Monument record 1160/237 - S of Angel Street and W of Swan Street (Cow Lane)

Cow Lane had been laid out by the 13th century.

{1}Doc;Speed;1610;S of Angel Street and W of Swan Street (formerly Cow Lane);tenements shown;,

{2}Doc;Noble & Butlin;1747;S of Angel Street and W of Swan Street (formerly Cow Lane);single tenement shown fronting possibly Cow Lane;E and N boundaries have the parish boundary running along them;

{4} By the 13th century Cow Lane (Swan Street) had been laid out, the quarry pits were being backfilled and the land terraced for occupation. From the late 13th century, an ironstone wall served as a property boundary and revetment for the terrace. This boundary wall was retained through later periods up to the present development. In the 15th century, on the upslope side of the wall a number of dwellings were erected with gardens and stone-lined cesspits to the rear, and probably with stables and orchards beyond. In the 16th century, the buildings had been demolished, the stonework robbed, and existing pits backfilled to level the land for horticultural use. The 17th and 18th centuries saw renewed activity, and the site again became used as backyards, with drains, stone-lined cesspits, and post-built structures.

Finn, C, 2021, From medieval quarry pits to a 19th century foundry at Cow Lane (Swan Street), Northampton (Article). SNN112924.

<1> Speed J., 1610, Map of Northamptonshire, (checked) (Map). SNN559.

<2> Noble; Butlin, 1746, Town Map, (checked) (Map). SNN430.

<3> Finn, C., 2015, Archaeological investigation and excavation at Cow Lane, Northampton, November 2014 (Report). SNN110524.

<4> Horne, B (editor), 2016, South Midlands Archaeology (46), p. 44 (Journal). SNN111326.

Record last edited

Mar 14 2025 12:54PM