When the Haltwhistle by-pass was built in 1996, the remains of a possible unenclosed settlement were found. Two Iron Age or Roman period round houses were discovered when part of the construction trenches for the timber frame were discovered filled with packing stones. Other features found nearby included postholes and a cobbled area, possibly a yard surface. Unusually, inside one of the houses was a pit that was filled with charcoal and burnt bone from a cremation. The burial was that of an adult human and two pieces of pottery found in the pit suggest it dates to the Roman period. The placing of a burial inside a house is very unusual as they are normally placed away from a settlement.