Monument record 1160/201/16 - Probable late Saxon/medieval industrial activity, St James' Square

Pits, metalled surfaces and dumps of material were excavated on the periphery of the late Saxon town. Evidence of possible iron working, flax retting and horn working. Waterlogged.

{4} Archaeological excavations were undertaken in 1981 in an attempt to find the southern defences of the late Saxon town. No defences were found, but a number of late Saxon features suggestive of industrial rather than domestic activity were identified. Trench A Phase 1 comprised yellow-brown sticky clays cut by number of pits & gully; 2 pits appear to have been lined with hazel basketwork; one of these pits may have been used for flax retting; Phase 2 comprised series of dumped clay deposits; stone deposits lining pit may not have been deliberately constructed lining & may be reaction to waterlogging; Phase 4 represented by further raising of ground level & cutting of pit; southern edge of pit revetted with rectangular sectioned oak planks; metalled surface laid down at north end of trench also visible in Trench Z; Trench A Phase 6 comprised spread of stones & large bones to create rough metalled surface;

No domestic structures were discovered and it would appear that industrial processes were carried out on and near the site. One of the earlier pits may have been used for flax retting and the animal bone asemblage perhaps also suggests horn working. A quantity of ferrous slag and associated material possibly indicates iron working in the area. Two human bone fragments may have been brought to the site as part of the spreads of material derived from elsewhere.

The sides of Trench Z were unstable and it was not possible to work in the trench itself so only a sketch section was made. The section revealed small oven & ash spread which contained pottery of AD 1100-1400 date; shown in section drawing; an ironstone wall aligned roughly parallel to the trench along its west side & turning at right-angles eastwards may relate to domestic building but also possibly part of Augustinian friary complex known to have existed in area from C13th;

<1> WILLIAMS J.H. & FARWELL D., 1983, Excavations of a Saxon Site in St. James' Square, 1981, p145 (Article). SNN2921.

<2> Soden I., 1998-9, A Story of Urban Regeneration: Excavations in Advance of Development off St Peter's Walk, Northampton, 1994-7, (Checked) (Article). SNN104032.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.393 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<4> WILLIAMS J.H.; FARWELL C., 1982, St James' Square, Northampton, 40 (Note). SNN2935.

Record last edited

Jun 19 2025 2:46PM