Monument record 1160/16/1 - Saxon Church at St. Peter's (possible minster church)

Excavation of Area N, St Peter's Street in 1977 identified evidence of early timber church structures which were succeeded, probably in the early 8th century, by a stone church. There was no evidence for how long this structure stood, but the present church, located slightly to the west, dates to the second half of the 12th century.

{1} Further to west & extending under present St Peter's Church were remains of stone foundations; presumably earlier church; east end excavated; unbonded rubble with small amount soil & walls above slightly wider & formed of squared limestone blocks set in yellow sand & with internal mortar rendering;

{4} Foundations of square ended building 5m across north-south & on east-west alignment interpreted as chancel end of earlier church; foundations of ironstone rubble 0.85m wide x 0.45m deep surviving to two courses high; wall faced internally with plaster rendering & mortar floor of lime slurry; plaster & slurry matched those of AD C7/8th from mortar mixers found nearby; underlying stone foundations were traces of possibly two phases of timber buildings on same alignment; may relate to an earlier timber church;

{3} Probable minster church excavated 1976; east end of stone building defined by stone walls & foundations; walls lying immediately east of current St Peter's church & respecting its alignment; foundations 0.50m deep x 0.80m wide; walls constructed of unbonded rubble with some soil as matrix; similar to extensions of Saxon stone hall; walls above foundation level were wider & formed of squared limestone blocks set in yellow sand which was possibly coarse mortar; few finds associated with building remains; C14 determinations suggest date of circa AD 840;

{5} C14 dates from material associated with mortar mixers suggest stone building erected in first part C9th; St Peter's church is known to be of pre-Conquest origin & dates possibly from this period;

{7} Early-middle Saxon slots & postholes; former respect alignment of later church structures & may represent timber structure of earlier religious function. Extreme eastern end of stone building was revealed in Trench N; almost certainly early church structure; unbonded rubble foundations; walls of squared limestone blocks in yellow sand; east wall had thin mortar rendering on inner face; traces of lime-rich slurry inside structure may represent floor level or spillage from wall plastering; two postholes cut through slurry may be related to altar or altar screen; construction or destruction debris scattered around outside of building; possible robber trench also revealed; C14 dating of AD740+-85 from animal bone in mortar layer; yard surface almost certainly associated with the early church structure. The layers post-dating the church were almost impossible to interpret, comprising series of pits and post-holes from late Saxon to 14th-century date but a much-disturbed sub-rectangular pit may have been a sunken-floored building.
To the east, the earliest features were a gully and possible double palisade. The north-south running gully had a large number of postholes running parallel on its west side and cutting natural. No evidence of a bank was revealed. Early middle Saxon pottery was recovered along with two C14 dates of AD870+-85 and AD940+-85. Other finds include a very corroded silver penny of probable C10th date (detailed discussion in finds section). The features are interpreted as a probable boundary but whether for an early church is in doubt as contemporary mortar mixers lie either side of it.

{6} Stone foundations of east wall of building; rest underlies St Peter's Church; presumably constructed in C8th & likely to be earlier church building; lies in line with Middle Saxon hall & may belong to same complex; not known when site first used for religious purposes or whether religious use continuous; evidence from site would seem to indicate that there was probably at least one major rebuilding of church on site in Late Saxon period;

{8} The radiocarbon date relating to the probable minster church had a high error value of +/- 80 years, providing a calibrated age too broad to be of use at 88% confidence and both earlier and later calibrated dates at lower levels of confidence, so were of little use in refining the likely dates.

Description from record 1160/0/7:
{1}Possible early-middle Saxon timber slot; shallow & straight-sided; cut into ironstone natural & cut prehistoric ditch; accompanied by series of postholes.

Description from record 1160/0/8:
{1}Buried soils of uncertain nature; postholes & depression associated with earlier of these layers but no structure definable; two items of worked bone recovered; possible handle comprised of polised & perforated sheep tibia; highly polished tool with one end worn to flat angled point; long concave hollow facet with rounded point at other end [illustration];

<1> Williams J.H., 1979, St Peter's Street, Northampton: Excavations 1973-1976, p.46+138-39 (checked) (Report). SNN342.

<2> 1977, NORTHAMPTON, REMAINS OF SAXON CHURCH FOUND, (unchecked) (Article). SNN56492.

<3> Williams J.H.; Shaw M.; Denham V., 1985, Middle Saxon Palaces at Northampton, p.20-26 (checked) (Report). SNN420.

<3> Williams J.H.; Shaw M.; Denham V., 1985, Middle Saxon Palaces at Northampton: Microfiche 1, p.20-26 (checked) (Microfiche). SNN106748.

<4> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1977, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1976, p.224 (checked) (Report). SNN723.

<5> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1975, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1974, p.167 (checked) (Report). SNN41605.

<6> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.371 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<7> Williams J.H., 1979, St Peter's Street, Northampton: Excavations 1973-1976, p.110 (checked) (Report). SNN342.

<8> Chapman, A, 2021, Appendix 2: The Radiocarbon Dates, P. 66 (Appendix). SNN112910.

Record last edited

Oct 27 2023 8:41AM