: Archaeological earthwork survey and programme of archaeological observation, investigation and recording Date: 16–17 April and 23–29 May 2014 Planning Reference: DA/2013/0116 Location of Archive: Currently held by Cotswold Archaeology (Milton Keynes Office) Site Code: YMY 14 In April and May 2014, Cotswold Archaeology carried out a programme of archaeological work at Yelvertoft Marina, Yelvertoft, Northamptonshire. The programme of archaeological work comprised two elements: an archaeological earthwork survey of extant ridge and furrow, and a programme of archaeological observation, investigation and recording during development groundworks. The archaeological work demonstrated that the field containing the site covered parts of three distinct medieval/early post-medieval ridge and furrow agricultural fields. Archaeological monitoring of the development groundworks found no evidence for any other human activity at the site. 2 © Cotswold Archaeology Yelvertoft Marina, Yelvertoft, Northamptonshire: Programme of Archaeological Work 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In April and May 2014, Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out a programme of archaeological work for SBRice Consulting at Yelvertoft Marina, Yelvertoft, Northamptonshire (centred on NGR: SP 5998 7416; Fig. 1). The programme of archaeological work comprised two elements: • an archaeological earthwork survey; and • a programme of archaeological observation, investigation and recording during development groundworks. 1.2 Planning permission for the construction of a new narrowboat slipway off the Grand Union Canal and the establishment of associated areas of hard-standing was granted at appeal by Daventry District Council (DDC; the local planning authority), conditional on a programme of archaeological work (Planning Ref: DA/2013/0116; Condition 4). A brief for the archaeological work (NCC 2014) was issued subsequently by Liz Mordue, the Northamptonshire County Council Assistant Archaeological Advisor (the archaeological advisor to DDC). 1.3 The programme of archaeological observation, investigation and recording was carried out in accordance the brief and a subsequent detailed written scheme of investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2014) and approved by DDC acting on the advice of Liz Mordue. The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for an Archaeological Watching brief (IfA 2009), the Management of Archaeological Projects 2 (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. The site 1.4 The development site encloses a total area of approximately 0.46ha. It lies within the northern part of a pastoral field on the edge of the Grand Union Canal, some 1.3km south-east of Yelvertoft Village. The Yelvertoft Marina lies approximately 90m to the north-east of the site. 3 © Cotswold Archaeology Yelvertoft Marina, Yelvertoft, Northamptonshire: Programme of Archaeological Work 1.5 The Grand Union Canal forms the north-western site boundary, with the remainder of the field boundaries being hedgelines. The site lies at approximately 125m AOD and is fairly level. 1.6 The underlying bedrock geology of the site is mapped as Charmouth Mudstone Formation of the Jurassic Period. No superficial deposits are recorded (BGS 2014). Archaeological background 1.7 The following information is summarised from the brief (NCC 2014). 1.8 Worked flints found at Cracks Hill, to the south-west of the site, provide evidence for prehistoric activity in the vicinity. Fieldwalking finds and cropmarks to the south of Yelvertoft village and to the west of Yelvertoft Marina indicate probable prehistoric and Roman settlement. 1.9 The field containing the site features ridge and furrow earthworks, which are the remnants of a medieval/early post-medieval agricultural field system. Archaeological objectives 1.10 As defined in the brief (NCC 2014), the objectives of the programme of archaeological work were to: • establish the date, nature and extent of any activity or occupation in the development site; • establish the relationship of any archaeological remains found at the site to the surrounding contemporary landscapes; • recover artefacts to assist in the development of type series within the region; and • recover palaeoenvironmental remains to determine local environmental conditions. 1.11 As the proposed development site is within an area with potential for prehistoric and Roman settlement (see Archaeological background, above), the programme of archaeological work was considered to have the potential to provide information on 4 © Cotswold Archaeology Yelvertoft Marina, Yelvertoft, Northamptonshire: Programme of Archaeological Work the following research objectives identified in the East Midlands Heritage Research Agenda (Knight, Vyner and Allen 2012): • Research Objective 4C: Characterise the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age settlement resource and investigate intra-regional variability; and • Research Objective 5H: Investigate the landscape context of [Roman] rural settlements. 1.12 Additionally, the recording of the ridge and furrow earthworks is in line with Research Objective 7I of the Agenda, which is to: “Investigate the development of the [medieval] open-field system and medieval woodland management.” Ridge and furrow earthworks remain important elements of the landscape character in Northamptonshire, and detailed surveys have the potential to significantly enhance our understanding of the origins of this agricultural system and its development over time. Methodology 1.13 The programme of archaeological work comprised two elements: • an archaeological survey of the ridge and furrow earthworks within the field containing the development site; and • a programme of archaeological observation, investigation and recording during groundworks associated with the development. 1.14 The fieldwork followed the methodology set out within the WSI (CA 2014). Earthwork survey 1.15 The earthwork survey was undertaken prior to the commencement of the development groundworks. All of the ridge and furrow groundworks within the entire field containing the new slipway site were surveyed, rather than just those within the development site itself; this was to ensure that the earthworks within the slipway site were put within their context prior to destruction. 5 © Cotswold Archaeology Yelvertoft Marina, Yelvertoft, Northamptonshire: Programme of Archaeological Work