Monument record 638/1/4 - Early medieval quarrying and later medieval building, Market Place

Extensive quarrying for ironstone during the early medieval period was likely to be related to the construction of the first stone church and cloister of the Cluniac Priory in the 12th or 13th centuries. A later building lay on the market place frontage but had been demolished prior to the end of the medieval period

[1} In trench 1 there was a ditch aligned east to west parallel with the present northern side of Market Square. It may relate to an early episode of land division, possibly even the laying out of the priory precinct. It had been largely filled by the end of the 12th century.

{4} Archaeological excavation prior to development was undertaken in 2005. The entire excavation area had been quarried probably during the 12th - 13th centuries. If there had been any pre-Conquest oval enclosure in this area, then the quarrying had destroyed it. The quarry was probably related to the construction of the first permnanent church and cloister of the Cluniac Priory. The backfill episodes were dated to the 13th-14th centuries.

A large medieval building was subsequently constructed on the quarry backfill on the Market Place frontage. Most likely had a mercantile function, but of monastic origin. The thickness of the excavated walls suggest it may have been of more than storey.

To the rear of the building were a series of pits and ditches. The ditch functions were unclear. The biggest ditch was a continuation of that observed in the earlier evaluation. Possibly a drain trench from the conduit head built by the monks in the medieval period

<1> MAULL A.; SODEN I., 1998, Abbey Centre, Daventry, Northamptonshire: Stage 1-desk-based study, May 1998 (Report). SNN55935.

<2> Chapman A, 1998, Archaeological evaluation at The Abbey Centre, Daventry, Northamptonshire, September 1998 (Report). SNN110748.

<3> Chapman A, 1998-9, Daventry, The Abbey Centre (Note). SNN104068.

<4> Soden I.; Brown, J., 2005, Daventry Priory and the House of York: Archaeological Excavations at Daventry Priory and the Market Place, Daventry, Northamptonshire 2004 (Full Report). SNN105278.

<5> Soden, I, Brown, J and Blinkhorn, P, 2005, Excavations at the Cluniac Priory, Daventry (Article). SNN112196.

Record last edited

Mar 25 2025 11:05AM