NHER 37638 (Monument record) - Iron Age settlement (associated with regionally-significant finds assemblages) and multi-period finds and features

June 2002. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of proposed mineral extraction area.
Prehistoric flint tools, a Bronze Age axehead and an Iron Age brooch have been recorded within the assessment area and are suggestive of casual loss of material. Roman finds are also known and an apparent cluster of this material may indicate settlement in the vicinity of Tower End, to the northwest of the proposed quarry.
The parish boundary between East Winch and Middleton is likely to have been formalised in the Saxon period.
Medieval and post medieval remains have been recorded from the assessment area. Early maps indicate that the proposed quarry site has largely been open ground since the middle of the 18th century, although field names suggest that clay and carstone was quarried from the fields.
Fieldwalking and geophysical survey are considered appropriate.
See report (S1) for further details.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 20 May 2015.

October 2002-May 2003. Geophysical Survey.
Geophysical survey work undertaken as part of Environmental Impact Assessment of large proposed mineral extraction area. Initial magnetic susceptibility survey of all fields, followed by a series of more targeted magnetometry surveys (Areas 1-14).
Identified some anomalies, thought to represent agricultural features, and two areas of potential archaeological features: possible pits and a possible small building or enclosure.
See report (S2) for further details.
The results of this work are now also recorded in more detail under NHER 23392 and NHERs 60756-60759.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 20 May 2015.

January-April 2003 and January 2014. Systematic Fieldwalking and Metal-detecting Survey.
Field surveys undertaken as part of Environmental Impact Assessment of large proposed mineral extraction area. Five areas were examined initially (Fields 1-5), with several additional fields covered during a second phase of work undertaken in January 2004 (Fields 7, 8-10 and 13).
This work recovered prehistoric worked flints and Roman, medieval and post medieval pottery and metal objects, although these are found in low densities and with the exception of a small concentration of iron slag, these do not appear to form significant clusters or represent evidence of settlement.
See report (S3) for further information.
The results of this work are also now recorded in more detail under NHER 23392 and NHERs 60756-60763.
J. Allen (NLA), 8 June 2006. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 20 May 2015.

October 2004 and June 2006. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed route of new quarry haul road (Trenches 1-4).
Of the four trenches excavated at the southern end of the haul road (where it will meet the quarry extension), only one revealed archaeological archaeologically significant remains. This trench contained a ditch and a gully, both of which produced small number of prehistoric worked flints but no other finds.
A small assemblage of worked flints and a single sherd of ?Iron Age pottery were recovered from unstratified contexts in another of the trenches excavated in this area.
Although no diagnostic pieces were present amongst the worked flints from this site, the assemblage appears to be technologically homogenous and associated with a systematic blade-based reduction strategy. A Mesolithic or Early Neolithic date was suggested for this material.
See report (S4) for further details.
The results of the trial trenching along the remainder of the haul road route are now recorded under NHERs 60762-60764.
J. Allen (NLA), 7 February 2007. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 May 2015.

May 2008. Excavations by APS in progress. An area of dense artefact deposition has been examined and its extent defined. This has produced 87 copper alloy finds, 54 amber (much fragmentary, but quite a few complete), 15 glass beads (including 6 complete), plus some iron and other odds and ends. Survival of the metalwork is not good (there are quite a few small broken pieces) but there is a nice assemblage of involute and small penannular brooch types something like 10 of each) as well as some more unusual pieces. Some of the more fragmentary pieces may be identifiable as to type in due course. Provisional dating of the brooches (by JD Hill) suggests 3rd or 2nd century BC.
D. Gurney (NLA), 23 May 2008.

November 2007-May 2008. Excavation.
Excavation prior to mineral extraction (Phase 1).
Four phases of activity were revealed including Bronze Age, Mid-Late Iron Age, Late Iron Age to Roman and post-medieval deposits.

The evidence for prehistoric activity included 283 worked flints, 3 flint quern fragments, a possible hammerstone and a small quantity of burnt flint. A Neolithic stone axe fragment was also recovered (?diorite).The worked flints appear to represent several phases of activity. The earliest industry, which probably accounts for the majority of the assemblage, is characterised by the production of blades. Although such industries can date from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Early Neolithic the presence of a trapezoidal microlith and a microburin suggest at least some of the blades were produced during the Mesolithic. Three piercers made on blades were also associated with this early industry. The second industry is represented by larger and broad, but still competently produced flakes, with the techniques represented indicative of a later Neolithic or Early Bronze Age date. Two later Neolithic transverse arrowheads were also found (a petit tranchet and an oblique). The third industry is associated with a significant number of opportunistically produced thicker, squatter flakes. These were probably produced during the later second or first millennium BC.

Three Bronze Age pits in the south-western part of the excavated area formed a tight group and all contained burnt material, charcoal, cremated bone, fragments of collared urns and one included a fragment of prehistoric pottery.

A Mid to Late Iron Age enclosure and associated features were located at the western edge of the site where possible entrances were observed at the north-east and south-east corners. A broad swathe of 150 Mid to Late Iron Age pits following the contour of the hillside measuring up to 3.5m in diameter and up to 1.3m in depth contained over 1000 sherds of pottery, 150 pieces of flint, fired clay, iron slag and a copper alloy object. A structured deposition contained very large quantities of pottery and a significant scatter of copper alloy and iron artefacts (including at least 40 brooches), a shale bead and many amber and glass beads. A total of 14 pits across the site yielded Late Iron Age and Roman material. A small quantity of Late Iron Age/Early Roman pottery was recovered, as well as an assemblage of Roman pottery. Notable other Iron Age and Roman finds included a small assemblage of animal bone, a Gaulish potin coin, two loomweights, possible slingshots and a carnelian intaglio depicting an eagle. A reasonably large assemblage of metal-working debris was also recovered, including both iron smelting and smithing slags.

A series of ditches were assigned to the post-medieval period although there was a lack of directly datable material. An undated articulated horse burial was also excavated.

See assessment report (S5) and preliminary assessment (S6) for further details. See also (S7).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 9 July 2009. Amended by S. Howard (NLA), 14 May 2010.

May 2010 onwards. Excavation.
Excavation of addition area (Phase 2).
Details to come.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 30 April 2010.

February-March 2013. Excavation.
Excavation of addition area (Phase 3).
Details to come.
P. Watkins (HES), 9 February 2017.