Monument record 1160/16/5 - Late Saxon to Post Medieval Churchyard, Church of St Peter

The present day boundary of the churchyard. Excavation to the east of the churchyard in the 1980s indicates that during the late Saxon/medieval period it extended further to the east. The western boundary is defined by the eastern range of the Old Black Lion Inn, which may have 16th-century origins.

{1} William Webster in 1527 requested "to be buried in churchyard of Sainte Peter before crystynyge dore".

{2} Twenty two graves and inhumations were discovered at the west end of the site. Little other than the leg bones of the skeletons were revealed as the present St. Peter's graveyard lies immediately to the west of the site. Four sherds of late Saxon pottery or earlier was recovered from the graves. The limited dating evidence is consistent in suggesting that the graves were late Saxon. Further east a north-south aligned wall is probably churchyard boundary wall & may be late Saxon/medieval in date;

{7} Watching brief of demolished section of churchyard wall; within boundary loose grey clay loam with moderate stone rubble & occasional charcoal flecks.

{8} Archaeological test pits were excavated within the current churchyard along the line of proposed works for a new footpath and drainage. Burials were encountered at between 0.63-0.80m below current ground level. A burial was observed beneath the possible 16th-century foundations of the Old Black Lion indicating that the churchyard once extended further west.

{9} Excavation on the eastern wall of the Black Lion Inn within the graveyard of St Peter's church revealed inhumations likely dating from the 19th century or early 20th century. The human remains encountered consisted of nine burials of which four were of infants which appeared to have been concentrated in an area reserved for child burials at the southern end of the excavated area. The remaining adult burials were all male and reasonably evenly distributed. The range of pathological changes seen on the skeletons was all consistent with what would normally be expected in a medieval/post-medieval assemblage. The one exception was the two cases of trauma to the skull of Skeleton 5. As these traumas were unhealed it could be that they formed part of the incident that led to the death of this individual. The amount of artefactual material would appear to show that the graveyard had been used as a place to unofficially dump domestic refuse over a period of time. The excavations confirmed that the uppermost layers of this part of the graveyard had seen considerable disturbance and disruption.

<1> Serjeantson R.M.; Longden Isham H., 1913, The Parish Churches & Religious Houses of Northamptonshire: Their Dedications, Altars etc., p.165 (checked); Copy in NDC SMR File M193; (Extract). SNN1080.

<2> Williams J.H.; Shaw M.; Denham V., 1985, Middle Saxon Palaces at Northampton, p.27 (checked) (Report). SNN420.

<3> Williams J.H.; Shaw M.; Denham V., 1985, Middle Saxon Palaces at Northampton: Microfiche 1, p.27 (checked) (Microfiche). SNN106748.

<4> Williams J.H.; Shaw M.; Denham V., 1985, Middle Saxon Palaces at Northampton: Microfiche 2, p.27 (checked) (Microfiche). SNN106749.

<5> Williams J.H.; Shaw M.; Denham V., 1985, Middle Saxon Palaces at Northampton: Microfiche 3, p.27 (checked) (Microfiche). SNN106750.

<6> Williams J.H.; Shaw M.; Denham V., 1985, Middle Saxon Palaces at Northampton: Microfiche 4, p.27 (checked) (Microfiche). SNN106751.

<7> KIDD, 1994, SMR REPORT FORM, (unchecked) (Report). SNN49432.

<8> Buglass, J, 2021, Church of St Peter, Mare Fair, Northampton: Archaeological Trial Pits, August 2021 (Report). SNN112691.

<9> Not specified, 2025, Church of St Peter, Mare Fair, Northampton: Archaeological Excavation (Report). SNN117005.

Record last edited

Mar 9 2026 12:36PM