Series: MOLA Northampton unpublished report series

Northamptonshire Archaeology (now MOLA Northampton) carried out open area excavation on 14.45ha of land. Early Neolithic flint and a polished stone axe was possibly related to the nearby Cardington causewayed enclosure. Two Early Bronze Age ring ditches sat on a gravel ridge between the River Great Ouse and Elstow Brook. A small round barrow, 6.5m diameter, enclosed a deep grave containing the crouched burial of a woman within an oak-lined chamber. Within a nearby ring ditch, 30m diameter, a pit containing three crouched burials, probably within an oak chamber, is radiocarbon dated to the early in the Middle Bronze Age. East of the large ring ditch, an L-shaped ditch with a central opening, radiocarbon dated to the Middle/Late Bronze Age transition, is perhaps the final feature of the monument group, paralleling similar features at other contemporary ring ditch monuments. Shallow rectilinear ditches formed a land boundary extending north and south from the Bronze Age ring ditch, and other contemporary ditches were remnants of a rectilinear field system. A contemporary waterhole produced waterlogged wood and the final fill contained decorated pottery of the Early Iron Age. Three ditches formed a Middle/Late Iron Age boundary ditch system, also aligned north-south, with a nearby rectangular enclosure. Use of the boundary system continued into the Roman period, when it defined the western limit of an extensive Romano-British ladder settlement, dated to the 1st to 4th centuries AD. Only the northern fringe lay within the excavated area, but this contained a dense system of successive boundary ditches, along with pits, a stone-lined well and an inhumation burial. Anglo-Saxon sunken-featured buildings are dated to the 5th-6th centuries, and a middle Saxon mausoleum containing a single inhumation with a second inhumation outside is dated to the late 8th century. Thereafter the land was under agricultural use, with remnant furrows of the medieval ridge and furrow system.

MOLA Northampton carried out archaeological assessment on unauthorised groundworks at Delapre Golf Course, Northampton in April 2014. The groundworks comprised the removal of shrubs and trees and the stripping of topsoil with a mechanical excavator over a 0.106ha area. The excavated area had been reduced by no more than 0.30m, exposing the subsoil, or some patches of natural substrate. In some areas topsoil remained in situ. The near edge of the topsoil bank at the north of the site was removed. Archaeological assessment included the cleaning of stripped surfaces by hand, the scanning of spoilheaps and the stripped surfaces with a metal detector, the retrieval of finds, and a full programme of recording. Twentieth-century golfing earthworks were uncovered, as well as trenches for service pipes and a former tree line. A bank surrounding the area was shown to be constructed of redeposited natural clays and modern building debris. A number of finds were recovered, including post-medieval lead shot, horse tack, and a 14th-century silver annular brooch.

A programme of archaeological monitoring, investigation and recording was undertaken by MOLA Northampton on behalf of WPM, acting for their clients J D Wetherspooon, in October 2014 during redevelopment works at 5 Sun Street, Hitchin, Hertfordshire. A disturbed stratigraphy was recorded throughout the investigation area, no archaeological deposits or artefacts were present.

A programme of archaeological monitoring, investigation and recording was undertaken by MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) on behalf of Saxonby Homes, during the construction of a new residential development on land adjacent to Castle View, Watling Street, Craven Arms, Shropshire. A single musket ball with a broad 16th to 18th century date range was recovered from an unstratified deposit, no pre-modern archaeological deposits were present.

A programme of archaeological monitoring, investigation and recording was undertaken on behalf of CgMs Consulting acting on behalf of their client Mr Thirby, in January 2012 during groundworks for the construction of a new wind turbine on land at Grendon Fields Farm, Grendon, Warwickshire. A ploughsoil horizon was recorded throughout the investigation area, no archaeological deposits or artefacts were present.

A programme of archaeological monitoring, investigation and recording was undertaken by MOLA (formerly Northamptonshire Archaeology), on behalf of CgMs Consulting acting on behalf of their client Vanderbilt Homes, between May and July 2014 during groundworks for the construction of a new residential development on land at Yew Tree Farm, Launton, Oxfordshire. An undated ditch and a number of tree holes were recorded.

A programme of archaeological observation, investigation and recording was undertaken by MOLA (formerly Northamptonshire Archaeology), on behalf of St Margaret's PPC, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) between May 2013 and July 2014 during the excavation of exploratory test pits and groundworks associated with the installation of new services at St Margaret's Church, Ward End, Birmingham, West Midlands A disturbed stratigraphy was recorded throughout the investigation area. No archaeological features or artefacts were present.

A programme of archaeological observation, investigation and recording was undertaken by MOLA (formerly Northamptonshire Archaeology), on behalf of St Mary the Virgin PPC in February 2013 during groundworks for the installation of toilet and washing facilities at St Mary the Virgin Parish Church, Maidwell, Northamptonshire. A disturbed stratigraphy was recorded throughout the investigation area. No archaeological features or artefacts were present.

A programme of archaeological observation, investigation and recording was undertaken by MOLA Northampton in August 2015 for Mr J Edmonds during the groundworks at 19 Coldstream Lane, Hardingstone, Northamptonshire. No archaeological features or finds were recorded.

A programme of archaeological observation, investigation and recording was undertaken by MOLA Northampton in July 2015 and January 2016 for Danegrove Developments during the groundworks at 39-45 Main Road, Grendon, Northamptonshire. No archaeological features or finds were recorded. The presence of houses with gardens and subsequent landscaping of the area was recorded. A Saxo-norman pottery sherd was recovered from the topsoil.