Iron Age 'village' found at Rushden
Thanks to the keen eye of Mr. L. G. Roberts, of Knuston Spinney, Rushden, an early hutted settlement dating back to the Iron Age has been discovered in Rushden.

Excavation of the site started yesterday and supervisor Mr. Peter Woods, said: "This is one of the most important and extensive sites I have worked on." Already a Roman coin, evidence of an infant burial and a lot of pottery have been unearthed.

The settlement is in a field just off Boundary Avenue, under what is to be a new playing field for Rushden Secondary School for Boys.

Mr. Woods explained: "Just before work started on taking off the top soil, Mr. Roberts, whose house overlooks the field, told the county council that he had seen from his bedroom window crop marks.

"He suggested that there were features of archaeological interest under the field. When they started to remove the top soil a careful watch was kept and almost immediately it became obvious that just beneath the top soil there were a large number of drainage ditches, rubbish pits and hut circles."

Mr. Woods added: "There are a lot of dark patches in the clay and this is where the soil has been cut away and filled in with refuse. As far as we can tell the range of the occupation dates from 200 BC to about 150 AD. This covers the Iron Age, the Roman Conquest and the early Roman period.

"Some of the rubbish pits go down to two or three feet and there is a possibility that we will find a perimeter ditch. At Hardingstone this was five feet deep and 12 feet wide."

Although excavations have just started, Mr Woods has already been plagued with people visiting the site. Many have picked up objects and taken them away. He is appealing to people to keep away from the site.

He said: "The Roman coin was picked up by someone but luckily we got it back. These coins are not worth much but to us they are very important."

Rushden police are making periodic visits to the site to keep unauthorised people away.