Monument record 1160/436/3 - Medieval and post-medieval tenements, Kingswell Street

Excavation at the corner of Kingswell Street and Woolmonger Street in 2005 identified a sequence of development originating in the mid-10th to early 11th centuries with a large cellared structure, similar to others found in the early town, which was succeeded by a timber building on the same alignment. Intensive occupation did not begin until the 13th-14th centuries when property boundaries were defined by areas of quarrying. Four medieval buildings were constructed within the plots, including a malthouse and a bakehouse. The formalisation of the street layout occurred during this period. Occupation of one of th medieval buildings on the Kingswell Street frontage continued until the 16th-17th centuries, although much of the activity during this period was confined to scattered pits and wells.

{1} The two trenches in the car park revealed well-preserved archaeological remains, broadly dating to the 13th/14th century, at a depth of approximately 1.5m below current ground level. In trench 3, positioned along the line of the street frontage, this consisted of a stone wall, a possible hearth and a series of deposits, some of which appeared to contain cess and other domestic refuse. Trench 4 contained the partially revealed remains of a clay-lined kiln or oven, possibly used for baking bread.

{3} Archaeological excavation revealed a series of features dating to the late Saxon-Saxo-Norman and 13th-14th centuries. The earliest features were a series of pits and a late Saxon cellar, similar to others found within the early town. In the 12th century a timber building was constructed. The building extended eastwards beyond the edge of excavation and a frontage was not identified. There was little development during the 12th century and at the beginning of the 13th century the area was being quarried for building stone. By the end of the century pressure for land within the town meant that the site had become relatively developed. A stone founded building had replaced the 12th-century timber building and probaby formed a tenement fronting onto Kingswell Street; this tenement also contained a malthouse. Three other plots were identified within the excavation; two of them contained further stone-founded buildings, a bakehouse and a yard house. Ancillary features included cess pits, rubbish pits and wells. The arrangement of the buildings emphasised the formalisation of both streets during this period.

<1> Carlyle, S., 2003, Desk-Based Assessment and Archaeological Trial Excavation of Land off Kingswell Street and Woolmonger Street Northampton, P. 2 (Report). SNN103617.

<2> BROWN J., 2007, Archaeological Excavations at The Corner of Kingswell Street and Woolmonger Street, Northampton (Report). SNN105828.

<3> Brown, J., 2008, Archaeological Excavation at the Corner of Kingswell Street and Woolmonger Street, Northampton (Article). SNN106436.

<4> Brown, J., 2010, Northampton Kingswell Street: Further Thoughts (Article). SNN107501.

Record last edited

Nov 26 2024 4:05PM