Normanton
Golf Course
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Zone 4 comprised an area measuring 350m by 205m representing most of the eastern section of the development area. This part of the site was extensively evaluated by the stripping of a major road line (Intervention 10) followed by a campaign of 2m wide machine excavated trenches (Intervention 18, Intervention 23). The results from Zone 4 indicated that the eastern part of the site was virtually devoid of archaeological evidence.
The earliest anomalies encountered within Zone 4 comprised a series of eighteen sub-circular deposits of distinctive grey clay. These were located within the southern 140m of the machine strip (Intervention 10) and varied in diameter between 0.9m and 4.2m. When sampled these deposits proved to be the backfill of a series of shallow scoops with irregular and undulating bases. Their fill comprised a gleyed clay, heavily mineralised in places with manganese and iron concretions. These features appear to be the remains of tree boles and were cut by the medieval furrows. A further six tree boles were recorded within Intervention 18.
These features appeared to be sealed, at least at the southern end of the site, by a deposit of heavily mottled grey blue clay up to 0.2m thick. This material appeared to be natural overburden created by a prolonged period of wet conditions. A similar phenomenon was recorded at the eastern end of Intervention 10, where apparent wet conditions in the past had caused a gleying effect over a large area of the intervention.
Phase1 (Late Iron Age)
At the northern end of Intervention 10 a SW-NE aligned ditch (F111) was identified running along the northeastern spur of the roadline. This feature was a continuation of F243 as recorded in Zone 3 to the west. F111 appeared as a linear deposit of mid grey sandy clay (C1099) which varied in width between 1.7m and 2.1m (Figure 62). Initially three sections of F111 were excavated between the line of the medieval furrows. These are shown in Figure 63 and Figure 64.
At the northwestern corner of Zone 4 the subsoil consisted of yellow clay sand which was friable in nature. The latest backfill of the ditch reflected this and consisted of a dark grey mottled clay sand containing occasional angular pebbles (C1099) and had been disturbed by roots from adjacent trees. This deposit became lighter in colour with depth and contained a band of gleyed light grey clay along its base. C1099 sealed an earlier backfill of F111 (C1148). This comprised a mottled and veined orange grey/brown clay. In many respects this deposit was very similar to the natural subsoil, but the edges of F111 could be defined and followed through variations in texture and colour, as well as the presence of a number of rounded cobbles, some of which appeared stained or burnt, within C1148. The final form of F111 within this sample was that of a well defined, regular cut, 2.15m wide with sides that sloped between 45 and 55 degrees onto a flat base at a depth of 0.8m. A single fragment of slag from C1099 was the only find recovered during the excavation.
Unlike F243 to the west, poor definition within the earlier backfills of F111 made it impossible to distinguish any recutting or earlier phases to the ditch. This was particularly evident further downslope to the east where excavated sections showed that the edges were only clearly defined at a lower level where the feature had cut through strata of weathered sandstone, clay and lenses of mudstone. The upper 0.15m of C1148 appeared to have partially merged with the surrounding subsoil due to post-depositional processes.
At its eastern end F111 became progressively shallower and was masked by two distinct layers (C1102 and C1103). The latter of these (C1102) comprised a deposit of mottled grey clay 0.1m thick containing frequent inclusions of iron pan flecks and concretions. This deposit appeared to respect the general alignment of the ditch. Underneath C1102, was a deposit of variable orange grey clay and iron pan concretions 0.1m thick (C1103). This deposit was far more extensive than C1002 and appeared to cover the width of Intervention 10, continuing northwards for a further 20m. Both of these layers were removed within a sample area measuring 5.0m x 6.0m prior to further investigation of F111 (see Figure 63a) (Plate 17).
Plate 17. Ditch F111, C1102 and C1103, looking northeast. Scale 2.00 metres.
The natural subsoil in this area consisted of a heavily mineralised orange grey clay containing frequent iron pan
concretions. The edge of F111 was well defined with concentrations of mineralised deposits lining both shoulders of the ditch. The backfill of F111 changed in character as the ditch was excavated.
At the southwestern end, the sequence of deposits were similar to those excavated further upslope. The latest fill comprised a variable grey clay with frequent iron pan inclusions (C1099). The lower fill comprised a deposit similar to the natural subsoil and had a poorly defined interface with adjacent layers within the upper 0.1m (C1148). At the northeastern end of the sampled ditch, the backfill of F111 was very different. At this point C1148 consisted of a firmly compacted concretion of iron pan which contained veins and lenses of gleyed grey clay. The transformation of this deposit occurred gradually along the line of the ditch and corresponded with a shallowing of the feature as it ran downslope. The variable nature of these deposits appeared to be the result of post-depositional processes associated with the presence of standing water. This implied that the northeastern end of F111 was located in an area of wet land and possibly served to drain water from higher ground into a lake or marsh.
A series of anomalies were identified around, and running from, the ditch. The first of these comprised a short length of gully, 2.6m long, 0.95m wide (F154) which joined F111 along its southern edge. F154 contained two fills, the latest of which (C1099) was similar to the fill of F111 and was contemporary with the main ditch. The lowest fill was a deposit of heavily mineralised reddish yellow clay (C1149). F154 had a shallow U-shaped profile with a flat base which sloped from 22.17m AOD in the southwest to 22.05m AOD where it joined F111, thus suggesting that it may have served as a short length of drain. Cutting through the base and slopes of this gully were three poorly defined features.
Two possible postholes (F113 and F114) were defined centrally within F154 after the removal of C1099, cutting through the lower fill, C1149. They appeared to correspond with a north-south aligned slot (F155) which measured 1.6m x 0.8m cut across the edges of the gully. All three features were filled with a deposit of orange grey sandy clay, with C1099 dishing in above. F113 comprised a shallow cut, sub-rectangular in shape, which was 0.5m in length, 0.34m in width and excavated to a depth of 0.1m. F114, to the south, was sub-circular in plan, 0.4m in diameter and survived to a depth of 0.27m. These two features may represent the remains of a double posthole set within F155 which was in use at the same time as F111.
On the opposing side of F111 three small irregular features (F146-F148) were located in the base of a shallow depression set against the edge of the ditch. These features varied in diameter between 0.1m and 0.2m, and in depth between 0.05m and 0.2m. Although the position of these features suggested that they were related to gully F154, their backfill and profile suggested that they may be natural in origin.
No pottery was recovered from any of the backfills associated with F111. Charcoal recovered from the backfill of gully F111 was radiocarbon dated to 145BC to 25BC (see Appendix H). This suggested a late Iron Age or early Romano British date for at least one phase of this boundary.
After the removal of C1103, a number of sub-circular and irregular deposits of mottled orange brown clay were defined against the heavily iron panned subsoil to the south of F111. When sampled, these deposits appeared to fill well defined cuts which varied in depth between 0.1m and 0.2m, and in diameter between 0.1m and 0.3m (F123-F143, F145, F149 and F151). These features occurred in three distinct clusters to the east of F154. With the possibility that they may be archaeological in origin, the sample area was extended a further 2.6m to the southeast. When cleaned by hand an additional 163 clay filled anomalies were exposed and planned. Of these, 125 were sampled. Within the extended sample area these features took on a random appearance and the clusters which were visible in the original intervention were not apparent.
At this stage of the investigation the form of F111, combined with the character of the subsoil and the origin of a heavily mineralised overburden (C1103), indicated that this part of the site had once been subject to extensive periods of standing water, possibly as an area marsh or lake. F111 appeared to have been deliberately constructed to respect this, widening and shallowing as it entered the wet area, possibly acting as a drain for land on higher ground to the west. The presence of gully F154, and of postholes F113 and F114, indicated that contemporary features of a possible structural nature existed and were possibly related to some form of wetland activity. Within this context the origin of the of the clay filled anomalies had to be considered.
The origin of these features was not established until the excavation of Intervention 21, in 1999. Two additional trenches were excavated by machine to establish the extent and character of the wet area deposits and associated features. Further sampling of the clay anomalies and a site visit by Dr Stephen Carter (Headland Archaeology) concluded that these features were natural in origin. The clay anomalies were in fact pockets of gleyed clay inclusions, which existed throughout a layer of periglacial till. When they were exposed at the surface they appeared to be discrete negative features with edges that were well defined against a heavily mineralised clay.
Phase 2 (Medieval)
The scheme of medieval ridge and furrow cultivation visible in the extant earthworks was identified and recorded within Zone 4.
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