Rugby Sustainable Urban Extension Rugby Radio Station Warwickshire

In May 2010, Oxford Archaeology (OA) carried out a field evaluation at the site of Rugby
Sustainable Urban Extension. The work was undertaken on behalf of CgMs Consulting
which was commissioned by Rugby Radio Station Limited Partnership.
The evaluation consisted of 17 trenches comprising 3 x 20m trenches; 1 x 50m trench; 1
x 60 m trench and 12 x 30 m trenches. The trenches were largely targeted on
geophysical anomalies which had indicated the presence of archaeological features
during an earlier survey. A number of trenches were also located in order to test the
efficacy of the geophysical survey, by targeting areas in which no geophysical
anomalies had been recorded. The trenches were dispersed over a wide area, and the
site consequently subdivided into five distinct investigation areas.
In Area 1 at the eastern edge of the site, two trenches were excavated to investigate the
nature of possible alluvial deposits.
In Area 2 to the south of the site, the evaluation revealed a Middle Iron Age enclosure
with at least one Middle Iron Age pit and two undated post holes in the interior. The
enclosure ditches were not fully excavated but appeared to be very substantial,
suggesting a defensive function, despite the fact that the enclosure occupied a low lying
area. A further Middle Iron Age ditch extended to the west of the enclosure and may
have marked a more extensive boundary associated with it. A second ditch on a similar
alignment produced a single sherd of possible Bronze Age pottery, which may indicate a
Bronze Age precursor to the possible Iron Age boundary.
A Roman pit was revealed in Area 3 in the north-west of the site. This lay within an
enclosure indicated on the geophysical survey, although limited evidence was recovered
for the enclosure itself. Other features in this area related to Post-Medieval field
boundaries shown on some of the cartographic sources.
A trench in Area 4 to the north of the site investigated the relationship between surviving
ridge and furrow and an earthwork which appeared to cut it. The trench revealed that
two of the furrows had been re-cut to form two sides of the enclosure, whilst the
remaining two sides consisted of ditches cutting across the ridges. The ridge and furrow
within the enclosure was significantly less pronounced, suggesting it had been levelled.
Two possible walls were revealed along the top of what was left of the ridges within the
enclosure. Whilst the function of these possible walls was not clear; they may have
formed part of an animal pen within the enclosure.
Area 5 - also to the south of the site - revealed evidence for Roman activity, possibly
dating to the 1st and 2nd centuries. This comprised a series of inter-cutting ditches which
appeared to mark a boundary which had been subject to numerous phases of re-cutting.
Other ditches, dating to the 1st and 2nd centuries are likely to represent field boundaries,
possibly paddocks. There was also evidence for light industrial activity of a similar date,
in the form of possible pits with rudimentary stone lining and fills containing iron slag
and significant quantities of charcoal.
The features revealed in Areas 2 and 5 may relate to an extensive area of both Iron Age
and Roman settlement previously recorded from the DIRFT site to the east of these
evaluation trenches.
The remaining features revealed across the site related to medieval ridge and furrow, or
later field drains and boundaries.