Data from an Archaeological Recording at Radstone Manor Farm, Brackley North Cutting, Northamptonshire, March-July 2021 (HS2 Phase One)
Connect Archaeology, High Speed Two Ltd., 2024. https://doi.org/10.5284/1124396. How to cite using this DOI
- HS2 Phase One: London to West Midlands Historic Environment Digital Archive
- Curated Collection: Kilns Through the Ages
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This work is licensed under a The Open Government Licence (OGL).
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Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 5082
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1124396
- How to cite using this DOI
Overview
The earliest evidence for occupation in the locality was provided by a small number of prehistoric flints recovered during the Archaeological Recording. Later activity was represented by a small quantity of pottery dating from the mid to late Roman period. The finds comprising both of these assemblages were found in deposits or features dating to the medieval period and therefore could only be taken as indicators of activity in the near vicinity and were not proof of early features within the Site.
The excavation identified limited Saxo-Norman remains on the Site, with a small number of pits at the eastern side of C30049 and a small ditch slightly further to the west providing evidence of activity dating to the period. An increase in activity from the 12th century onwards was demonstrated by a growing number of features and finds, culminating in a period of maximum activity dated to between 1250 and 1400. The composition of the pottery assemblage appears to reflect a non-domestic site function.
A series of NW/SE and SW/NE orientated ditches were found to have been laid out in the period from 1250 to 1400, possibly forming paddocks or enclosures at the western fringe of the medieval settlement. The presence of two rectangular buildings, one at the south end, the other in the central part of Site, was indicated by the discovery of foundation materials. The function of the structures was unclear due to the truncation of the remains to below their original floor level. Two smaller stone built structures, one at the north end of site, the other towards the southern end, were interpreted as kilns which may have been used for drying grain crops or for malting grain as part of the brewing process. A cluster of hearths close to the southern kiln suggested further non-domestic activity in this part of site.
Analysis of the finds assemblage revealed a very rapid and dramatic reduction in the quantity of material dating from 1400 onwards, indicating that the area covered by site had been abandoned or experienced a change of use around the start of the 15th century. Occasional finds dating to the late and post-medieval period were recovered, which hinted at the continuation of settlement activity in the vicinity of site, although at a much reduced level within the boundary of the mitigation area. The Site appears to have been in agricultural use from the medieval period though to the present day, with the modern village of Radstone representing the contracted remains of the former larger medieval settlement of Upper Radstone.
The results of the Archaeological Recording at Radstone Manor Farm have a moderate potential to contribute to HERDS Specific Objectives KC34, KC35 and KC40, facilitating a greater understanding of medieval developments at the west side of Radstone and links to the economy of the surrounding area.
The Radstone mitigation archive can be considered as part of the wider HS2 archive and as such has re-use value. The site has value on its own as it identified Medieval and Post-Medieval features. The evidence contributes to the corpus of such sites in Britain. The site was previously evaluated and the evidence from the evaluation will be valuable in conjunction with the evidence from the excavation.
