Monument record 1160/194/8 - Late Saxon and medieval pits, Moat House Hotel

Archaeological excavation was undertaken prior to the construction of a swimming hotel. Two pits dating to the 10th century were identified attesting to late Saxon activity in this part of the town. In the 13th century much larger pits were dug, presumably as quarry pits for building stone. Although a garden soil accumulated in the succeeding centuries there was an increase in activity from the late 17th century onwards.

{2}Area of undisturbed late Saxon activity occupying a 3m square in the SE corner of the site at 1.7m below ground level and was bounded to the S+W by Post Medieval wall foundations. Undisturbed natural of clean stone and shattered ironstone was overlain by 350mm of brown sandy subsoil, covered by a 150mm thick layer of light brown friable sand containing ironstone ships and charcoal flecks. This fill contained 4 sherds of St Neots type ware and one of Northampton ware, probable 10th century date.

Two circular pits were cut into this layer, the pits produced 4 sherds of St Neots type ware and 3 sherds of Northampton ware suggesting the pits dated to the 10th century.

A further steep sided pit in excess of 0.7m deep was filled with steeply tipping sands. The fills were sealed by a layer of light brown sand, denoting a period of soil deposition or accumulation. This layer produced 8 sherds of Northampton ware, 2 sherds of St. Neots type ware and a single sherd of later St Neots type ware indicates an 11th century date for the pit.

A complex area of medieval pit-digging dated to the 13th century. The size of the pits indicates that they were probably dug to extract building stone- possibly for the nearby Domincan Friary which was founded in c 1230. The pits had been backfilled by the 14th century and the presence of a laid stone surface suggests the presence of a nearby building. In the early post-medieval period, a probable 'garden' soil accumulated.

{3} Excavations on the site of a new swimming pool at the Moat house Hotel. There was extensive disturbance from post medieval buildings but some earlier deposits survived. Two pits dated to the 10th century provide the first evidence for late Saxon activity in the north east corner of the postulated extent of the late Saxon town; further pits are of 11th and 12th century dates. In the mid 13th century at least two large quarry pits were excavated into the local ironstone bedrock to supply building stone; they had been infilled by the end of the 14th century. A direct connection with the 13th century foundation of the Dominican Friary, which may have stood on the site, was not established.

{4} The block of land lies within the NE corner of the double street system that has been assumed to be a fossilation of intra and extra mural and eastern defences of the late Saxon town. It is possible that the precinct of the Dominican Friary extended to include the land north of King Street described in part as Cherry Orchard. Speed's map of 1610 shows tenements along part of the N side of King Street.

<1> Chapman A., 1998, Moat House Hotel, Northampton: Archaeological Desktop Assessment And Trial Excavation, (checked) (Report). SNN47103.

<2> Chapman A, 1998-9, Northampton, Moat House Hotel, p 6-7 (checked) (Note). SNN104059.

<3> 1999, Medieval Archaeology (43), p. 272 (Journal). SNN107451.

<4> Chapman A., 2000-01, Excavation at the Moat House Hotel, Northampton, 1998, p. 95-6 (Article). SNN103945.

Record last edited

Apr 11 2025 11:43AM