NHER 55938 (Monument record) - Early Iron Age cremation and other Early Iron Age and undated remains

January-May 2010. Geophysical survey.
Magnetometer survey of most of field (Area 2).
Four very weak linear anomalies at the west of the field are likely to represent infilled ditches. Three are east-to-west aligned and likely be associated with ditched annex visible as cropmarks at the eastern end of the Scheduled Fison Way complex (NHER 5843). The forth lies to the south of these and is aligned east-north-east to west-south-west.
Approximately two thirds of the field is covered with cellular 'patterned ground' geological anomalies.
A small number of scattered discrete ferrous anomalies were most likely caused by modern debris in the topsoil.
See report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
P. Watkins (HES), 25 March 2021.

August-September 2010. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of part of large proposed development area (Trenches 45-49).
The two southernmost trenches revealed five ditches of unknown date. The shallow profiles of these ditches indicate that they have been reduced by ploughing. No finds were recovered.
See report (S3) for further details.
S. Howard (HES), 10 August 2011. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 25 March 2021.

January 2020-March 2022. Excavation and Watching Brief.
Archaeological fieldwork along route of new water pipeline. This work saw the excavation of a narrow strip adjacent to the southern and eastern edges of the field, between TL 8797 8265 and TL 8784 8243 (Area 1). A watching brief was then maintained during subsequent topsoil stripping operations between TL 8710 8489 and the north-east corner of the field (Area 2).
The excavation revealed a range of ditches, pits, possible post-holes and natural features, all of which were either undated or potentially prehistoric. The small pottery assemblage recovered is exclusively of Early Iron Age date, although the worked flints recovered provide evidence for at least limited earlier activity on the site. These flints include a Mesolithic microlith, a small number of Mesolithic or Early Neolithic blades and blade-like flakes, flakes and a scraper of probable Neolithic/Bronze Age date and a small number of potentially later Bronze Age or Iron Age flakes. Some of this material was recovered from otherwise undated pits and natural features but the majority of the pieces were probably residual.
The most notable of the Early Iron Age features was an un-urned cremation burial discovered in the south-east corner of the field. The fragments of human bone recovered were fairly small but most likely from an older sub-adult or adult, with one piece producing an Early Iron Age radiocarbon date of 774‐403 cal BC at 95.4% probability (SUERC‐107155; 2420 ± 26 BP). A single Early Iron Age pottery sherd was also recovered from its fill.
The remainder of the Early Iron Age pottery was found in a range of features adjacent to the southern edge of the site, with the largest assemblages being recovered from a pit and one of a series of parallel north-east to south-west aligned ditches. Smaller quantities of Early Iron Age pottery were recovered from several other of these ditches, suggesting they may well represent elements of a field system associated with this phase of activity. A significant proportion of the Early Iron Age pottery was though actually recovered from a group of interconnected irregular linear features that were probably natural in origin. Samples taken from a number of the features of likely Early Iron Age date were all characterised by low densities of charred plant macrofossils.
The only feature of definitely later date was a pit with a charcoal-rich lower fill – a sample from which was found to contain a large quantity of barley grains and barley chaff. Two modern nails were recovered from its upper fill.
The undated features included several differently aligned ditches adjacent to the eastern edge of the field and various pits, possible post-holes and natural features.
Notable unstratified finds included a Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age barbed and tanged flint arrowhead, a possible Early/Middle Saxon iron knife and a medieval annular brooch.
No additional remains were recorded during the subsequent watching brief, although this was largely due to the fact that the topsoil strip was relatively shallow, with only between 0.2m and 0.4m of soil removed – which presumably left enough intact overburden to mask any remains present.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 19 January 2026.