Monument record 1160/200/5 - Saxon and medieval occupation, north of Woolmonger Street (Eastern plot)

Archaeological excavation on the north side of Woolmonger Street identified possible 6th-century occupation. In the late Saxon/medieval period timber buildings were constructed along the Woolmonger Street frontage, with a well, two ovens and a malt-kiln to the rear. The timber structures were replaced by a two-bay stone founded building in the second half of the 13th century. A stone outbuilding was buit over the malt kiln. The buildings appears to have survived until the second half of the 15th century.

{1}Remains of well preserved building with stone-founded walls & clay floor in Trench 11; underlying layers were not examined so as to preserve building; pottery suggests medieval date of construction;
To the rear of the stone building were a series of pits; not excavated but surface cleaning suggested medieval & post medieval date.
The area to the west of the stone building contained the remains of recent cellars which extended as far as Trench 1.

{3} Excavations were undertaken on both sides of Woolmonger Street prior to development. On the north side (eastern plot), a sequence of late Saxon-medieval occupation was identified. A small number of features, including irregular clusters of post holes and short lengths of gully, were dated to the 6th century and probably represented domestic activity. Finds included a stamped sherd of pottery, part of a loom-weight, a fragment of a high-status glass claw-beaker and a bronze equal-armed brooch. Later Saxon features comprised numerous post holes and a gully all aligned north-east to south-west possibly constituting a major boundary. The alignment was eccentric to the later Woolmonger Street, suggested it did not exist at this date.
Timber buildings were constructed on the Woolmonger Street frontage, probably in the 12th century. To the rear of the structures were a stone-lined well, two ovens, stone-lined drain and a truncated, rectangular malt-oven. Rubbish pits were dug close to the roadside, implying the frontage was discontinuous at this date. In the second half of the 13th century, a new stone building of two unequal bays was constructed directly over former timber structures. To the rear of the property the ovens were abandonned and an outbuilding was constructed over the malt-oven and a large hearth laid against the north wall of the building. The malt-kiln became redundant and the outbuilding was refloored. The grave of a neonatal child was found in the western room. Both rooms contained evidence of the insertion of an upper floor. The building may have become redundant by the second half of the 15th century.

<1> Parry S.; Webster M., 1994, Woolmonger Street, Northampton: Proposed Retail Development, Stage 3- Additional Trial Trenching, p.3 (checked) (Report). SNN2909.

<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> Soden I., 1998, St Peters Walk, Northampton, Archaeological Excavations On Woolmonger Street 1994 - 7 (Report). SNN100018.

Record last edited

Feb 20 2025 4:29PM