Monument record BRP 019 - Possible evidence of Early Iron Age metal working

Several features were recorded in this area, the earliest being two prehistoric pits one of which contained fragments of Early Bronze Age pottery. A partial circular or sub-circular gully was also recorded varying from a v-shaped profile to a straight sided and flat profiled base. Early Iron Age pottery was recovered from this feature as a well as ferrous metal working debris and fragments of fired clay. The fired clay is possibly from an iron bloomer smelting furnace. There is a suggestion that the gully is the remains of a structure, possible a roundhouse containing a hearth were the metalworking took place. The fill of the gully contained a large amount of charred wood fragments and wood charcoal and it is thought likely that the waste from the metalworking was swept into the gully during cleaning. A linear feature containing Roman pottery was not through to have been archaeological in origin. A small number of post holes were also present, one of which contained a shingle sherd of late 1st-early 2nd century Roman pottery however this is not considered to be significant (S1).