SAWTRY ARCHAEOLOGY

19-2 Safe Field, Alconbury Weston

1.         Introduction.

 

1.1.      Purpose.  The purpose of this archaeological project record is to document events, capture hypotheses and decisions made, and collate findings, results and reports created through the life of the project.  It will also set the conditions by which archaeological investigation of Safe Field Farm, Alconbury Weston is planned and undertaken by Sawtry History Society (SHS).  As such, it is a living document that will evolve as the project itself evolves.

 

1.2.      Site Details.

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1.2.1.   Location.  The site consists of the two sites indicated on Figure 1.1 that cover an area of approximately 23.36 hectares (Site 1) and 30.56 hectares (Site 2) respectively.  Safe Field is located east of the A1 and south of Wood Walton Road in the east of Alconbury Weston Civil Parish, and is located in National Grid Reference (NGR) squares TL 18 77, TL 19 77, TL 20 77, TL 19 78, TL 20 78 and TL 19 79 (Figures 1.2 and 1.3).

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1.2.2.   Reference Points.  The primary Site Bench Mark (SBM) has been set at the southeast corner of the farm buildings (NGR TL 19523 78275).  The SBM for site one has been set northwest corner of the footbridge across the field drainage ditch (NGR TL 19519 77933).  The SBM for site two has been set at the west side of the entrance gap between the two fields that comprise this site (NGR TL 20115 78749).  The primary and site respective SBM are indicated by the red dots on Figure 1.3.

 

1.2.3.   Site Reference Code.  The site reference code for all archaeological activities is SFF192-YY, where YY are the last two digits of the calendar year; eg SFF192-19.

 

1.2.4.   Geology.  The site sits atop a plateau on the 45m contour that overlooks the disused Royal Air Force Alconbury airfield that is now Alconbury Weald.  The bedrock is Oxford Clay Formation-Mudstone(Figure 1.4a) with Oadby Member-Diamicton superficial deposits(Figure 1.4b), above which are varying depths of plough-soil.

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1.2.4.1.  Oxford Clay Formation-Mudstone.  A sedimentary bedrock formed approximately 157 to 166 million years ago in the Jurassic Period where the local environment was previously dominated by shallow seas.  These sedimentary rocks are shallow-marine in origin and are detrital, ranging from coarse- to fine-grained (locally with some carbonate content) forming interbedded sequences.

 

1.2.4.2.   Oadby Member-Diamicton.  Superficial Deposits formed up to 2 million years ago in the Quaternary Period where the local environment was previously dominated by ice age conditions.  These sedimentary deposits are glacigenic in origin and are detrital, created by the action of ice and meltwater - they can form a wide range of deposits and geomorphologies associated with glacial and inter-glacial periods during the Quaternary.

 

1.2.5.   Protection.  The site is not protected or within a conservation area.

 

1.2.6.   Heritage Records.  Historic England National Heritage List for England (HLE) listings and Cambridgeshire Historic Environment Records (CHER) are either directly associated with the site - the location grid reference lies within the site boundaries (Figures 1.5a and 1.5b), or related to the site - the location grid reference lies within the adjacent landscape (Figure 1.5c), and contextualize the site within the archaeological landscape.  Full details are contained in Annex E, Appendix 1.

 

1.2.6.1. Directly Associated.

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HLE 1006857 Duck Decoy Site in Hermitage Wood

CHER 00817 Roman Pottery, Two Sixes, Alconbury Hill

CHER 00830 Roman Pottery, Alconbury Weston

CHER 00833 Coppingford, Hermitage, Hermitage Wood

CHER 00837 Roman Remains, Cobbs Ground, Alconbury

CHER 02066 Roman Ditch, Alconbury Weston

CHER 02588 Roman Pottery, Maggots Gap, Abbots Ripton

CHER 02588a Iron Age Pottery, Maggots Gap, Abbots Ripton

CHER MCB18535 Rectilinear Feature, Alconbury Weston

CHER MCB25068 Cropmark Enclosures, Alconbury Weston

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1.2.6.2. Related.

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HLE 1130211 Milepost, Great North Road (Central Reservation)

CHER 00777 Earthwork Remains of Ridge and Furrow

CHER 00785 Hill Field Windmill

CHER 00806 Romano-British Settlement, Alconbury Hill

CHER 00806a Roman Finds, Barn Ground, Alconbury Hill

CHER 00808 Iron Age/Roman Pottery and Brooch, Blacklands, Alconbury Hill

CHER 00809 Roman Pottery and Tile, Alconbury Weston

CHER 00810 Moat House

CHER 00812 Alconbury Hill Obelisk

CHER 00813 Road Metalling from Ermine Street, Alconbury Weston

CHER 00829 Roman Pottery, Alconbury Weston

CHER 00831 Roman Pit, Alconbury Weston

CHER 00835 Medieval Pottery

CHER 00836 Roman Building, Alconbury Weston

CHER 01724 Blacklands Field, Alconbury Weston

CHER 02068 Roman Pottery Scatter, Alconbury Weston

CHER 06152 Undated Enclosures, Alconbury Weston

CHER 09952 Roman Pottery, Alconbury Weston

CHER 10499 Medieval Field Remains, Alconbury Hill

CHER CB15296 Park

CHER CB15565 Excavated Remains of Ridge and Furrow, Alconbury Hill

CHER MCB15885 Multi-Period Remains, Vinegar Hill

CHER MCB18017 Milestone, Vinegar Hill

CHER MCB18382 Rectilinear Enclosure, Alconbury Weston

CHER MCB21714 Site of Wheatsheaf Public House

CHER MCB23633 Earthwork Enclosures and Ditches, Hermitage Wood

CHER MCB24436 Implement Works

CHER MCB24810 Scott's Lodge

CHER MCB29752 Undated Oval Enclosure, Alconbury Weston

CHER MCB29753 Undated Oval Enclosure, Alconbury Weston

CHER MCB29754 Enclosure Settlement Complex, Alconbury Weston

CHER MCB29755 D Shaped Enclosure N of Sailor's Rest

CHER MCB29756 Undated Enclosures, Vinegar Hill, Alconbury Weston

CHER MCB29757 Undated Enclosures, Vinegar Hill, Alconbury Weston

CHER MCB29758 Oval Enclosure, Vinegar Hill, Alconbury Weston

CHER MCB30089 Possible Roman Enclosures, Alconbury Weston

CHER MCB30101 Rectilinear Enclosure, Alconbury Weston

 

1.2.7.   Land Use.  Historically, the southern half of Site #1a, and Sites #1b, #2a and #2b have been used for arable farming, whilst the presence of dew ponds until the last decades of the 20th Century suggest the northern half of Site #1a was held in pasture for livestock grazing.  Currently, all fields are used for arable farming, and as such, subjected to modern farming methods including ploughing and harrowing for crops, and deeper mole ploughing for drainage.

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1.2.8.   Utilities.  A redundant branch of the ex-government fuel oil pipeline (now under private ownership) runs through Site #1b.  No other utilities or known of at this moment.

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1.3.      Historical Background.  In 1932 Dr J R Garood MD, a local antiquarian of the Cambridgeshire & Huntingdonshire Archaeological Society (CHAS), began investigating the fields then known as Two Sixes (Site #1b) and Cobb Ground (Site #2a) as part of a wider investigation of Iron Age and Romano-British settlement sites on Alconbury Hill.  Further archaeological investigations were undertaken by the Archaeology Field Unit of Cambridgeshire County Council (CCCAFU) in 1990, 1992 and 1995, and Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit (BUFAU) in 1996, in advance of A1 widening.  Since 2009 the four fields of the site have undergone methodical metal detecting which has produced a considerable volume of Roman artefacts ranging from coins to high status jewellery spanning four centuries of Roman occupation.  Incidental to the metal finds was a wealth of ceramic artefacts including pot sherds, CBM and tesserae.  Sawtry Archaeology, under the auspice of Sawtry History Society, began periodic, and ongoing, archaeological investigations in October 2022.

 

2.         Aims and Methodology.

 

2.1.      Aims.  The aims of archaeological investigation of the Safe Field site are to:

 

2.1.1.   Test the theory for Romano-British settlement in this area of Alconbury Hill, Alconbury Weston.

 

2.1.2.   Determine the extent of settlement and establish whether it consisted of a single or several buildings.

 

2.1.3.   Determine the period of Romano-British settlement and whether it was continuous or phased.

 

2.1.4.   Determine the purpose, nature, status and duration of settlement.

 

2.1.5.   Identify any unique functional spaces or complexes.

 

2.1.6.   Place the site within the contemporary landscape in respect of local rural settlements - particularly across Alconbury Hill, and the nearby towns of Durovigutum (Godmanchester) and Durobrivae (Water Newton), and whether it contributes evidence towards the supposition of an Imperial Estate in the fens.

 

2.1.7.   Understand the site's relationship with the road and river communications networks (Ermine Street, secondary roads connecting Leicester and Dorchester, and the river Great Ouse) in respect of trade, commerce and/or industry.

 

2.1.8.   Explore the origins of Romano-British settlement, did it evolve from existing Iron-Age settlement or develop independently as an adjunct or supplant and subsequently, was it abandoned as Roman administration withdrew, or did settlement continue and adopt Anglo-Saxon identity.

 

2.2.      Methodology.  The methodologies to be employed are:

 

2.2.1.   Geophysical survey using both earth resistance and magnetometry.

 

2.2.2.   Topographical survey.

 

2.2.3.   Field walking.

 

2.2.4.   Research.

 

2.2.5.   Archaeological Excavation.

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3.         Objectives.

 

3.1.      Establish site grids centred on respective SBM, aligned with true north and divided into 20m x 20m survey squares, that encompasses the site.

 

3.2.      Undertake surveys that will address the above stated aims.

 

3.3.      Undertake excavations that will explore survey results.

 

3.3.1.   Test Pit excavation (15-16 Oct 22).

 

4.         Project Records.

 

4.1.      Site Grid is at Annex A.

 

4.2.      Permissions (Schemes of Work, requests for a licence to undertake archaeological investigation, licences granted to undertake archaeological investigation, requests for Event Numbers and notification of Event Numbers) at Annex B.

 

4.3.      Interim Reports at Annex C.

 

4.4       Project Reports at Annex D.

 

4.5.      Research at Annex E.

 

4.6.      Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) at Annex F.

 

4.7.      Public Engagement at Annex G.

 

4.8.      Funding at Annex H.

 

5.         Resources.

 

5.1.      Geoscan Research RM85 Resistance Meter System and PA20 Probe Array assembly for geophysical resistivity surveys (loaned by Oxford Archaeology East).

 

5.2.      Geoscan FM256 Fluxgate Gradiometer for geophysical magnetometry surveys (loaned by Oxford Archaeology East).

 

5.3.      Topographical survey equipment will be provided by the survey team.

 

5.4.      Survey grid marking system will be provided by SHS.

 

6.         Site Management.

 

6.1.      Archaeological activity is to be controlled by SHS archaeologists and coordinated with the Landowners' Historical Research Group is not to be undertaken unless agreed with the landowner, manager or tenant.

 

6.2.      All archaeological activity is to be undertaken in accordance with the Generic Risk Assessment (GRA) at Annex F.  Additional dynamic risk assessments may be implemented if deemed necessary by the SHS archaeologists.  All participants and site visitors are to sign as having understood the GRA and any additional dynamics.

 

6.3.      There are toilet facilities available on this site.  All participants are responsible for the provision of their own food and refreshments.

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ANNEXES

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Project Record 19-2 Annex A

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Project Record 19-2 Annex A, Appendix 1

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Project Record 19-2 Annex A, Appendix 2

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Project Record 19-2 Annex B Permissions

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Project Record 19-2 Annex B, Appendix 1 Event Numbers

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Project Record 19-2 Annex C

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Project Record 19-2 Annex D

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Project Record 19-2 Annex E

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Project Record 19-2 Annex E, Appendix 1

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Project Record 19-2 Annex E, Appendix 2

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Project Record 19-2 Annex F

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Project Record 19-2 Annex G

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Project Record 19-2 Annex G, Appendix 1

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Project Record 19-2 Annex G, Appendix 2

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Project Record 19-2 Annex G, Appendix 3

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Project Record 19-2 Annex G, Appendix 4

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Project Record 19-2 Annex H

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

The bibliography lists those sources of reference identified within the body of this project record.

 

British Geological Society. 2023. Geology Viewer.

Available from: https://geologyviewer.bgs.ac.uk/?_ga=2.129493451.672408986.1663517192-1790401441.1663517192 (Accessed: 6 February 2023).

 

Google Earth. 2020.

 

Ordnance Survey. 2006. Peterborough. Explorer series, sheet 227 west, 1:25,000.  Southampton: Ordnance Survey.

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