Monument record 1160/272 - Medieval and post-medieval tenements, Castle Street and Horsemarket

Archaeological excavation ahead of redevelopment identified a sequence of medieval and post-medieval occupation. During the medieval period, much of the area was used for quarrying, with later waste pits cut into them. A later stone building, possibly dating to between 1200 AD and 1350 AD, possibly fronted onto Castle Street.

{1}Tenements fronting Horse Market approximately halfway down on west side; part of tenement extends along St Mary's Street & Castle Street;

{2}Tenements fronting Horse Market approximately halfway down on the W side. Part of tenement extends along St Mary's St and Castle St.

{4, 5} Excavations were undertaken on the corner of Castle Street and Horsemarket in 2022. Following on the late Saxon pit digging (discussed elsewhere), immediately after the Conquest there seems to have been extensive quarrying. Pottery from the quarry backfills dates to the 12th century. Some of the pits were particularly deep- one was augered to a depth of 4.25 at which the base still had not been reached. A large number of smaller pits were also dug containing a range of domestic and industrial waste, including cess and slag. A particularly deep pit during the later phases was machine dug to a depth of 2.5m without reaching the base; the earliest fill encountered was a cess fill. Another of the later pits contained butchery waste. Pit digging continued until the mid 13th century. The first stone building was constructed in the period 1250-1350, as well as a number of square or rectangular stone-lined pits. Their function is uncertain. Contemporary earth-cut pits included a mortar-mixing pit. The site is notable in that there is no evidence of formal boundary markers, such as walls and ditches, in the medieval period. The area seems to have been used as a large-scale stockyard from the late Saxon period until at least the mid 14th century with evidence that animals were driven into town and slaughter and intial processing of the carcasses was undertaken here. Some initial tanning activities were also taking place. There were significant numbers of cats being processed (for fur lining and gloves). A wide variety of other foodstuffs included preserved and whole fish, wild game and other birds were alos processed and distributed at the site. At some point after the the mid 14th century there was a dramatic change; the building was demolished and the area appears to have been largely abandoned.
It was only in the early post-medieval that the site was once again developed, with the construction of a number of buildings with frontages onto Horsemarket. Two of the buildings, surviving only as cellars, demonstrated evidence of intense burning probably marking their destruction by the Great Fire of Northampton in 1675. Boundary walls were also encountered for the first time in this phase.

<1> Noble; Butlin, 1746, Town Map, (checked) (Map). SNN430.

<2> Speed J., 1610, Map of Northamptonshire, (checked) (Map). SNN559.

<3> Fairclough, J, 2020, Archaeological test pit investigation at St Mary's Court and Berkeley House, Northampton, February 2020 (Report). SNN112791.

<4> Elston, J, & Farey, S, 2024, Assessment report and updated project design for archaeological mitigation works at the site of St Mary's Court and Berkeley House, Horse Market, Northampton, January to October 2022 (Report). SNN116319.

<5> Holmes, M, 2025, Archaeological mitigation works at the site of St Mary's Court and Berkeley House, Horse Market, Northampton, January to October 2022 (Report). SNN117070.

Record last edited

May 1 2026 9:08AM