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AERIAL SURVEYS - Jim PickeringA number of flights were made in 1977 from the Market Harborough areato the W of Northampton, Stowe Nine Churches, and Daventry en route toother areas of survey. Weather permutations were not ideal for the extensivedevelopment of crop marks in this area and although most known sitesremained invisible, some new sites were recorded. The cumulative evidenceof several years, cover of Stowe Nine Churches suggests that this is animportant area with extensive prehistoric, Iron Age and Romano-Britishoccupation.Areas where similar evidence is accumulating are being found in manyparts of the Midlands and in widely different soil and geological contexts.It cannot now be assumed that by the late Iron Age, or early Romano-Britishperiod at the latest, most of the Midlands may have had a man-made landscape(except for those substantial woodlands that until recent times have beenan essential element of a rural economy), but rather that the cultivationof this landscape destroyed an extensive prehistoric landscape in much thesame way that the Saxon and medieval ploughing destroyed the Romano-Britishlandscape.In considering the prehistoric landscape a length of triple parallelditches extends over several fields on a roughly NNE-SSW orientation to theW of Northampton. A number of similar monuments have been recorded atmany places throughout the Midlands, and what appear to be variations ofthis construction such as four ditches, four pit alignments of similar spacingand two ditches plus a pit alignment. Re-assessment of some doubleditches suggest that these are not necessarily trackways and some might besubstantial banks between two ditches.When considered singly, these features make no sense, but When plottedonto maps, some appear to line up onto a roughly single orientation thatwould logically connect up over many miles and adjacent exceptions tosingle orientations are at 900 to it. As an example, the Northampton lengthpoints directly southwards to another length of the same orientation atStowe Nine Churches. Northwards it lines up approximately with lengths tothe W of Uppingham, to the E of Oakham, to the W of Grantham and to theS of Newark, where this is a junction of four such features in a most complexarea of archaeological sites. Extending the same line northwards itlinks up with interrupted lengths over two miles to the E of Lincoln recordedby Paul Everson and this in turn is orientated to several lengthsbetween Lincoln and the Humber.There are other disarticulated lengths in the Trent Valley, the NeneValley and the Fens, and Derek Edwards reports one near the Norfolk Suffolkborder. There is a known extensive system of such boundaries on the YorkshireWolds.There is enough evidence to suggest the possibility that there is apreviously unknown system of prehistoric boundaries in the Midlands, somelengths of which required the movement of 30,000 tons of soil per mile.The effect of this on present estimates of prehistoric population, societies,and land use must be substantial.
27UNITS AND COUNTY BODIESBEDFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL ARCHAROLOGICAL PROGRAMME, Retrospect 1972-1977- David BakerIn December 1977, at their request, a report was made to the Committeefor Rescue Archaeology of the Ancient Monuments Board (England), on theorganisation and-work of the Bedfordshire County Council in rescue archaeology.The opportunity was therefore taken to prepare a slightly expanded report,mainly covering organisational matters. Much of the material in thereport, particularly on individual sites, has already appeared in thisNewsletter, so selected extracts are offered by way of a retrospective viewafter five years.The report does not cover directly the work of local societies and individuals,since this was outside its terms of reference. Nonetheless thecontribution of the constituent members of the Bedfordshire ArchaeologicalCouncil over this period to Bedfordshire archaeology in general should beunderlined here.Copies of the original Report are available from the ConservationSection, Planning Department, County Hall, Bedford MK42 9AP.1. The Development of the Rescue Archaeology and Historical ConservationProvision in Bedfordshire County CouncilBefore 1972 the County Council had no direct involvement in rescue archaeology:work was undertaken on a small scale by local societies or by outsiderscoming into the County for specific projects. On 1st January 1972 thepresent writer took up duties in the new post of Archaeological LiaisonOfficer in the County Planning Department, having been responsible for excavationsat Elstow Abbey (1965-72) and Bedford Castle (1969-72), for theBedford Archaeological Society and others.The job description of the new post included: advising the Authorityon archaeological matters; maintaining a register of sites; liaising asnecessary with public and private bodies. Excavation was not envisaged asa primary function of the post holder.Temporary assistance was provided for the early stages of compiling theSites and Monuments Record, with several short-term employees in the periodup to mid 1974.In response to continuing development pressures in the County town ofBedford, the then Bedford Borough Council in July 1972 appointed Miss JaneHassall to the new post of Archaeological Assistant, with responsibilitiesdivided evenly between Bedford field duties and curatorial responsibilitiesindoorsA programme of rescue excavations developed largely on an ad hoc basisas threats to sites from existing planning permissions became apparent inthe early days of data collection. Early in 1972, Professor J.K. St. Josephalerted the Planning Department to the imminent destruction of five BronzeAge ring ditches at Roxton. By autumn of that year, Miss Alison Taylor,joined later by Mr. Peter Woodward, had commenced work on four of the five,the other being examined by Mr. G.T. Rudd of Longsands School in St. Neots.Miss Angela Simco had conducted a trial excavation on another gravel ex-
Page 3: fce&A.J.COUNCIL FOR BRITISH ARCHAEO
Page 6 and 7: 2PREHISTORICMARSWORTH,Buckinghamshi
Page 8 and 9: L'The number of flints illustrated
Page 10 and 11: .DORt$1FiTER.:577S(144.50Otel Stree
Page 12 and 13: 8Key for Figure 4No. 1 Beaker with
Page 14 and 15: 10EXCAVATIONS AT MIDDLETON STONEY,
Page 16 and 17: 12ANGLO-SAXONNORTHAMPTONSHIRE CEMET
Page 18 and 19: 14RAUNDS, Northamptonshire (SP 9987
Page 20 and 21: GROVE PRIORYf,,,,,,,,,,,,,Figure 6
Page 22 and 23: 18The decay of this church was inev
Page 24 and 25: 20in an otherwise unflinty very dar
Page 26 and 27: 22s Neolithic flints and parts of p
Page 28 and 29: 214in a single village. It also gav
Page 32 and 33: 28traction site at Newnham near Bed
Page 34 and 35: .INFORMATIONINHERITEDSURVIVALSsites
Page 36 and 37: 32HISTORIC ENVIRONMENTPARISH SURVEY
Page 38 and 39: 34of owner and condition of site; f
Page 40 and 41: 5. Excavation, Post-Excavation and
Page 42 and 43: 38sites and five sites at which Rom
Page 44 and 45: 40NORTHAMPTON CASTLE (Site Code M13
Page 46 and 47: 142MILTON KEYNES,DEVELOPMENT CORPOR
Page 48 and 49: small area beyond the water main wa
Page 50 and 51: salvage operations which took place
Page 52 and 53: THE ROMAN FEATURESIn its earliest p
Page 54 and 55: DIAGRAM SHOWING THE LIMITATIONS OF
Page 56 and 57: 52did seem to be specifically conce
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Page 60 and 61: 56Building 32This was a small lean-
Page 62 and 63: 58POST EXCAVATIONRomanThe Bradwell
Page 64 and 65: 60twenty early maps of villages wit
Page 66 and 67: 62OXFORDSHIRE COUATY COUNCIL DEPART
Page 68 and 69: 6)4//TitEARTHWORKSWORKED FLINTS1,,b
Page 71 and 72: 67route across the Chil Brook strea
Page 73 and 74: 69\ 1 1/it\\\L/Figure 20bside and i
Page 75 and 76: 7116, Ock Street similarly began as
Page 77 and 78: 73MINSTER LOVELL , Oxon.DOVECOTE AT
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77known within the parish at presen
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79number of smaller closes by 1620.
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810 Metres 100L:C1111:177STANTONHOU
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83The two surviving pubs in the vil
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85Stone-quarry (PRN 1021) and limek
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87Richard, R.L. (ed)The progress no
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894. Central village nucleusEarthwo
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91BUILDINGSThe oldest surviving bui
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93interior has suffered badly from
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95OXFORDSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL UNIT 1
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97the Unit's publication programme
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99the University continue to grow n
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101NEW ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES ON THE
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103Shrivenham (SU 263877) ? Field S
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105FINSTOCK, Topples - Richard Cham
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Figure 31ABINGDON/RADLEY, BARTON CO
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1094s...ISiII.II11..0.0 ..... .....
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,et/11,11MMMU/ f Pitt WU? eimtI:,.,
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113HARDWICK with YELFORDAMMISMVA00M
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water features filled insince 1810o
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117St. Helen's Church and the adjac
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1surface119OXFORD, St. Mary's Colle
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121of some arable land (V.C.H. Oxon
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123Opportunities for archaeologists
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125Luton MuseumThe Curator, Wardown
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127Oxford University Institute of A
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