| Popis: |
Wessex Archaeology was commissioned carry out archaeological evaluation trenching on land at New Ash Tree Farm, off Leicester Road, Rugby. The work was undertaken to inform proposals for a new motorway service area off Junction 11 of the M6. The site was previously subject to geophysical survey by Wessex Archaeology. A total of 42 trenches were opened, the majority of which were archaeologically sterile, with archaeological features primarily located within the western half of the site. These comprised a probable prehistoric burnt spread or mound, two areas of waterlogged clay, two small pits, one of late prehistoric date and one undated, and three post-medieval/early modern ditches. Finds were recovered from only two contexts; a sherd of late prehistoric pottery and fragments of fired clay from a pit in Trench 14, and seven fragments of post-medieval clay tobacco pipe from a ditch in Trench 20. The palaeoenvironmental evidence recovered, from three pits (Trenches 14 and 32) is largely uninformative. The remains identified are generally consistent with archaeological activity within the wider area. Investigations in the surrounding area have evidenced Bronze Age, Iron Age and Romano-British activity as well as archaeologically sterile areas. The lack of evidence for medieval activity that could be associated with Colton Park Deserted Medieval Village to the south-east, suggests that this settlement did not extend as far as this site. There was also no evidence for medieval agricultural practices (ridge and furrow) which were seen to the south of the site. |
