Moat Lane Towcester Northamptonshire

Programme of Archaeological Observation, Investigation Recording, Analysis & Publication

for Morgan Sindall and Clayson Country Homes

CA Project: 660327 CA Report: 16655

Site Code: TML14

November 2016

DRAFT

Moat Lane Towcester Northamptonshire

Programme of Archaeological Observation Investigation, Recording, Analysis & Publication

CA Project: 660327 CA Report: 16655 Site Code: TML14

Document Control Grid Version Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for Approved revision by Draft 25-11-16 RS SRJ Draft Internal review SCC

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.

CONTENTS

SUMMARY ...... 2

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 3

2. SITE BACKGROUND ...... 4

3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ...... 5

4. METHODOLOGY ...... 6

5. FIELDWORK RESULTS...... 6

6. FINDS ...... 10

7. DISCUSSION ...... 11

8. CA PROJECT TEAM ...... 12

9. REFERENCES ...... 12

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ...... 14

APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM...... 18

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan, 1:25,000 Fig. 2 Plan showing areas of observed groundworks and excavation areas, 1:2500 Fig. 3 View of Area A (post-construction) from Bury Mount, looking north-west Fig. 4 View of Area C (post-construction) from Bury Mount, looking south Fig. 5 View of Area D (during construction) from Bury Mount, looking south-east Fig. 6 Test pit 4, looking north Fig. 7 Test pit 5, looking south Fig. 8 Test pit 7, looking north Fig. 9 Area A, foundation trench, looking west Fig. 10 Area A, foundation trench, looking north Fig. 11 Area C, foundation trenches, looking north-east Fig. 12 Area C, service trench under excavation to rear of buildings, looking south-east Fig. 13 Area C, pit 904, looking south-east Fig. 14 Area D, service trench, looking south-west Fig. 15 Area D, soil profile in the service trench Fig. 16 Area D, foundations of Moat House gable end wall, looking south-east

1 © Cotswold Archaeology Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Watching Brief

SUMMARY

Project Location: Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire NGR: SP 6222 6701 Type: Programme of Archaeological Observation, Investigation, Recording, Analysis & Publication (watching brief) Date: July 2013 to November 2016 Planning Reference: West Northamptonshire Development Corporation planning reference 10/0102/OUTWNS, Condition 26 SAM No: 13623 Location of Archive: Northamptonshire Archaeological Resource Centre (when opened) Site Code: TML14

Between July 2013 and November 2016, Cotswold Archaeology carried out a programme of archaeological observation, investigation, recording, analysis and publication (watching brief) at Moat Lane, Towcester. The work, which was commissioned by Morgan Sindall, acting on behalf of South Northamptonshire Council, and Clayson Country Homes, was undertaken to fulfil a condition attached to planning consent for the Moat Lane Regeneration Scheme.

At the northern end of Moat Lane, investigations identified a ditch of probable Roman date and towards the southern end of Moat Lane, two pits, probably of a similar date, were encountered. These probable Roman features were cut into the geological substrate and were sealed by thick accumulations, up to 1.4m thick, of garden soil and made-ground. Other features included a large post-medieval pit and a 19th-century cellar. No archaeological features or deposits were encountered within the Scheduled area of Bury Mount.

2 © Cotswold Archaeology Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Watching Brief

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Between July 2013 and November 2016, Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out a programme of archaeological observation, investigation, recording, analysis and publication (watching brief) at Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire (site centred on NGR: SP 6222 6701; Fig. 1). The work, which was commissioned by Morgan Sindall, acting on behalf of South Northamptonshire Council, and Clayson Country Homes, formed part of an archaeological mitigation programme that was required by a condition attached to planning consent for the Moat Lane Regeneration Scheme (West Northamptonshire Development Corporation planning reference 10/0102/OUTWNS, Condition 26).

1.2 The preparation of the mitigation programme, which was outlined in a brief issued by Lesley-Ann Mather, Northamptonshire County Council’s Archaeological Advisor (NCCAA 2012), was informed by the results of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) prepared by AECOM (2010) and three phases of trial trench evaluation (NA 2010 and CA 2012). It comprised five excavation areas (Areas 1-5) and a watching brief to be undertaken during groundworks for the construction phase. This report presents the findings of the watching brief; the excavation results will be reported on separately (CA forthcoming).

1.3 In addition to monitoring a programme of geotechnical test-pitting in archaeologically sensitive parts of the site, four areas (Areas A-D) were identified that were to be subject to the watching brief: Area A, groundworks for the construction of houses at the northern end of Moat Lane; Area B, topsoil stripping within the northern boundary of the Scheduled area of Bury Mount; Area C, groundworks for the construction of houses at the southern end of Moat Lane, opposite Bury Mount; and Area D, groundworks to remove the concrete floor and piles of the former warehouse on Moat Lane south of Bury Mount, and subsequent groundworks within the southern boundary of the Scheduled area. The methodology for the watching brief was set out in the Written Scheme of Investigations (WSIs) prepared by CA (2013) and The Howlett Consultancy (2013, 2014).

1.4 The project was carried out in accordance with the WSIs (CA 2013; The Howlett Consultancy 2013, 2014) and abided by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists’ Standard and Guidance for an Archaeological Watching Brief (CIfA 2014) and the Historic England (formerly English Heritage) procedural documents Management of

3 © Cotswold Archaeology Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Watching Brief

Archaeological Projects 2 (EH 1991) and Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MoRPHE): Project Manager’s Guide (HE 2015).

2. SITE BACKGROUND

Site location, topography and geology 2.1 The site of the Moat Lane Regeneration Project, which covers an area of approximately 3.1ha, is located in the historic centre of Towcester, to the east of Watling Street and largely to the south of Northampton Road, with the churchyard of St Lawrence’s Church lying to the south and a mill leat, flowing off the River Tove, forming its eastern boundary (Figs 1 to 5). Moat Lane provides access to the site at its southern end, off Chantry Lane. The site comprises a block of land that was formerly occupied by a disused petrol station, car parking areas, houses, small businesses and a grassed area surrounding Bury Mount, the remains of the 12th- century motte (Scheduled Ancient Monument 13623); remedial work was carried out on the monument as part of the wider regeneration scheme, but this does not form part of the current site.

2.2 The ground, situated close to the south-west edge of the floodplain of the River Tove, is flat and lies at c. 88m above Ordnance Datum (aOD). The natural topography of the site has been extensively modified by urban activity since the Roman period and extensive deposits of made-ground, up to 2m thick, have been recorded across the site (AECOM 2010; NA 2010; CA 2012). The geology comprises Jurassic rocks of the Marlstone Rock Formation, succeeded by those of the Whitby Mudstone Formation, with superficial deposits of First Terrace River Gravel deposited by the River Tove (BGS 2016).

Archaeological and historical background 2.3 A full account of the historical and archaeological heritage assets within and surrounding the Moat Lane site is presented in the EIA prepared by AECOM (2010) and the town has the subject of an extensive urban survey (NCC 2002), funded by English Heritage. In brief, the site lies within the eastern quarter of the Roman town of Towcester (Lactodurum) and straddles its eastern defences. Excavations in the area and its immediate vicinity have uncovered the remains Iron Age activity, the Roman town, the Norman motte and fortifications associated with the Royalist occupation of the town during the English Civil War (1642-9). The site is

4 © Cotswold Archaeology Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Watching Brief

documented as a Saxon burh (fortified settlement), although little excavated evidence has so far come to light to support this, and the medieval period is similarly under-represented in the archaeological record. The area continued in use throughout the post-medieval and modern periods, and was the site of a variety of businesses, workshops, warehouses, depots and housing.

2.4 An evaluation of part of the site was carried out in the 1980s (Audouy 1984) along the projected route of the Roman defences (Woodfield 1992), which found conjectural evidence for the robbed-out walls; more recent evaluations have been unable to confirm the line of the defences in this area (NA 2010), although subsequent excavations by CA (forthcoming) were successful in identifying the remains of the town’s earth rampart, robbed-out wall foundations and recut ditch. In 2007, an investigation of Bury Mount, the remains of the 12th-century motte, was undertaken by Northamptonshire Archaeology (NA 2008) to support plans for the consolidation, enhancement and presentation of the monument to the public.

2.5 The archaeological works undertaken by CA in 2013 comprised some of the most extensive excavations undertaken in the Roman town. Evidence of Romano-British settlement included the remains of a substantial stone-built cellared building, ditches, pits and well-preserved evidence for the Roman town wall and ditch. The remains of some of the inhabitants of Roman Towcester (Lactodurum) were recovered from three graves and a rare casket burial, which also included the bones of woodcock. ‘Dark earth’ was observed overlying Roman deposits in some of the excavated areas, a phenomenon observed on various other excavated urban Roman sites. Evidence for medieval occupation comprised the discovery of what may be the outer bailey of the Norman castle.

3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

3.1 The general aim of the watching brief was to identify, investigate and record any archaeological remains encountered during groundworks, so that the results could supplement the archaeological information gathered from previous investigations of the site and contribute towards the project research objectives outlined in full in the WSI (CA 2013).

5 © Cotswold Archaeology Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Watching Brief

4. METHODOLOGY

4.1 The watching brief was undertaken in four areas (Areas A-D) where groundworks had the potential to impact on archaeological remains (Fig. 2). It also included the monitoring of a geotechnical investigation comprising a series of machine and hand- dug test pits. The watching brief followed the methodology set out within the WSIs (CA 2013; The Howlett Consultancy 2013, 2014).

4.2 All features and deposits were recorded in accordance with Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual (CA 2009) and Technical Manual 4: Survey Manual (CA 2012). A photographic record of the project was maintained in high resolution digital images and included photographs of the general site and working shots. There were no significant finds and no deposits were encountered that were suitable for palaeoenvironmental analysis.

4.3 The archive from the archaeological investigation is currently held by CA at their offices in Milton Keynes. The archive will be deposited at the Northamptonshire Archaeological Resource Centre (NARC) when this facility opens. A summary of information from this project, as set out within Appendix B, will be entered onto the OASIS online database of archaeological projects in Britain.

5. FIELDWORK RESULTS

Summary 5.1 The watching brief was undertaken in four areas (Areas A-D), two of which extended within the Scheduled area of Bury Mount, and during geotechnical investigations across the site (Fig. 2). In Area A, at the northern end of Moat Lane, investigations identified a ditch of probable Roman date and in Area C, towards the southern end of Moat Lane, two pits, probably of a similar date, were encountered. These probable Roman features were cut into the geological substrate and were sealed by thick accumulations, up to 1.4m thick, of garden soil and made-ground. Other features identified by the watching brief included a large post-medieval pit and a 19th-century cellar. No archaeological features or deposits were encountered within the Scheduled area. The contexts of the features and deposits encountered by the watching brief are presented in detail in Appendix A and are summarised below.

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Test pits 5.2 The watching brief commenced with the monitoring of the excavation of six machine- dug test pits (TP1 and TP4–TP8) and one hand-dug test pit (HP3). An additional test pit (TP3) was also monitored as it was moved from its intended location to an area of greater archaeological potential; hand-dug test pits HP1 and HP2 were also monitored. Test pits TP1 and TP6 were not excavated due to site constraints. The machine-dug test pits measured approximately 0.5m wide by 2m long and were taken down to depths varying between 2-4m.

5.3 In each test pit the geological substrate of firm brown orange sandy clay was observed at depths of between 1.6m and 2.0m below current ground level (bcgl). This was overlain in each trench by thick deposits of garden soil or made-ground (Figs 6-8). The hand-dug test pits (HP1-HP3), which measured c. 0.4m long by 0.2m wide by c. 1.0m deep, revealed modern made-ground.

5.4 No archaeological features or deposits were identified in the test pits and the only finds were pottery, glass, brick and tile dating from the 19th century or later.

Area A 5.5 In this area, the watching brief monitored the excavation of foundation trenches for new houses, which were 0.75m wide and were excavated to a depth of c. 1.7m. The geological substrate, comprising orange sandy clay and gravel (1102), was encountered at the base of the foundation trenches (Figs 9 and 10). This was overlain by a thick layer of accumulated garden soil, up to 1.4m thick, consisting of soft, dark greyish brown charcoal-flecked clayey silt (1101), containing sherds of post-medieval and modern pottery and fragments of glass, tile and brick. The modern garden soil, which had largely been stripped but was still in situ around the edges of the site, comprised soft dark grey organic clayey silt with occasional pebbles (1100).

5.6 A ditch (1103) of probable Roman date was recorded in the base of the foundation trench for a building immediately adjacent to Moat Lane. It was aligned east to west, measured c. 0.5m wide and was filled with light grey silty clay (1104); it was not possible to investigate the ditch further due to the depth and instability of the foundation trench. The ditch was not recorded in the foundation trenches to the west, north or south, suggesting that it terminates within the footprint of the new building.

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Area B 5.7 Area B comprised a narrow strip of land on the northern edge of the Scheduled area, adjacent and to the south of the Area 1 excavation and the site of the new council offices/community centre. Groundworks comprised the removal of turf and the reduction of ground level by c. 150mm, which revealed the base of the topsoil horizon (1050). No archaeological remains or artefacts of archaeological significance were encountered in this area, other than the remains of a brick garden wall (1051) running parallel with the mill leat.

Area C 5.8 As part of the regeneration scheme, a block of houses/cottages fronting on to Moat Lane and facing Bury Mount were refurbished or partly rebuilt, and a new house was built in a gap between two of the houses that formerly provided access to the yard at the rear. The watching brief monitored the excavation of foundations for the new building and a rebuilt section of one of the original houses, and the excavation of associated service trenches (Figs 11 and 12).

5.9 The geological substrate, which comprised mid orange to yellowish orange sandy clay and gravel (902/1002), was encountered at a depth of between 0.9m and 1.3m bcgl. Two pits were cut into the geological substrate in the area to the rear of the original street frontage. Pit 1008, which was located in the foundation trench for the rear wall of the new building, measured 0.48m wide by 0.25m deep, had very steep, near vertical sides and a flat base. It was filled with dark brownish grey sandy silty clay (1009) with occasional pebbles and contained a sherd of Roman pottery. It was sealed by a 1.1m thick layer of accumulated garden soil, comprising mid to dark greyish brown clayey sandy silt (1001).

5.10 The second pit (904) was located to the rear of the former Volunteer Centre building. This measured 1.4m wide by 0.38m deep and had a similar steep-sided, flat-based profile (Fig. 13). Its dark grey charcoal-flecked silty clay fill (905) contained no finds, but a Roman date for this feature is possible. It was overlain by made-ground, up to 0.6m thick, comprising dark greyish brown silty clay and brick rubble (903).

5.11 Approximately 3.5m to the south of pit 1008 and also identified within the foundation trench for the rear wall of the new building was pit 1005. This was cut into the

8 © Cotswold Archaeology Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Watching Brief

garden soil (1001) to a depth of 0.92m and was at least 1.6m wide. Its base was filled with limestone rubble, lime mortar and hearth waste (charcoal and ash); some of the limestone rubble appeared to form part of a structure, possibly a wall (1003), but the trench was too deep (1.5m) and the sides too unstable to investigate safely. The rubble layer was covered with dark brownish grey charcoal-flecked sandy silt (1004). The south side of the pit was cut by a 19th/early 20th-century sewer trench (1006).

5.12 Within the yard to the rear of the original frontage and directly behind the access off Moat Lane were the remains of a brick-built cellar. The western corner of the cellar (906) and part of the south-east wall (909) were exposed in a foundation trench for the rear wall of the new building. The cellar was at least 1.0m deep by 4.5m wide and the walls were constructed from unfrogged bricks with a reddish orange fabric, bonded with lime mortar. The cellar had been backfilled with demolition rubble (907) and covered with a layer of compacted rubble and soil to provide a base for the tarmac surface of the former access to the yard/car park (900).

Area D 5.13 There were three elements to the watching brief in this area: to monitor the removal of the concrete slab following the demolition of the brick-built warehouse that formerly occupied the street frontage; to investigate and record deposits exposed by the excavation of foundation trenches for an extension to the north end of Moat House; and to monitor the excavation of a service trench along the southern edge of the Scheduled area.

Warehouse slab removal 5.14 Removal of the concrete slab (1250) that formed the floor of the former warehouse revealed a thin layer of crushed stone rubble overlying a thick accumulation of garden soil, consisting of soft, dark greyish brown charcoal-flecked clayey silt (1251). The grubbing out of a series of square, steel-reinforced piles along the sides of the former building revealed that the soil layer was approximately 1.4m thick and overlay the geological substrate, which comprised orange gravelly sandy silty clay (1252).

Service trench 5.15 The service trench along the northern edge of the new block of housing south of Bury Mount was excavated to a depth of between 0.6m and 1.1m bcgl. This

9 © Cotswold Archaeology Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Watching Brief

revealed thick accumulations of rooted garden soil, overlain by geotextile and a ‘mat’ of crushed building rubble that had been put down to form temporary hard standing (Figs 14 and 15).

Moat House extension 5.16 The foundation trench for the extension to Moat House was excavated to a depth up to 1.0m. In the base of the trench was a layer of firm, dark greyish blue silty clay (1201) with very occasional pebbles. This deposit differed from the geological substrate encountered at the same depth beneath the former warehouse to the south-west, suggesting that it is a water lain deposit within the moat of the motte. Overlying this deposit was a layer of made-ground, approximately 0.6m thick, comprising a mixed deposit of brown, orangey brown and greyish brown sandy clay (1206) containing fragments of brick, tile and stone rubble. In one corner of the trench, between 1001 and 1006, was a small dump of unfrogged, hand-made bricks (1207).

5.16 The made-ground (1206) was cut by the foundation trench (1202) for the north-west gable wall of Moat House (Fig. 16). This was cut to a depth of up to 0.75m below current ground level and the base was packed with a deposit of stony mid greyish brown silty clay (1203), approximately 0.25m thick, which formed the base of the limestone rubble wall (1204). The foundation trench was backfilled with mid greyish brown silty clay (1208) containing pebbles and fragments of brick. Outside of the building the foundation trench was covered by a layer of large rounded pebbles (1205) that may have formed an area of hardstanding at the gable end of the building. This was subsequently covered by a layer of topsoil (1200), up to 0.1m thick.

6. FINDS

Pottery 6.1 Two sherds (34g) of pottery were recovered from two deposits in Area C (Table 1). Where applicable, fabric codes matching those of the National Roman Fabric Reference Collection (Tomber and Dore 1998) have been applied and are given in bold below (Table 2).

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Roman 6.2 Both sherds of pottery are dateable to the Roman period. A single sherd of a local grog-tempered fabric was recorded from deposit 1009 A single sherd of pink grog- tempered fabric (PNK GT), recorded from ditch 1003 (fill 1004), is dateable from the 2nd to 4th centuries and is common in the area.

Other finds 6.3 A single fragment of ceramic building material dateable to the Roman period was recorded from ditch 1003. The fragment is of probable pedalis type brick, measuring 46mm in thickness, the average for this type (Brodribb 1989). One surface displays a signature of the maker, comprising two parallel arcs made by dragging two fingers across the clay surface. Semi-circular marks are the most common brick signature (ibid. pg. 102).

Table 1: Quantification of finds by context Spot- Context Class Description Ct. Wt.(g) date 1003 CBM brick 1 1929 RB 1004 Roman pottery PNK GT 1 22 LC2-C4 1009 Roman pottery Gt 1 12 M-L C1

Table 2: Pottery fabric codes Period Description Code Roman Grog-tempered fabric Gt Pink grog-tempered fabric PNK GT

7. DISCUSSION

7.1 Archaeological monitoring of groundworks during the construction phase revealed further evidence for probable Roman activity in the Moat Lane area, although due to the circumstances of its discovery, at the bottom of relatively deep foundation trenches, it was not possible to investigate the remains fully. However, the ditch revealed at the northern end of Moat Lane and the two pits identified at its southern end demonstrate the degree of survival of Roman remains in areas that have been subject to relatively intense urban activity and development from at least the 18th century, if not before.

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7.2 Consistent with the results of previous evaluations and excavations, thick deposits of accumulated garden soil and made-ground, ranging between 0.9m and 1.7m thick, were recorded in all of the areas investigated by the watching brief. These deposits typically contained 18th and 19th-century pottery, glass, clay pipe and other refuse, suggesting that ground level in the vicinity of Moat Lane has been substantially modified, particularly from the 18th century onwards. The remains of a backfilled brick-built cellar to the rear of the modern street frontage demonstrates the extent to which the built environment of Moat Lane has changed over the last 200 years.

8. CA PROJECT TEAM

8.1 The fieldwork was undertaken by Dan Stone, Rob Scott, Dan Riley, Caoimhín Ó Coileáin, Ed Pearson, Tim Lewis and Peter Boyer. The report was written by Simon Carlyle, with a contribution from Katie Marsden (finds), and the illustrations were prepared by Esther Escudero. The archive has been compiled by Emily Evans and prepared for deposition by Jessica Cook. The project was managed for CA by Simon Carlyle.

9. REFERENCES

AECOM 2010 Moat Lane Regeneration, Volume 1: Environmental Statement, client report

Audouy, M, 1984 Bury Mount, in C Woodfield 1992, 25-29

BGS (British Geological Survey) 2016 Geology of Britain Viewer http://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain/home.html Accessed 17 November 2016

Brodribb, G, 1989 Roman Brick and Tile, Alan Sutton Publishing, Great Britain

Brown, J, and Soden, I, 2008 Bury Mount: A Norman Motte and Bailey Castle at Towcester, Northamptonshire, Northamptonshire Archaeology, 35, 137-161

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2012 Moat Lane Regeneration, Towcester, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation, CA report 12160

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CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2013 Moat Lane Regeneration, Towcester, Northamptonshire: Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Excavation, unpublished document

NA (Northamptonshire Archaeology) 2010 Archaeological evaluation at Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire, 2006 and 2010, client report 10/82

NCC (Northamptonshire County Council) 2002 Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Towcester

NCCAA (Northamptonshire County Council Archaeological Advisor) 2012 Brief for a programme of archaeological excavation, recording, analysis and publication of land within the Moat Lane Regeneration, Northamptonshire

The Howlett Consultancy 2013 Protecting Archaeology: A methodology for the preservation in-situ of buried archaeological remains during and after construction. Town Regeneration, Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire, unpublished document, reference HC/107/A

The Howlett Consultancy 2014 Written Scheme of Investigation (Watching Brief) at Bury Mount Motte Castle, Scheduled Ancient Monument (SM 13623), unpublished document, reference HC/107/H

Tomber, R and Dore, J 1998 The National Roman Fabric Reference Collection, A Handbook, MoLAS, London

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APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Test pits

(Test pits 1 and 6 were not excavated)

Test pit Context Context Context Description D (T) No. Interpretation (m) 3 300 Made-ground Building rubble 0-0.4 (0.4)

301 Layer Greenish black silty clay with occ. pebbles 0.4-0.8 (0.4)

302 Layer Greenish black silty clay 0.8-1.6 (0.8)

303 Geology Orange sandy clay, changing to blue clay at a depth of 1.6+ c. 0.8m below upper boundary 4 400 Garden soil Dark black organic silt with occ. pebbles 0–1.0 (1.0)

401 Made-ground Dark black silty clay with v. occ. fine pebbles 1.0–2.0 (1.0)

402 Geology Orange sandy clay, changing to blue clay at a depth of 2.0-4.0 (2.0+) c. 0.8m below upper boundary 5 500 Tarmac Tarmac surface and sub-base 0-0.4 (0.4)

501 Made-ground Firm greenish brown silty clay with freq. stone and brick 0.4-0.7 (0.3) rubble, tile etc. 502 Layer Firm greenish brown silty clay with v. occ. pebbles 0.7-1.0 (0.3)

503 Layer Firm brown silty clay with v. occ. pebbles 1.0-1.5 (0.5)

504 Layer Soft blackish brown silty clay with occ. pebbles 1.5-2.0 (0.5)

505 Geology Orange sandy clay, changing to blue clay at a depth of 2.0-4.0 (2.0+) c. 0.8m below upper boundary 7 700 Made-ground Homogenous black silty clay with occ. fine-coarse 0-2.0 (2.0) pebbles 701 Geology Orange sandy clay 2.0+

8 800 Garden soil Homogenous black silty clay with occ. fine-coarse 0-1.8 (1.8) pebbles 801 Geology Orange sandy clay and gravel (saturated) 1.8-3.0 (1.2+)

HP1 101 Made-ground Firm greyish brown silty clay with freq. pebbles 0-1.0 (1.0+)

HP2 102 Made-ground Firm greyish brown silty clay with freq. pebbles and occ. 0-1.0 (1.0+) frags of brick HP3 103 Made-ground Firm greyish brown silty clay with freq. stone and brick 0-1.0 (1.0+) rubble, tile etc.

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Area A

Context Context Context Description L W D/T Spot Interpretation (m) (m) (m) date 1100 Garden soil Soft dark grey organic clayey silt with - - 0.3 Modern occasional pebbles, sherds of modern pottery and fragments of CBM and modern glass 1101 Garden Soft, dark greyish brown clayey silt with occ. - - 1.4 Post-med/ soil/subsoil charcoal flecks and mod. pebbles and frags modern of CBM, clay pipe and animal bone. Roots in places. 1102 Geology Orange sandy clay and gravel (saturated) - - -

1103 Ditch Linear cut, aligned E-W, not excavated >0.75 0.5 n.e. Roman

1104 Fill of 1003 Soft light grey silty clay - - n.e.

Area B

Context Type Context Context Description L W T Interpretation (m) (m) (m) 1050 Layer Topsoil Soft dark grey organic clayey silt with - - >0.15 occasional pebbles, sherds of modern pottery and fragments of modern glass 1051 Wall Garden wall Brick-built wall, aligned NW-SE, unfrogged >2.5 0.22 n.e. bricks in a reddish orange sandy fabric, bonded with lime mortar, only 1 course seen in plan

Area C

Context Context Context Description L W T Spot Interpretation (m) (m) (m) date 900 Tarmac surface Tarmac - - 0.04 Modern

901 Made-ground Mid greyish brown silty clay - - 1.2 Post-med/ modern 902 Geology Yellowish orange sandy clay, gravelly in - - - places 903 Made-ground Mixed deposit of dark grey silty clay and - - 0.11- Modern gravel, with mod. Inclusions of brick and tile 0.56 904 Pit Roughly circular or oval cut with steep, near 1.4 >0.34 0.38 Roman? vertical sides and a flat base 905 Fill of 904 Soft, mid to dark grey silty clay with freq. - - 0.38 charcoal flecks 906 Wall Brick-built wall, aligned NE-SW, unfrogged >0.8 0.22 >1.2 Modern bricks in a reddish orange sandy fabric, bonded with lime mortar, more than 10 courses still in situ 907 Demolition Brick and tile rubble in a dark grey silty sand - - 1.4 Modern rubble in cellar matrix, containing modern sherds of pottery and frags. of glass. Fills backfilled cellar 908 908 Cellar Large square or rectangular cut, N and S >0.8 4.5 >1.0 Modern sides brick-lined (walls 906 and 909) 909 Wall Brick-built wall, aligned NE-SW, unfrogged >0.8 0.22 >1.0 Modern bricks in a reddish orange sandy fabric, bonded with lime mortar, up to 10 courses 1000 Concrete hard Layer of concrete - - 0.33 Modern standing

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1001 Garden soil Soft dark greyish brown silty clay with occ. to - - 1.0- mod. pebbles 1.5 1002 Geology Mid orange clayey sand and gravel - - -

1003 Fill of 1005 Deposit of limestone rubble, lime mortar and - - 0.40 hearth waste (charcoal and ash), basal fill 1004 Fill of 1005 Dark brownish grey charcoal-flecked sandy - - silt, upper fill 1005 Pit/ foundation Cut of indet. size or shape, possibly aligned >0.75 >1.8 0.93 Post- trench E-W, steep sided profile with roughly flat medieval base, N side c. 45o, S side c. 70o. 1006 Sewer trench Linear cut, with steep, near vertical sides, >3.1 >0.2 0.75 Modern cuts 1004 1007 Fill of 1006 Soft dark greyish brown silty clay with occ. to - - 0.75 mod. Pebbles, brick fragments, animal bone waste and modern refuse. 1008 Pit Cut with steep, near vertical sides and a flat ? 0.48 0.25 Roman base, only seen in section 1009 Fill of 1008 Dark brownish grey sandy silty clay with - - 0.25 occasional pebbles

Area D

Foundation trench of Moat House extension

Context Context Context Description L W (m) D/T/H Spot Interpretation (m) (m) date 1200 Topsoil Soft dark greyish brown organic clayey silt with - - 0.10 Modern occ. To mod. pebbles 1201 Moat fill Firm, dark greyish blue silty clay with very - - >0.28 Post-med occasional pebbles 1202 Foundation Cut for wall 1004, edges parallel with wall, near - 0.34 0.75 Post-med trench vertical sides, flat base 1203 Foundation Compacted gritty mid greyish brown silty clay - - 0.25 Post-med packing with freq. pebbles and small cobbles 1204 Gable wall Limestone and ironstone wall, dressed blocks 5.0 0.6 c. 3.5 Post-med on outer and inner faces, rubble and lime mortar interior (demolished for extension) 1205 Pebble surface Layer of medium to coarse rounded pebbles in >5.0 >0.8 0.1 Post-med a mid greyish brown silty clay matrix ? 1206 Made-ground Mixed deposit of brown, orangey brown and - - 0.6 Post-med greyish brown sandy clay containing fragments of brick, tile and stone rubble. 1207 Brick dump Localised dump of hand-made, unfrogged 1.5 >0.8 0.15 Post-med bricks, c. 10 bricks visible in section 1208 Fill of 1002 Soft mid greyish brown silty clay containing - - 0.41 Post-med pebbles and fragments of brick

Warehouse

Context Context Context Description L W T Spot Interpretation (m) (m) (m) date 1250 Concrete slab Concrete slab overlying a thin layer of - - 0.2 Modern and sub-base crushed stone rubble 1251 Garden Soft, dark greyish brown charcoal-flecked - - 1.4 Post-med/ soil/subsoil clayey silt modern 1252 Geology Firm orange gravelly sandy silty clay - - -

Service trench

Context Context Context Description L W T Spot Interpretation (m) (m) (m) date 2000 Made-ground Crushed building rubble overlying a layer of - - 0.32 Modern geotextile 2001 Garden Soft, dark greyish brown charcoal-flecked - - >1.1 Post-med/ soil/subsoil clayey silt with occ. pebbles, freq. roots. modern

APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM

PROJECT DETAILS Project name Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire Short description At the northern end of Moat Lane, investigations identified a ditch of probable Roman date and towards the southern end of Moat Lane, two pits, probably of a similar date, were encountered. These probable Roman features were cut into the geological substrate and were sealed by thick accumulations, up to 1.4m thick, of garden soil and made-ground. Other features included a large post- medieval pit and a 19th-century cellar. No archaeological features or deposits were encountered within the Scheduled area. Project dates July 2013 to November 2016 Project type Watching brief Previous work DBA (AECOM 2010); evaluation (NA 2006; NA 2010, CA 2012) Future work Unknown Monument type None Significant finds Roman ditch and two pits PROJECT LOCATION Site location Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire Study area 3.1ha Site co-ordinates SP 6222 6701 PROJECT CREATORS Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology (CA) Project Brief originator Lesley-Ann Mather, NCCAA Project Design (WSI) originator CA and The Howlett Consultancy Project Manager Simon Carlyle (CA) Project Supervisor Caooimhin O’Coilein, Edwin Pearson and Peter Boyer PROJECT ARCHIVE Content Physical Northamptonshire Archaeological Pottery, CBM Paper Resource Centre (when opened) Site records Digital Northamptonshire HER Report, digital photos BIBLIOGRAPHY

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2016 Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire: Programme of Archaeological Observation Investigation, Recording, Analysis. CA typescript report 16655

18 670 680 690 700 710

510

500

490

480

470

SP E PETERBOROUGH 15 L N Andover 01264 347630 CITY OF Cirencester 01285 771022 16 LEICESTER 18 Cotswold Exeter 01392 826185 RE 20 Archaeology Milton Keynes 01908 564660 19 SHI N CAMBRIDGES w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk TO e [email protected] P M WARWICKSHIRE A PROJECT TITLE H

T E S R R Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire H O I IR N MILTON H E KEYNES S D R O FIGURE TITLE B F U D E E Site location plan C B LUTON IR K H I TERSHIRE N S 0 1km D G R H O FIGURE NO. F Reproduced from the 2004 Ordnance Survey Explorer map with DRAWN BY EE PROJECT NO. 660327 OXFORDSHIRE A RT M E the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller CHECKED BY DJB DATE 28/11/2016 S H of Her Majesty's Stationery Office c Crown copyright H APPROVED BY SC SCALE@A4 1:25,000 IR Cotswold Archaeology Ltd 100002109 1 E 692

693 694 N

Hall

489 oad

Site Bury Mount Northampton R Area 2 Excavation areas

Watching brief areas Area 1

Area 3 Motte TP2

TP4 Trench pit location

6 B HP1 HP3 Hand excavated pit location

7 A 10 9 3 Photograph locations

488 14

Mill 15 Carpark Mill W A T L ING MO D AT L S AN T E R TP8 EE T 11 8 13 12 Area 5 C

Area 4 1:1000 EE 0 50m PAR K STR T

Reproduced from the digital Ordnance Survey Explorer map with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeology Ltd 100002109

Andover 01264 347630 Cirencester 01285 771022 St. Lawrence Cotswold Exeter 01392 826185 Church Archaeology Milton Keynes 01908 564660 w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected] 487 NTRY LANE HA PROJECT TITLE C Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire

FIGURE TITLE Plan showing areas of observed groundworks and excavations areas

DRAWN BY EE PROJECT NO. 660327 FIGURE NO. CHECKED BY DJB DATE 28/11/2016 SP APPROVED BY SC SCALE@A3 1:1000 2 3 4

Site of Area C Site of Area A

3 View of area A (post-construction) from Bury Mount, looking north-west 4 View of area C (post-construction) from Bury Mount, looking south 5 View of area D (during construction) from Bury Mount, looking south-east

Andover 01264 347630 Cirencester 01285 771022 Cotswold Exeter 01392 826185 Archaeology Milton Keynes 01908 564660 w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire

FIGURE TITLE Photographs

DRAWN BY EE PROJECT NO. 660327 FIGURE NO. CHECKED BY DJB DATE 28/11/2016 APPROVED BY SC SCALE@A3 NA 3-5 6 7

6 Test pit 4, looking north (1m scale) 7 Test pit 5, looking south

8 Test pit 7, looking north (1m scale)

Andover 01264 347630 Cirencester 01285 771022 Cotswold Exeter 01392 826185 Archaeology Milton Keynes 01908 564660 w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire

FIGURE TITLE Photographs

DRAWN BY EE PROJECT NO. 660327 FIGURE NO. CHECKED BY DJB DATE 28/11/2016 APPROVED BY SC SCALE@A3 NA 6-8 9

Andover 01264 347630 Cirencester 01285 771022 Cotswold Exeter 01392 826185 9 Area A, foundation trench, looking west Archaeology Milton Keynes 01908 564660 w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]

10 Area A, foundation trench, looking north PROJECT TITLE Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire

FIGURE TITLE Photographs

DRAWN BY EE PROJECT NO. 660327 FIGURE NO. CHECKED BY DJB DATE 28/11/2016 APPROVED BY SC SCALE@A3 NA 9 & 10 11 12

11 Area C, foundation trenches, looking north-east

12 Area C, service trench under excavation to rear of buildings, looking south-east

13 Area C, post medieval pit 904, looking south-east (1m scale)

Andover 01264 347630 Cirencester 01285 771022 Cotswold Exeter 01392 826185 Archaeology Milton Keynes 01908 564660 w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire

FIGURE TITLE Photographs

DRAWN BY EE PROJECT NO. 660327 FIGURE NO. CHECKED BY DJB DATE 28/11/2016 APPROVED BY SC SCALE@A3 NA 11-13 14 16

14 Area D, service trench, looking south-west

15 Area D, soil profile in the service trench (0.5m scale)

16 Area D, foundations of Moat House gable end wall, looking south-east (2m scale)

Andover 01264 347630 Cirencester 01285 771022 Cotswold Exeter 01392 826185 Archaeology Milton Keynes 01908 564660 w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE Moat Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire

FIGURE TITLE Photographs

DRAWN BY EE PROJECT NO. 660327 FIGURE NO. CHECKED BY DJB DATE 28/11/2016 APPROVED BY SC SCALE@A3 NA 14-16