North Walbottle, rectilinear enclosure & settlement

This rectilinear enclosure measuring approximately 100m by 120m was identified as cropmarks from aerial photography. The large enclosure was not completely visible and measured 136m by 112m with fairly sharply angled corners. A ditch attached to its north-west corner suggested that there may a complex of enclosures. The large enclosure appeared to be superimposed on a range of at least four other conjoined rectilinear enclosures, all incompletely visible, possibly part of a field system, which collectively extended over 270m.
Evidence for domestic activity was found during an archaeological evaluation by ASUD in 2015. A small pit was also discovered with evidence of burning which may reflect some form of industrial activity. Early prehistoric flints were also found.
The site was excavated by Headland Archaeology in 2019. Area 1 contained a series of large enclosures probably related to agricultural activities in the Iron Age/Romano British period.
Area 2 contained a large sub-square enclosure with at least 34 roundhouses, multiple sub-enclosures, boundary ditches, gullies, pits and post-holes. Further roundhouses and enclosures were located outside of the main enclosure. The artefact assemblage was relatively small, comprising 45 sherds of prehistoric pottery and two sherds of Roman pottery, 179 lithics, three stone rubbers and a spindle whorl.