Archaeological Trial Trench Evaluation on land at 28 Harborough Road Clipston, Northamptonshire.

The evaluation comprised the excavation of two trenches measuring 10m in length by a minimum 1.8m in width (Fig 1). The location of the trenches moved from their arbitrary positions due to onsite constraints, comprising a large spoil mound in the north-eastern corner of the site. The trenches were located using a Leica Survey Grade RTK GPS operating to an accuracy of +/-0.05m to Ordnance Survey National Grid and Datum. The trenches were machine excavated using a toothless ditching bucket under continuous archaeological supervision to the level of the first archaeological horizon or, where archaeological remains were absent, the upper interface of geological deposits. The trenches were cleaned sufficiently to enhance the definition of features. All up-cast from trenches was scanned using a metal detector (not discriminating against iron). All archaeological deposits and features encountered during the course of the evaluation were investigated and fully recorded. Recording followed standard MOLA procedures. For further details see report. The results concluded there were no archaeological remains, just modern disturbances in the form of a concrete wall and a modern backfill. Therefore this investigation could not address the research aims for the area except to confirm that the previously identified shrunken medieval village or supporting field systems do not extend into this area.