SECTION 2.2.8:CLAYDON PIKE OUTTER SMALL TRENCHES

INTRODUCTION

NORTHERN TRENCH
Trench 18:The Roman road

SOUTHERN AND SOUTH-EASTERN TRENCHES
Trench 22
Trench 23
Trench 24
Trench 25
Trench 26
Trench 37
Trench 38
The triple-ditched boundary

WESTERN TRENCHES
Trench 31
Trench 32
Trench 33
Trench 34
Trench 35

Introduction (Fig. 2.2.1: Trench plan of Longdoles Field )

A number of small trenches were opened around the main excavation area, targeting known cropmark features, in order to gain a clearer picture of the overall site organisation. The features within these trenches contained very few finds, as might be expected since they were located some distance from the main area of occupation.

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Northern trench

Trench 18: The Roman road (Fig. 2.2.26: Trench 18: The Roman road)

Trench 18 was situated c 60 m north of Trench 13, and comprised two main excavated areas (c 180 m² and c 40 m²), linked by a 2 m long section. The major excavated feature was part of a WSW-ENE aligned Roman road, which was a continuation of main north-south road found between Trenches 13 and 17 to the south. It connected that area to further Roman roads and field systems in the north, over the area of the middle Iron Age settlement in Warrens Field. Cutting through the Roman road in Trench 18 was a series of post-Roman ditches, while the parish boundary stream ran NW-SE through the northern most area, which the road presumably crossed.
The Roman road
Two parallel lengths of ditch (705, 751) were uncovered in the south-western area of the trench, about 4.5 m apart. They were both about 1.5 m in width, but multiply re-cut, and there were traces of banks on their outside edges. The ditches were also traced further to the north-east on the other side of the stream (section 23). Between the ditches lay a cobbled road surface, overlain by a layer of alluvium (753), which also sealed the two ditches. Three further layers of alluvium covered the area (754-6, 866). The only finds to be recovered were an iron rod from 751, a fragment of wood from 705, and less than 200 g of pottery from the trench as a whole. A total of 31 animal bones were also recovered from ditch 705.
Post-Roman Ditches
Running NW-SE across the Roman road ditches (705, 751), and cutting the layers of alluvium (754-6), was post-Roman ditch 752. It was nearly 2 metres in width, and probably served as a boundary ditch belonging to the medieval or post-medieval period. The ditch cut another similar features (897) on the same alignment. Slightly to the north (c 1.3 m) and on the same alignment were a number of other ditches (865, 792, 787), the latest of which (787; not shown on plan) contained limestone rubble, probably deriving from a collapsed wall. It was not certain whether these features were contemporary or represented earlier or later phases of the boundary.

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Southern and south-eastern trenches (Figs 2.2.27:Southern and south-eastern trenches and 2.2.1: Trench plan of Longdoles Field )

A series of machine-dug trenches was excavated south and south-east of the main settlement area in order to explore the stratigraphy of the cropmark complex in this area (Fig. 2.2.1: Trench plan of Longdoles Field ). The focus was on linear boundaries and their relationship to the triple-ditch boundary that appeared to define the site as a whole.

Trench 22

This trench measured120 m² and was designed to expose the relationship between the phase 3 boundary ditch, 559, running southwards from Trench 13 and Trench 26, and the triple-ditched boundary 517-519. Ditch 559 was cut by ditch 519 (section 196) and ditch 518 but it did not project south of 518 (section 197), suggesting continuity with the middle ditch. Three recuts of 518 were visible, the latest 1.1 m wide and 0.6 m deep (section 198).
Ditch 559 contained at least two cuts; c 0.8 m wide and 0.5 m deep (section 195). A glass intaglio was recovered from the top layer of 559 and is dated to the later 1st century AD. Ditch 517 lay furthest to the south was probably the earliest of the three ditches, but there was no dating evidence to confirm this.

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Trench 23

This trench, measuring c 126 m², located the intersection of Phase 2 ditch 643 running south from the settlement area and the tripled ditched boundary 517-519. Despite the fact that 643 was earlier than ditch 559, it appeared to relate to the triple ditch in the same way, in that it was cut by both 519 and 518 and did not extend beyond ditch 518. This would argue that at least part of the triple-ditched boundary was continuous from Phase 2 to some time into the Roman period.

Trench 24

Sited just north of Trench 23, Trench 24 (84 m²) exposed the intersection of Phase 2 ditch 643 and ditch 1802, which appeared from the cropmark evidence to form a rectangular Enclosure 45 m by 26 m (Fig. 2.2.1: Trench plan of Longdoles Field ). Ditch 1802 was the earlier feature and measured 1.6 m wide and 0.7 m deep. No finds were recovered.
A broad flat-bottomed pit, 1803, just west of 643 was also excavated. It was 1.4 m in diameter and only 0.2 m deep and produced no finds.

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Trench 25

Trench 25 (52 m²) located the intersection of an east-west linear ditch visible on the cropmarks (1801) with ditches 643 and 1802, running north from Trench 24. Ditch 1801 transected both 1802 and 643. It was 1.8 m wide and c 0.7 m deep and had been recut. A 0.3 m thick deposit of alluvium filled the top of the latest recut. As noted elsewhere, the latest Roman features in the lower lying areas contained alluvial material. There were no datable finds but the presence of alluvium suggests a late Roman date.
The cropmark survey indicated that ditch 1801 ran westwards from 559 (Trench 26) (see below), then turned south-west and extended to the triple ditch system. This arrangement would have formed a large rectangular enclosure measuring 100 m by 45 m.

Trench 26

Trench 26 (72 m²) exposed the intersection of boundary ditch 559, which formed the eastern boundary of Trench 13, and the east-west aligned ditch, 1801. The ditches appear to have been contemporary, with 1801 joining 559. One of the latest cuts of 559 to the north of the intersection contained 0.2 m of alluvium, similar to ditch 1801, and it is possible that this represents a continuation of the east-west ditch. This ditch then appeared to divert eastwards north of the trench to join with the large Phase 3c/d rectangular enclosure just to the south-east of Trench 13 (Fig. 2.2.1: Trench plan of Longdoles Field ). More episodes of recutting of 559 were identified north of the junction with 1801 than south.

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Trench 37

Trench 37 was located south-east of the principal excavation area and measured 120 m². It was located to explore the triple ditch system and the eastern boundary of the Phase 3 enclosure formed by ditches 515, 1589, and 562.

Trench 38

Located in the south-east corner of the field this trench (80 m²) revealed the relationship between the triple-ditched boundary and Enclosure 516 to the south of it. The cropmarks indicated that ditch 516 formed a subrectangular enclosure c 40 m square, with another enclosure linked to its western side. Ditch 516 proved to be broad and shallow, 1.8 m wide and 0.4 m deep, cutting ditch 517 of the triple ditch system. There were no finds but both 516 and 517 had shallow deposits of alluvium in their top fills, suggesting that they were late Roman in date.

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The triple-ditched boundary

It was difficult to date this boundary, which appeared to define the southern and eastern limits of the settlement. Nor was the sequence and association of the three ditches clear. Their western limit was the road running southwards from between Trench 19 and Trench 13. They appeared to diverge as they approached it, and the southern ditch, 517, ended some distance short of it. Ditch 518 turned southwards to join the eastern side of the road. The northern ditch, 519, turned to the north and joined the eastern side of the Roman road. Stratigraphic evidence from trenches 22 and 23 indicated that 519 succeeded 518 but they may have coexisted for a period, late cuts of 518 possibly still open when 519 was excavated.
The presence of a possible Phase 2 boundary along the line of 518 was indicated in Trench 23 and this boundary continued into the Phase 3 (see Trench 22). This gives a terminus post quem for 519 of approximately AD 125, and possibly much later. Ditch 517 could not be assigned to a phase. The absence of any deep deposits of alluvium suggests that most of the ditches had been filled prior to the end of the Roman period, with the possible exception of 517, where alluvium was found within Trench 38. Certainly no later Roman material was recovered.
The boundary ran 125 m east-west before turning north-east. It then ran for another c 100 m before disappearing into the marshy area on the north-east side of the site. It was not observed during the salvage work north of the main trench.

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Western trenches (Fig. 2.2.28: The western trenches )

Trench 31

Trench 31 measured 40 x 4 m, and lay at the far western end of the site, over 100 m from Trenches 17 and 29. A length of ditch running NE-SW at the northern end of the trench (2495) was part of a large sub-rectangular enclosure apparently open to the east, as indicated by cropmarks (Fig. 2.2.1: Trench plan of Longdoles Field ). Another short section of this enclosure (1488) was found in Trench 32 to the south-east. To the south of 2493, a section of east-west ditch was excavated (1486), but this could not be related to any known feature. A total of 185 g of pottery came from ditch 2495, dating approximately to the 2nd/3rd century AD and therefore relating to the Phase 3 settlement.

Trench 32

Trench 32 (c 120 m²) was located 15 m south-east of Trench 31. Ditch 1488, exposed in the northern end of this trench, belonged to the same enclosure as ditch 2495 in Trench 31 (see above), and ran east-west for 6 m before turning northwards. The southern side of the trench revealed part of the northern east-west roadway ditch which continued into the main occupied area of site, as 1255 (see Trench 17). No finds were recovered.

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Trench 33

Trench 33 lay to the south of Trench 32, and exposed part of the southern ditch of the main east-west roadway (see Trench 32 above), in addition to an apparently contemporary stretch of north-south ditch leading off from it. At the western side of the trench were two NW-SE ditch/gullies, one of which was cut by the main road ditch. Both of these cut a small east-west gully. An extension of the trench to the south revealed a small curving gully, while to the north, another gully running north-south was cut by the roadside ditch. None of the features within Trench 33 had context or feature numbers assigned to them, and no finds were recorded.

Trench 34

Trench 34 extended westwards from Trench 17 for c 70 m, but was only 2 m wide. It was positioned to reveal more of the character of the large double ditched enclosure that lay to the west of the main occupation area, identified as cropmarks on aerial photographs (Fig. 2.2.1: Trench plan of Longdoles Field ). The western part of the trench exposed two ditches (1483-4), c 6 m apart, which formed part of the outer enclosure boundary. The outer ditch (1484) was much larger (2 m wide, 0.5 m deep) than 1483 (1 m wide, 0.3 m deep) and it was not clear whether they were contemporary as no finds were recovered. If they were of the same phase, they may have defined a trackway around the exterior of the enclosure, in the same way as ditches 667 and 668 in Trench 17 to the east, and ditches 2739 and 2740 in trench 30 to the north. Aside from a small north-south gully (0.5 m width, 0.1 m depth), the interior appeared to have been clear of features.

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Trench 35

Trench 35 (250 m²) was located c 40 m north-west of the late Roman cemetery in Trench 30. It exposed two parallel NE-SW aligned ditches (1480, 1481), 7 m apart, which belonged to two separate features, visible on aerial photographs. Ditch 1480 (1 m width, 0.6 m depth) was part of a large sub-rectangular enclosure and 1481 (1.1 m width, 0.4 m depth) was part of the south-western section of a T- shaped boundary. No finds were recovered from the ditches and they remain undated.

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