Ditchford and Gravel Quarry, Ditchford, Northamptonshire

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Oxford Archaeological Unit concomitant with the removal of the overburden and the extraction of gravel from Ditchford Pit by Hanson Aggregates (formerly ARC Central) between 1991 and 2000. Two previous excavations at the site in 1992 and 1994 identified and examned a medieval limestone metalled causeway crossing a palaeochannel and part of the Roman road earthwork running across the floodplain towards the Roman town of Irchester. Regular visits were made during the removal of various overburden layers across the site revealing an expansive sequence of environmental succession and channel movement from the early Holcence (8500BC) through to the present day. Continued observation and recording during the removal of the overburden across the area to the north of the 1994 Roman road excavation traced the road continuing to the north but only as a rough metalled surface unaccompanied by side ditches. An isolated adult cremation was also discovered and excavated but can only be tentatively dated due to the earlier prehistoric period.