ULAS
University of Leicester Archaeological Services

Iron Age settlement at Cadeby Quarry, Leicestershire

Evidence for a late Iron Age settlement was revealed at an excavation at Cadeby Quarry, undertaken on behalf of Tarmac Plc in advance of gravel extraction in October 2009.

Cadeby Quarry lies to the west of Cadeby in west Leicestershire, centred on national grid reference SK 434 025.

As indicated previously by geophysics in 2004, an Iron Age enclosed settlement (to add to the quickly growing number of excavated examples in the county) was revealed below the plough soil. This one was a rectangular enclosure (of a similar size to other broadly contemporary settlements at Huncote and Enderby II). It had a substantial south-east orientated entrance-way.

The enclosure was located close to a large linear ditched boundary with numerous small pits and other features scattered close to the boundary.

One pit had a near-complete pottery vessel that lay beneath a quern suggesting structured deposition. Some early Roman features were excavated on the edge of the site to the south, one of which was lined on one side with kiln bars.

Within the enclosure was evidence for two probable rectangular structures, indicated by beam-slots as shown being excavated to the right.

From the finds recovered, the settlement dates to the very late Iron Age (100 BC – 43 AD). Further post-excavation analysis, and targeted radiocarbon sampling will help to refine this date further.

Gavin Speed

ULAS