Element record MNT28876 - Undated Features at Fairham Pastures, Clifton

Summary

Undated featured recorded during an evaluation

Location

Grid reference Centred SK 54367 33150 (276m by 395m)
Map sheet SK53SW
District Nottingham
District Rushcliffe
Civil Parish Barton in Fabis, Rushcliffe
Civil Parish Clifton, Nottingham

Map

Type and Period (4)

Full Description

A single elongated pit was oriented roughly north-north-west to south-south-east, almost parallel to a medieval furrow which cut it on its western edge. The pit was an elongated oval in form, measuring roughly 2m x 1m in plan and extending beyond the northern trench edge: its proportions were broadly indicative of a grave for an extended inhumation burial, but no indications of the function of the pit were found.

A ditch with an adjacent pit was exposed in another evaluation trench. The ditch ran west-north-west to east-south-east across the north end of the trench and was a relatively substantial feature at 1.20m wide and 0.30m deep, with a regular, almost symmetrical profile. The ditch is likely to have corresponded to a feature exposed in Area 2a of the excavation. The pit was located 1.4m to its north, just within the north end of the trench: it was circular in plan, small and bowl-shaped, 0.56m in diameter and 0.20m deep. Both its fills contained charcoal inclusions, but nothing could be deduced about its function, except that its proximity to the ditch may imply a relationship.

The truncated base of a single ditch was exposed in a further trench. The ditch ran roughly east to west across the centre of the trench, probably corresponding to a feature exposed in Area 2a of the excavation. Nothing remained of this feature but the basal breaks of its sides above a flat base, 0.50m wide and 0.08m deep.

Another truncated ditch was recorded which ran west-north-west to east-south-east across the end of an evaluation trench. It was 0.58m wide and 0.10m deep, and may have represented part of the same field boundary pattern.

A single pit was recorded in another trench. It was roughly circular in plan, measuring 0.60m wide and 0.26m deep, with a bowl-shaped profile. Due to its isolated position, no conclusions can be drawn about possible spatial associations for this feature.

A pit and a partially exposed feature that was probably part of a ditch were exposed in a further trench. The feature occupied the west end of the trench: only one edge, running north-west to south-east, was exposed. The excavated section of this feature exposed a width of 0.60m and a depth of 0.30m without reaching the opposite side. Although the form of the feature as exposed did not definitely prove it to be a ditch, it seems most likely, from its position and apparent orientation, to be part of the large ditch encountered on the other side of Nottingham Road during a previous phase of works, and to correspond to the prehistoric ditch identified in the evaluation. The circular pit was at the east end of the trench, and measured 1.00m in diameter and 0.25m deep: its dimensions fall within the range for the pits in the pit alignment recorded in Area 3 during the excavation, and its distance from the probable ditch is also compatible with this interpretation.

Another single feature, probably part of a ditch, was partially exposed in another trench. The feature was partially exposed in the north-west corner of the trench. Only one side of this feature was exposed, to a width of 0.90m and a depth of 0.56m: the excavated portion of its profile had an approximately north-east to south-west orientation and a steep, irregular side. Although the form of the feature as exposed did not definitely prove it to be a ditch, its position, apparent orientation and probable dimensions are compatible with those of the largest, most northerly exposed element of the segmented ditch recorded in excavation Area 3.

A single small pit was recorded in a further trench. The pit was partially exposed at the eastern side of the trench. It was probably circular or sub-circular in form, 1.00m wide, and survived only as a concave base 0.18m deep. Although it was broadly within the size range of the pits in alignment, its location suggests that it would have lain some distance from the alignment: it is more likely to be one of the scatter of pits exposed to the north of the pit alignment during the excavation.

A narrow ditch was exposed in another trench. The ditch ran north-west to south-east across the centre of the trench. At 0.76m wide and 0.40m deep, it was narrow and relatively deep in comparison with other features in the Phase 3 areas; its north-eastern edge was disturbed by a field drain. No feature in excavation Area 3 could be connected to this ditch.

An undated pit and an amorphous feature were exposed in one trench that included a Roman dated ditch.


R. D. Savage, L. Brocklehurst & S. Palmer-Brown, 2021, Phases 3 and 3B, Fairham Pastures, West of Nottingham Road, Clifton, Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire: Scheme of Archaeological Mitigation (Evaluation and Targeted Excavation) Combined Report (Unpublished document). SNT6051.

Sources/Archives (1)

  • --- Unpublished document: R. D. Savage, L. Brocklehurst & S. Palmer-Brown. 2021. Phases 3 and 3B, Fairham Pastures, West of Nottingham Road, Clifton, Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire: Scheme of Archaeological Mitigation (Evaluation and Targeted Excavation) Combined Report.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (1)

Record last edited

Feb 4 2026 11:25AM

Comments and Feedback

Do you have any questions or more information about this record? Please feel free to comment below with your name and email address. All comments are submitted to the website maintainers for moderation, and we aim to respond/publish as soon as possible. Comments, questions and answers that may be helpful to other users will be retained and displayed along with the name you supply. The email address you supply will never be displayed or shared.