Dallington Causewayed Enclosure |
Hob Uid: 620615 | |
Location : Northamptonshire Northampton Non Civil Parish
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Grid Ref : SP7254063500 |
Summary : The site of a probable Neolithic causewayed enclosure on Dallington Heath. The cropmarks were interpreted and plotted by RCHME in 1994 as part of the Industry and Enclosure in the Neolithic Project. See the archive report for full details. The site is located 1 km northwest of Kings Heath, and immediately southeast of Dallington Heath, on an area of relatively flat land associated with the Upper Nene basin. The enclosure itself lies between two tributary streams of the River Nene. The enclosure itself is represented by a single circuit of interrupted ditch enclosing an area of circa 280 metres by 200 metres (5 hectares). Within the enclosure are three shorter stretches of curvilinear ditch, again interrupted, which may relate to one or more inner circuits or smaller enclosures. A smaller curvilinear enclosure, 64 metres by 56 metres, is situated close to the centre of the main enclosure. It features a single entrance on the northwest side. It has been interpreted as a possible henge, although its irregular shape may argue against this. Elsewhere, the main causewayed enclosure circuit is cut by a linear ditch, and by a small rectilinear enclosure, though the latter may not be an archaeological feature. Two pit alignments also exist in the vicinity of the enclosure. Archaeological investigation of the causewayed enclosure has been minimal to date. Limited fieldwalking in 1988 recovered some prehistoric flints, while geophysical survey and trial trenching in 1992 confirmed the presence of the enclosure. |
More information : Causewayed Enclosure (?) Henge (?), Pit Alignment (SP 72546350. An extremely large enclosure, 5 hectares in area. lies partly on Lower Estuarine Series deposits and partly on ironstone at 100 m. OD, the highest point in the area. The enclosure ditch appears discontinous and the site may be a causewayed enclosure; certainly its size compares well with the Briar Hill causewayed enclosure which is 4 hectares in area [SP 75 NW 41]. A circular enclosure, 50 m. in diameter, situated centrally within the large enclosure, may be a henge.
A pit alignment runs from SP 72286346 to SP 72576229. (1)
Cropmarks of a large single ditched causewayed enclosure are located at SP725635. It is asymmetric curvilinear in shape and encloses and area of approximately 5 hectares (dimensions 280 x 200 metres). Within the enclosure there are three shorter stretches of curvilinear ditch. These are all interrupted and may therefore relate to a second inner circuit.
Situated close to the centre of the main enclosure is a smaller assymetric curvilinear enclosure, approximately 64 x 54 metres in size, which in the past has been interpreted as a henge.
This site was plotted during a 1:2500 scale air photographic survey carried out by the Air Photography Unit of RCHME in October 1994, as part of the Industry and Enclosure in the Neolthic Project (Event UID 926850, Parent Event UID 923509). (2)
SP 725636. A small sub-oval enclosure lying within a large interrupted ditch enclosure. Included in a list of henges and related sites but considered to be a domestic or defensive site. (3) |