record 805/2/2 - Ossuary beneath Church Porch

An ossuary was inserted below the north porch in 1434 and rediscovered in 1990.

{1} In December 1990, Mr M Lee discovered a hitherto unknown stone-vaulted chamber beneath the floor of the porch of the 15th century church. The chamber appears to have been partially filled in and blocked off at some time between 1800 and 1850. The soil and rubble fill contained a large amount of the original stained glass windows and lead cames along with some stone architectural fragments.perhaps from an earlier church which existed on this site. A faculty has been granted and the Middle Nene Archaeological group are to excavate at Easter 1992.

{2} During the rebuilding of the nave of the church c.1434, an ossuary or bone hole, unmentioned in the building contract, was inserted below the north porch. This had been used for its original purpose until the beginning of the 19th century when it was filled from both ends with spoil from the 1806-1817 restoration programme, blocked up and floored over.
The room measures 3.5 x 5.7m with the walls 2.2m high. The roof has five well preserved vaulted arches of ashlar limestone which form a single span which runs in a NS direction, springing from a height of 1.4m at the sides of the room and rising to 2.7m in the centre. Mason marks including those of the Master Mason William Horwood (1434), are visible on the springers of the arches and these are repeated throughout the church and tower.
Between the arches, ironstone rag has been packed vertically to form a ceiling which is mortared with orange/brown clay. Slightly larger dressed limestone blocks have been used as a central rib on an E/W axis. The walls contain many pieces of re-used ashlar which show 15th century herringbone and diamond pattern tooling, at least 30 stones showing deeply incised crosses. Along with some reused C12th tooled stone (see report).
At the E end a chute presumably acting as a window is situated beneath a blocked porch window, but has been concealed on the exterior with stone. At the west end a flight of nine stone steps ascends to the treasury, near to the spiral staircase to the priests room and the door into the SW corner of the church. A hole in the W wall above the staircase may represent the housing for a trap door.
At the bottom of the stair along the west wall a recess, roughed with a rough stone arch possibly a relieving arch, gives the initial appearance of a blocked opening. The construction of the wall is contemporary with the rest of the room. The gravel floor is part of the natural gravel terrace upon which the building is set.. At the E end and occupying a third of the floor an ovoid pit, measuring 1.2x3.1cm cut the gravel to 0.5m with sloping sides and a flattish base. The fill contained animal bone and part of a late Saxon St Neots ware lamp.

<1> Musgrave E.C.; Tingle M. (editors), 1991, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1990, p.113 Fotheringhay (checked) (Article). SNN100325.

<2> Johnston G., 2000-01, Excavation of an Ossuary at Fotheringhay Church, Northamptonshire, p.167 (checked) (Article). SNN103949.

<3> Lee, M., 1990, Observations at Fotheringhay, (checked) (Letter). SNN57519.

<4> Musgrave E.C.; Tingle M. (editors), 1991, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1990, p.113 (checked) (Article). SNN100325.

Record last edited

Nov 29 2023 2:08PM