An Iron Age to Roman farmstead at the site of the proposed Bicton Windfarm, Kimbolton, Huntingdonshire

Between 14th December and 6th January 2009 OA East conducted an evaluation at the proposed Bicton Windfarm, Kimbolton (TL 100 704). The archaeological work comprised 15 evaluation trenches (600m) on land over a c.40ha area. Remains of a settlement possibly starting in the Middle or Late Iron Age was found and it continued into the Middle Roman period. This settlement comprised a probable farmstead and associated field system and its remains were recovered within four of the trenches (Trenches 1 and 5-7) over a c.300m distance. The remaining eleven trenches contained no evidence of archaeological remains pre-dating the furrows found across the site.
Domestic occupation was found within Trench 1 which had been targeted over a known crop mark system (CHER 10039). These aerial crop marks had possibly identified a single ditch within the trench but in reality, moderate to dense archaeological remains were recovered perhaps representing four or so phases of use. There were several ditches up to 2.72m wide, pits and a cobbled surface. Moderate quantities of artefacts were found from features within the trench comprising of mostly locally made pottery, three nails, a quern stone, secondary deposits of burnt material including a piece of hearth lining with slag attached. Small quantities of animal bone, mostly cattle, were found but too few to inform on farming practice but charred grain from soil samples have shown crop processing was occurring within the settlement in the Belgic and Roman periods. The farmstead's field system was seen for about 150m beyond to the north-east of the crop marked area (within Trenches 5-7). Here, three small ditches (less than 0.55m deep) were found as well as a pit and two post holes. Artefacts were very sparse from this area with only a single ditch containing two Roman pottery sherds, and a nail and animal bone from the pit.
On the whole the Iron Age and Roman features survived in reasonable condition. The main truncation was due to furrows which cut up to c.0.25m into the settlement remains. A few WWII features were uncovered within the trenches but mostly they sealed the earlier archaeological remains.