Farrier’s Way, Warboys

Between the 7th May and 24th May 2018, Oxford Archaeology East (OA East) conducted an archaeological evaluation at land south of Farrier’s Way, Warboys (centred TL 3103 7986). Previously a magnetometer (geophysical) survey was carried out at the site and this had identified enclosure ditches and field systems characteristic of the Roman period.
20 evaluation trenches, making up a 3% sample of the site, were excavated, targeting identified geophysical anomalies, and of these 19 contained one or more ditches and pits dating from the 2nd century AD onwards. Whilst the features were mainly concentrated in the west of the site, there was a broad distribution of archaeology across the site as a whole. Two thirds of the site contained medieval furrows, modern boundary ditches and field drains.
A significant feature was a metalled trackway (with two flanking ditches) running across the entire length of the site on a north-west to south-east orientation. There is a strong probability that this site represents either a Roman ‘ladder’ or ‘cross road’ settlement centred on the road and occupied throughout the entire Roman period from the mid-1st century onwards. The focus of the settlement seems to have been at the western end of the site with a ribbon development of enclosures running alongside the road towards the south-east.
The presence of both Roman and Saxon pottery within the upper fills of features both inside and outside of the main settlement (along with evidence of craft industries) implies a continuation of occupation during the post-Roman and into the early Saxon period at least, before the site was turned over to farmland, perhaps from the early medieval period onwards.