The area between the settlement boundary ditch and the frontage of the Fosse Way was divided into a series of enclosed plots by lateral boundary ditches, and in some locations exhibited further subdivisions within the plots thus defined. The plots were not always easily defined, and the intermittent character of some of the ditches indicated that in places they had been completely destroyed by more recent ploughing. The greatest concentration of divisions occupied the northern part of the excavated area, which was also where the greatest number of internal features and graves were located.

One enclosure adjoined the settlement boundary ditch near the north-eastern end of the trench. The enclosure was trapezoidal in plan and measured approximately 14m (NE–SW) by 18m (NW–SE). The north-east and south-west sides of the plot were dug first, with the north-west side added later, as its terminals cut those of the other two sides. It is possible that this side of the plot was originally enclosed by a ditch, which was a shorter, slightly sinuous ditch. The break between the ditch and the south-western side of the enclosure may have formed an entrance at the western corner, though this is uncertain. The ditches of the enclosure varied between 0.5m and 1.0m wide and 0.1–0.3m deep; the south-eastern ends of both its sides were cut by the settlement boundary ditch, but this is likely to result from the recutting of the latter boundary rather that necessarily indicating that the enclosure was an earlier feature. The enclosure contained two inhumation burials, both of which were aligned roughly parallel to the settlement boundary ditch. Several interventions in the enclosure ditches produced pottery, with two containing mid to late 2nd-century sherds, and none was necessarily later than this date. A coin dated to 324–40 was recovered from the south-western ditch.

Apart from the two inhumations, no other internal features were found within the enclosure. One ditch extended eastward from the terminus at the northern corner of the enclosure and appears to have been a later addition. Unlike the ditches of the enclosure, this ditch was slightly curvilinear and extended for almost 20m before continuing beyond the trench edge. It produced pottery ranging in date from the later 2nd to the early 4th century. It is possible that the ditch was dug to deliberately enclose the area immediately the north-east of the enclosure and it may have been associated with another ditch to the north, which extended from the northern edge of the trench for about 4m before terminating with a slight return to the south-east. Pottery from the feature was dated to AD 200–80.

Another ditch and the settlement boundary ditch may have defined a similarly sized enclosed area that adjoined the south-western side of the enclosure, though these features were less well defined. Two ditches were both cut by the settleent boundary ditch at their south-eastern ends and extended north-west for 9m and 12m respectively. The ditches were parallel to each other suggesting that one may have replaced the other. To thesouth-west of these, another ditch is likely to have been an early feature as it was cut at its south-eastern end by inhumations, and by a further ditch at its north-western end. The two ditches cut by the settlement boundary ditch were positioned roughly equidistant (c 15m) between the enclosure and a ditch, and thus appear to have defined two more enclosures in this area. The line of the ditch was lost at its north-western end due to truncation, though it did not extend all the way to settlement boundary ditch and it appears to have terminated where it was cut by sub-oval pit. Close to its junction with the settlement boundary ditch, one of the two ditches produced a small quantity of human remains comprising two fragments of ulna from a juvenile or infant and two unidentifiable fragments, possibly from the same bone, but these could not be associated with a specific grave.

A further ditch extended parallel to the settlement boundary ditch, about 20m to its north-west, for c34m. It appeared to divide a large group of features including a well and a structure from a roadside zone with fewer features. Dating evidence from the ditch was poor, amounting to no more than a few sherds of generic Roman pottery. Its alignment was continued to the south-west by a ditch, which contained pottery dating from the 2nd to early 3rd century and was cut by three pits. Another ditch branched off the main ditch and was cut by a further ditch, an L-shaped feature that extended west beyond the edge of the excavation area and may have been the rear of an enclosure that fronted onto the Fosse Way. The further ditch extended for c 27m before its line was lost due to truncation. The ditch ranged in width between 0.78m and 1.08m and it was cut by two pits. It contained Roman pottery dating between the mid 2nd and early 4th century. The south-western end of the ditch appeared to terminate where it cut an earlier pit. It may have terminated in line with a ditch however, which extended toward the settlement boundary ditch perhaps formed the south-western boundary of an enclosure that contained a well and ten inhumations.

In the central part of the excavation area was a group of enclosures that were less complex than those to the north, with less evidence for internal subdivision and fewer internal features. Burials were found within these enclosures, and again were situated against the rear boundary defined by the settlement boundary ditch, but were fewer in number. The plots were defined by four lateral boundary ditches. One of the four ditches was dug no earlier than AD 170–180 as pottery of this date was recovered from the fill of a well, which it cut. The second of the ditches was unusual in that it continued to the south-east of the settlement boundary ditch. One intervention in the ditch produced a quantity of pottery dated to after AD 170. The plot defined by these two boundaries was sub-divided by a ditch, which extended NE–SW for nearly 18m but terminated at each end before it reached the other boundaries. It did, however, cut a series of pits at the south-western end. The gap between the sub-dividing ditch and the second ditch may have provided access between the two enclosures thus divided. South of this, an area c 35m in extent was delimited to the south by the third of the four ditches and divided by two ditches into a presumed roadside zone that extended beyond the excavation area and a zone abutting the settlement boundary ditch. One of the two ditches represented the earlier phase of this boundary and was undated, although its north-eastern terminal apparently respected the second of the four ditches and formed an entrance between the two zones that was 3.8m wide. When one of the two ditches was replaced by a ditch, this entrance was blocked. The ditch produced sherds of late 3rd- to 4th-century pottery. The zone abutting the settlement boundary ditch was subdivided by the fourth of the four ditches; the south-eastern end of this ditch could not be traced, perhaps due to truncation by two graves, and the ditch was also cut by undated pit, the only feature within these enclosures that was not a grave.

Toward the southern end of the complex the lateral divisions that divided the plots were fewer and further between, with very few instances of sub-division and almost no internal features other than a small number of graves. Three large enclosures were defined by multiple lateral boundaries. One ditch was fairly narrow at 0.4–0.7m wide, and shallow, measuring less than 0.2m deep, though its fill contained a small quantity of pottery. A second ditch may have been replaced by the first ditch to its north-east, which likewise extended south-east from the trench edge but terminated before reaching the settlement boundary ditch. The ditch appears to have respected the position of inhumation, which suggests that it may have been a late addition. The first ditch produced pottery with the latest sherds dating between 170–350. The north-western end of the first ditch was abutted by a possible curvilinear or D-shaped enclosure defined by a ditch. This ditch probably represented a further phase of the plot boundary, but its relationship to the first two ditches was unknown.

Two further were located 65m south-east of the second ditch. One of the two further ditches measured 1.15–1.38m across and 0.21–0.41m deep, while other one was 0.7–1.0m wide and 0.16–0.22m deep. Given their proximity to each other, it seems likely that they represent successive phases of a single boundary, although there was no evidence as to which was the earlier. One of the ditches produced a small quantity of pottery dated to no earlier than the late 2nd century and the other ditch produced pottery dating between 230 and 370. The only evidence for further subdivision in this area was provided by a ditch, which extended for c 14–15m on a NE–SW alignment perpendicular to these boundaries and cut one of the ditches.

Martyn Allen and Lauren McIntyre, 2019, Chapel Lane, Bingham, Nottinghamshire: Archaeological Excavation Report, Page 20-23 (Unpublished document). SNT5816.