Land at North End, Hallaton, Leicestershire: An Archaeological Evaluation

An earthwork survey of the proposed development site undertaken in 2018 had recorded a series of ridges and furrows in the field to the north of North End, signifying agricultural usage of the land during the medieval and post-medieval periods. In the field to the south of North End earthworks of uncertain origin were recorded, possibly associated with part of the historic core of Hallaton, of medieval to post-medieval date, which was located in this field. Several geophysical anomalies, including a ditch-type feature, were also detected in this part of the site during a survey in 2018, and trial trenches were positioned in order to investigate these earthworks and anomalies, as well as potential impact from development. A colluvial layer possibly dating to the medieval period and a post-medieval pit were identified and examined during the archaeological evaluation. Two fragments of pottery, one Saxo-Norman and one medieval were recovered from the colluvial layer in the south of the northern field, adjacent to the medieval to post-medieval core of Hallaton. These artefacts probably entered the area in manuring scatter and their presence confirms the agricultural usage of this part of the site in the medieval period, as indicated by the surviving ridge and furrow earthworks in the area. A pit containing several fragments of late post-medieval pottery and glass as well as animal bone was recorded in the south of the site; this probably represented a rubbish pit associated with the nearby settlement. No other archaeological remains were observed during the evaluation. No evidence of any archaeological remains were identified to account for the linear ditch-type geophysical anomaly previously recorded in the southern part of the site.