Monument record MDR5570 - Cropmark site, west of Elvaston
Type and Period (3)
- ENCLOSURE (Middle Iron Age to Late Iron Age - 400 BC to 42 AD)
- RIDGE AND FURROW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- FARMSTEAD ? (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
Cropmarks of a small square enclosure and other linear features, possibly of periglacial origin, have been recorded in Elvaston parish. (1, 2)
Enclosures visible on an aerial photograph: a small square enclosure at SK 4002 3243, also a larger irregular enclosure crossed by a linear feature at SK 4010 3223. (2-4)
Originally recorded as three separate sites with incorrect grid references. Amended and plotted according to information and plot provided by authority 5.
Cropmarks plotted on map overlay, 1:10,000. (6)
The site occupies a low-lying area of land at the junction of the Trent and Derwent Valleys. The cropmarks consist of a number of adjacent enclosures with traces of other features. The major cropmarks, located at SK 402323, represent two conjoining quadrilateral enclosures, one of which has a clear entrance causeway on its east side. Associated with these are less distinct traces of cropmark features including possible square-barrows, which may be of Iron Age date, and curvilinear features, which may represent hut circles. Nearby, at SK 400324, lies another smaller quadrilateral enclosure. As well as the two enclosure groups and other features, the site may also include rare evidence of burials, all of a similar period. (7)
A geophysical survey in the south-east of the area showed a number of parallel linear anomalies on two alignments, north-south and east-west, with a blank area in between. These probably represent ploughed-out medieval ridge and furrow, with an unploughed headland between them. A narrow north-south linear anomaly at the eastern edge of the survey area coincided with traces of a ploughed-out modern field boundary. (8, 9, 11)
In June 2002, several trenches were opened at the site. These produced evidence of medieval ridge and furrow cultivation in the form of shallow, 1-2m wide plough furrows. Although cropmark features were known to be present in close proximity to the trenches, other than furrows only one other possible archaeological feature was noted, namely an irregularly shaped feature containing no finds. (10)
In July/August 2002 further archaeological excavation was undertaken along the western edge of the proposed A6 Alvaston Bypass. The areas were positioned in order to target known cropmarks. Excavation identified the eastern half of a rectangular enclosure dated to the Iron Age. The area was defined by a substantial ditch and probable internal bank. The interior of the enclosure was accessed by a causewayed entrance midway along its eastern edge. The combination of truncated internal structural features along with domestic type debris points to the monument having been a farmstead. The developmental sequence of the enclosure appears to date to the mid-late Iron Age. Charnwood granodiorite ware in the pottery assemblage suggests short distance trading activity. Unstratified Roman ceramics indicates continued land use and/or occupation in the vicinity. The presence of cattle bones in layers contemporary with the later Iron Age occupation is consistent with a predominantly pastoral economy. (11)
Sources/Archives (12)
- <1> SDR15750 Index: Trent Valley Archaeological Research Committee (TVARC). 1980. Trent Valley Arch Res Comm Gaz. No 2122.
- <2> SDR15018 Index: TPAT. 2097. 2097.
- <3> SDR15508 Index: TPAT. 2123. 2123.
- <4> SDR1443 Aerial Photograph: APs (NMR SK4032/1-5) (Pickering J 39/9A, 10A, 11A, 13/260, 14/260).
- <5> SDR18964 Unpublished document: Letter from K Challis, TPAT, June 20 1994.
- <6> SDR1127 Archive: Whiteley, S. 1989. Aerial Photographic Transcripton Project.
- <7> SDR19041 Unpublished document: Trent & Peak Archaeological Trust (TPAT). 1992. Archaeology of the Derby Southern Bypass, Implication of the Construction of the Bypass Between Hilton and the M1.. pp 51- 53.
- <8> SDR19038 Unpublished document: Walker, J (TPAT). 1993. Derby Southern Bypass Archaeological Evaluations: report on Site Investigations.
- <9> SDR19034 Unpublished document: Challis, K. 1994. Derby Spur North. Archaeological Assessment 2nd Draft..
- <10> SDR19029 Unpublished document: Kipling, R. 2002. A Report on Archaeological Fieldwork Undertaken at Alvaston and Elvaston on the A6 Alvaston Bypass, Derbyshire (NGR SK 390339 & SK 402323) 10.06.02. - 25.06.02.
- <11> SDR19028 Unpublished document: Kipling, R & Beamish, M (ULAS). 2002. A Report On Archaeological Fieldwork Undertaken At Elvaston On the Route of the Proposed A6 Alvaston Bypass, Derbyshire (NGR SK 402 323).
- <12> SDR19031 Unpublished document: Challis, K. 1999. A6 Alvaston Bypass, Archaeological Assessment. Draft.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 40150 32301 (372m by 437m) Approximate |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | ELVASTON, SOUTH DERBYSHIRE, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (6)
- EDR1724
- EDR1723
- EDR1718
- EDR3866
- EDR1712
- EDR1713
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Nov 15 2023 1:55PM