Monument record 1160/0/267 - Late Saxon (pre-castle) activity, Black Lion Hill

Archaeological investigations undertaken prior to the construction of the new railway station identified an extensive buried soil, pits and boundary ditches, but no evidence of structures. Large quantities of animal bone suggest this area was a dumping ground from a busy slaughterhouse.

{1} At the northern end of the trench a 2.2m length of undisturbed natural or orange-brown compact sand was uncovered. Cut into the natural and sealed by the overlying soil horizon there was a shallow bowl-shaped pit up to 0.18m deep of which about 25% was able to be excavated. It contained charcoal and sparse small stones, some of which were burnt. The fill contained two sherds of St Neots ware dating to the C11th, and a little animal bone.
The overlying soil horizon (0.20 – 0.25m thick) contained animal bone, a single sherd of Northampton ware and a copper alloy brooch all recovered from its base, and potentially debris associated with the pit. The pottery is dated to the C10th thus providing a C10th to C11th date for the pre-Castle activity in this area.
Finds report.

{2} Beneath the castle remains, there was an extensive buried soil and a system of curvilinear boundary ditches, which turned westward and ran into a sunken area, seasonally moist, running down towards the late Saxon river edge. To the east there were further ditches and a series of pits varying from 1.0m to 5.0m in diameter. There were no late Saxon timber buildings, although the recovery of ceramic cresset lamps from a ditch near the south-eastern limit of excavation may suggest that they stood nearby. Most of the pre-castle deposits produced quantities of animal bone, and it would seem that this area had been a dumping ground from a busy slaughterhouse, situated near the river crossing.

{4} Excavation prior to the development of the new station identified a number of late Saxon, pre-castle remains. The earliest features were probably two wells and a failed well pit. A radiocarbon date of c880-990 cal AD was produced from the primary fill of one of the wells. The wells probably served domestic properties nearby, possibly to the east, through the 10th to the mid-11th centuries. During the 11th century and into the 12th century there was a series of successive boundary ditch systems and pits, including a possible cellared structure, and an area of hard surfacing, possibly a road.

{5} Given the topography of the site and the projected line of the defences during this period, the excavated features were probably located outside the defended town. The excavated site was probably a small piece of marginal land bounded by seasonally wet areas to the west, a road to the south and a scarp onto higher ground to the east. Geoarchaeological analysis of the late Saxon buried soil identified a layer that had been 'stronlgy biologically worked and homogenised' with debris suggestive of intensie middening and occupation. Suggested that it was probably used for the temporary coralling of livestock prior to slaughter.

<1> Chapman A., 2012, Archaeological Evaluation of the Concourse at Northampton Castle Station, October 2012, p.10 (checked) (Report). SNN108451.

<2> Horne B. (Editor), 2014, South Midlands Archaeology (44), p. 43 (Journal). SNN109842.

<3> Chapman A, 2016, Excavation at Northampton Station 2013-2015, within the outer bailey of Northampton Castle: Assessment Report (Report). SNN111850.

<4> Chapman, A, 2018, Excavation and watching brief within the Outer Bailey of Northampton Castle 2013-2015 (Report). SNN112762.

<5> Chapman, A, 2021, Late Saxon and Saxo-Norman occupation beneath the Outer Bailey of Northampton Castle, p. 79-127 (Article). SNN112912.

Record last edited

Mar 20 2025 2:17PM