Monument record 1160/283/1 - Medieval buildings, Marefair

Rescue excavation undertaken in 1977 on the north side of Marefair [see related records for other phases]. The remains of a large stone building with associated yard surfaces and outbuildings were found. The building had its long side on the Marefair street frontage. Further remains of the same building possibly identified to the west in 2016. After the building went out of use, a drying oven was built

{1} Rescue excavation was undertaken between January and July 1977 in advance of proposed redevelopment on the north side of Marefair. The medieval period marked the first period of stone building. Remains of a large stone building was revealed running along Marefair street frontage; only short section of east-west wall survived because of robbing & modern cellarage; west wall of building appeared to continue northwards to form property boundary; two possible floor levels identified within building;coins recovered include: Henry II cut farthing ?1160-80 from north wall of house;copper alloy finds: repousse rosette; rectangular stiffener; annular brooch pin dated to C13/14th; handmade pin or needle fragment;iron finds: cramp; buckle frame;stone finds include weight or net sinker with face carved on side; similar stones have been dredged from rivers locally & are believed to have been associated with medieval fisheries;worked bone finds: possible weaving tool dated to late Saxon/early medieval.

Garden deposits & pits etc were revealed in the later yard area to the north of the house; deposits comprised "pit soil" in associated with complex of pit cuts; pottery of C11-14th recovered including spindle whorl;lead finds include: 3 sheet offcuts;iron finds: plated lock bolt; hinge pivot; two heckle teeth; wire; strip fragment;worked bone finds: possible late Saxon/early medieval weaving tool.

The earliest yard surface was a deposit of crushed ironstone laid down forming yard or rough floor for rear room or outbuilding; late C14th pottery recovered;lead finds included: sheet offcuts;copper alloy finds include: sheet fragments; buckle; strap end; chape from belt or sheath; pierced sheet fragments;iron finds: horseshoe; blacksmith's punch;glass finds: colourless flask fragment; fragment of blue-green urinal dated to late C16/17th; possible C14th painted window glass;textile finds: linen fragments preserved in clay; belt & strap fragments preserved on belt fittings.

Overlying this yard surface was the corner of a building with well preserved north-south wall lying adjacent to & north of house; small alley between; two possible postholes suggest structure was timber-framed on stone footing; metalled floor surface; pottery indicated late C14th date.

At the end of the phase this first stone building went out of use. Robber trenches of house cut earlier pits & in turn cut by later pits; layers also recognised as possible spread from robbing; residual coin of 1160-80 recovered & pottery dates disuse of Phase 11 at late C14th/early C15th. There were no definite features relating to metalworking revealed but there were traces of activity through Phases 11 & 12; iron forging slag found in yard areas of property; yard areas also contained blacksmith's punch; house construction yielded redeposited slag-impregnated clay furnace lining & tap slag;iron finds including: residual late Saxon/early medieval key; bar;

After the building went out of use, a yard surface of limestone slabs with some cobbling was laid out & a drying oven was built; battered walls of thinly bedded stone; floor about 1.8m x 0.8m made of irregular slabs; flue opening only slightly narrowed oven width; stoke hole removed by later intrusions; stone steps identified leading down; side blocks of flue heavily burnt & traces of burning on walls & floor of oven; pottery suggests C15th date; backfill of oven contained material into C16th; comparison with similar ovens & discussion; may have been used for general drying of cereals rather than just malt roasting;lead finds include: sheet disc; sheet offcut;coins found include: redeposited Edward I/II penny of circa 1305-10; secondary find of Edward III penny of 1369-77 from Phases 11-13;copper alloy finds include: belt buckle of first half of C14th; two repousse rosettes; possible strap end; two pierced discs one of which was decorated;iron finds: staple; perforated strip; buckle;stone objects found include Niedermendig lava quern fragment;worked bone: slotted bone tube with copper alloy lining & insert; polished tube; sheep femur notched around shaft;,

{6} Test pits were excavated in grounds of the former Castle House. In one was a wall aligned north to south and constructed from irregularly shaped, roughly coursed ironstone fragments. A layer around the wall contained 13th century pottery. The southern end of the wall had been truncated by the foundations of Castle House, but it seems likely that it was part of the same structure identified during excavations in 1977.

The wall truncated two pits from which 12th century pottery was recovered.

<1> Williams F., 1979, Excavations on Marefair in Northampton 1977, p.48-54 (checked) (Article). SNN2163.

<2> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1978, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1977, p.187 (checked) (Journal). SNN2192.

<3> WILLIAMS F., 1978, Marefair Northampton, 40-1 (Interim Note). SNN2199.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.391 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<5> Elston, J., 2016, Archaeological test pits at the former Castle House, Marefair, Northampton, May 2016 (Report). SNN110720.

Record last edited

May 23 2022 9:21AM