Iron Age Settlement at Broomfield Farm, Stainsacre Lane, Whitby, North Yorkshire

Archaeological excavations west of Broomfield Farm, Whitby, and subsequent radiocarbon dating have provided evidence of a mid-Iron Age settlement comprising up to seven roundhouses. Evidence from the roundhouses, including pottery, suggests the settlement was primarily agricultural with evidence of metal working also present. The settlement has similarities to a Late Iron Age settlement identified in 1999, 500 m to the northwest, and provides firm evidence of prehistoric activity around Whitby which until now has been elusive. A later system of enclosure overlay the settlement.

Automated summary

Archaeological excavations and radiocarbon dating provide evidence of a mid-Iron Age settlement with up to seven roundhouses west of Broomfield Farm, Whitby. The settlement was predominantly agricultural, with pottery and evidence of metal working found in the roundhouses. This discovery confirms the presence of prehistoric activity in the area and highlights the similarities to a Late Iron Age settlement discovered in 1999.