SNN100471 - Archaeological Evaluation Of The Former Express Lift Company, Abbey Works, Weedon Road, Northampton

A desk-based study and geophysical survey assessment was carried out by Northamptonshire Archaeology ahead of proposed redevelopment at the former Express Lift Company, Abbey Works, Weedon Road, Northampton. Examination of historic maps and an assessment of the documentary evidence showed that the Express Lift site lay within the precinct of the former Abbey of St James, but there was insufficient evidence to establish the location of any specific buildings. Trial excavation, comprising a total 15 trenches, has established that remains of the abbey buildings and related archaeology survive at the northern end of the site. It clearly contains the potential to recover a near complete ground plan of all the major abbey buildings, including extensive areas preserved at or around the contemporary ground levels. It is possible to identify the likely location of the abbey church and the main monastic ranges, at the Weedon Road frontage and the offices. A cemetery lies under the north-eastern part of the main works building, and a single building lies at its southern margin. There has clearly been extensive robbing of the walls, but in places wall foundations and lower wall courses survive. A layer of demolition debris covers much of the area and isolated areas of original floors may survive below this. Some trenches show evidence for at least two phases of abbey building. Beneath the medieval levels most trenches showed the presence of an earlier soil horizon and in several trenches this sealed cut features of Roman date. The find recovered are appropriate to the status of the site. They include fragments of painted window glass and window lead, decorated ceramic floor tiles, stone and ceramic roof tiles and pieces of moulded architectural stone, including parts of a column capital and a window mullion. At the northern end of the site abbey demolition levels lie as little as 0.20m below present ground level, while under the main works building archaeological levels lie 0.50m or more below present ground level. Recent building works and service trenches will have created areas of damage and destruction. However, the foundations of the main walls have been shown to bottom 1.50m or more below the present ground level, so even in disturbed areas the basic ground plan would still survive. The southernmost trenches within the main works building and the trenches excavated on the former sports field, have shown that in the area of the former meadows the old ground surface is overlain by 1.50m or more of recently made-up ground. An assessment of the standing buildings of the former Abbey Works concludes that there is little to record of their use as a lift factory following the removal of the machinery. However, the use of the Abbey Works and the development of the buildings as a munitions factory during both World Wars is of exceptional interest.