Monument record 1160/217 - Late Saxon and medieval tenements, St Peter's Street

Extensive excavation was undertaken either side of St Peter's Street between 1973-1976. Intensive activity on site began during the late Saxon period with the construction of timber post-built structures possibly grouped around a courtyard to the west, with metal-working later being undertaken in a replacement building, and to the east were four sunken-featured buildings and a number of pits. There was also a possible bone-working industry. In the post-Conquest period the buildings were of timber construction and appear to have respected the line of the street. In the late 13th century, the first stone buildings were built on the north side of the street and were possibly of two storeys. Further stone buildings were built on the north side in the 14th century, while the whole south side of the street may have been wasteland. The whole of the street was apparently reconstructed in a single action probably early in the 15th century. All the houses to the north of the street were relatively uniform and rectangular and it is likely that the houses on the south side were similar and probably represent artisans buildings. The whole street appears to have burnt down shortly after 1500, becoming derelict.

{1} Trial trenching was carried out on the north side of St Peter's Street in 1972-3. Excavation commenced in June 1973. At the time of excavation it was anticipated that development was imminent and a decision was taken to disregard post-medieval levels, which were then largely removed by machine. Two major sections were excavated; one to the north of St Peter's Street and one to the south. The street itself was not available until the end of the works, so it was not possible to closely relate it to the properties.

{10} Discussion of lead spindle whorls;

{11} Saxon and Medieval Settlement Remains (centred on SP 75036035), at St. Peter's Street on Northampton Sands at between 64 m. and 68 m. above OD. The late Saxon period saw a dramatic intensification of activity on the site and the initial phases may belong to the period of the Danish occupation of Northampton. A number of rectangular post-built structures and four sunken-featured buildings were constructed but the organisational pattern of the site was irregular. There was also increasing industrial activity including metal- and bone-working, and finds, particularly of pottery, were more prolific. Three St. Edmund memorial pennies and three other late Saxon coins were found.

After the Norman Conquest St. Peter's Street as such was laid out with rectangular timber buildings set close to the street on either side of it. These were gradually replaced by stone buildings from the middle of the 13th century and c. 1400 the whole of the street was rebuilt. The houses measured 8 m.-12 m. by 6 m. and were set parallel to the street with two rooms on the ground floor. At least four round ovens and three large rectangular drying ovens were excavated. Numerous fragments of pottery, animal bones, metal objects, etc. were found associated with the buildings and in pits at their rear. The whole street was apparently destroyed by fire in the early 16th century.

{12} At least two periods of timber buildings were laid out on top of the mortar mixers and underneath the later street line. At a similar date four sunken floor dwellings were constructed at the E end of the site.
These were simple rectangular structures the largest being approximately 4x3m. In each case a single posthole centrally placed at either end probably supported a ridge piece. The character of the occupation debris on two of the 'floors' strongly supports the idea that these were the actual floors rather than hollows below planked floors. The pottery and a coin of Aethelstan suggest an early C10 date.
These dwellings and all the other features previousiy described were randomly arranged and in no way respected the later street line.
Some time between 950 and 1100 (it is as yet impossible to be more precise) the site underwent a radical change. Timber dwellings were laid out parallel to and on either side of a street following roughly the line of the present street. The buildings were represented by a series of postholes and were rectangular with long sides on the street. They were c.4m wide but it was not possible to define the length of individual buildings. Certainly there appears to have been some major redevelopment of this part of the town at this time but is the aligning of the street parnllel to the main E-W axis of the town attributable to deliberate town planning or purely accidental and part of normal organic growth? Furthermore should the development be assigned to the late Saxon period of economic expansion or the early Norman era, coinciding with the plantation of the castle and the `novus burgus'?
The timber buildings themselves continued in use for several centuries, being replaced or reconstructed as need arose. Probably from some time in C13 some of the buildings were reconstructed in stone on the same lines as the preceding timber buildings. Finally, perhaps in C15, the whole street was lined with stone terraces on either side. Twelve houses were identified, typically 8m by 4m with long side on street.
Floors were of clay and the houses divided into two roughly square rooms by a central screen. The walls themselves were substantially built of ironstone masonry and certainly the walls would have been carried up in stone at least one storey, but whether the upper storey was stone or timber is impossible to determine. Between two of the houses on the S side of the street were a pair of malt-roasting ovens well built in stone and sunk into the ground. The uniformity of the house plans and constructional details in their final form is most striking, perhaps even indicating a single building operation by a single landowner.
About 1500 the whole of the street was completely burnt down by a fire represented by a destruction level of ash and other burnt material covering the whole of the site.

{13} An area c.55m. long by 30m. wide, including the street itself and the frontages on both sides, which were largely uncellared, was completely stripped.

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

<2> Webster L.E.; Cherry J., 1980, Medieval Britain in 1979, p.230 (checked) (Note). SNN3678.

<4> Wood; Law, 1847, Town Map of Northampton, (checked) (Map). SNN752.

<5> Speed J., 1610, Map of Northamptonshire, (checked) (Map). SNN559.

<6> Noble; Butlin, 1746, Town Map, (checked) (Map). SNN430.

<7> Jordan, D, Haddon-Reece, D, and Bayliss, A, 1994, Radiocarbon Dates from samples funded by English Heritage and dated before 1981, p. 123 (Monograph). SNN112521.

<8> Welsh, T., 2010, The "Saxon Palaces" in Northampton and Their Post-Medieval Context, (unchecked) (Document). SNN107120.

<9> Roper; Cole, 1807, Map of The Town of Northampton, (unchecked) (Map). SNN621.

<10> Society for Medieval Archaeology, 2016, Medieval Archaeology (60/2), p. 266-299 (Journal). SNN111115.

<11> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, Site 51 (Series). SNN77383.

<12> Hall, D N, 1975, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (5), p. 26 (Journal). SNN9947.

<13> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1975, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1974, p. 167-8 (Report). SNN41605.

Record last edited

Oct 27 2023 8:41AM