Land Adjacent to the Old Rectory, Harlestone Road, Church Brampton, Northants, Nn6 8bf (Ngr 471805, 265611): Archaeological Evaluation

Preliminary research of primary archives; machine-excavated trial trenches in area of proposed development impact; hand-excavation of features; GNSS survey; digital photographic record In November 2025, two archaeological evaluation trenches (each 10m by 1.8m) were excavated at a proposed building plot in the southwestern part of the village of Church Brampton, Northamptonshire. The plot is situated on the S side of a main thoroughfare (Harlestone Road), facing the 14th century parish church to the NE and adjoining the grounds of a former early 19th century rectory to the N. The purpose of the investigation was to determine whether significant buried archaeological remains, particularly those pertaining to Church Brampton's medieval settlement, would be affected by a proposed development. The evaluation would allow the planning authority's archaeological advisor to decide whether some form of mitigation would be required. Preliminary research of primary documentary archives revealed that the plot, former glebe, was the site of a parsonage homestead from at least the late 16th century until erection of the rectory, while the right of patronage at Church Brampton was first recorded in 1230. The bounds of the c.3.36-acre parsonage homestead were mapped to a reasonable degree of accuracy in 1580 in a wider survey of the village. However, all of the buildings were depicted in 'birds-eye view' form, so their locations today may only be surmised. Three adjoining buildings with dual-pitched roofs with chimneys, appeared to correspond to the site of the proposed new house. Archaeological remains of a building were subsequently encountered in one of the trenches. It consisted of two very substantial, stone-built sill-beam wall foundations (c. 0.6m deep by 0.5-0.69m wide) for a timber-framed superstructure. A rubble floor suggested that it was possibly an outbuilding. A hand-excavated cross-section through the wall foundation revealed construction no earlier than the last decade of the 17th century, but possibly, more likely in the first half of the 18th century. The cross-section also partially revealed a finely constructed, yet undated, flagstone and cobble floor, which may have belonged to an earlier building. This report provides an illustrative and descriptive account of the investigation. It is to be accompanied by an Addendum Report in 2026, once a salvage record of the building's plan has been obtained during ground reduction for the new building.