SNN113504 - Land at Broad Street/ St Andrews Street, Northampton: Archaeological Monitoring and Recording

During August, September and November 2005 Archaeological Solutions Limited (AS) carried out a programme of archaeological monitoring and recording on land between Broad Street/St Andrew’s Street, Northampton (NGR SP 7522 6092). The programme of archaeological monitoring and recording was undertaken during groundworks associated with the redevelopment of the site for residential use, in particular enabling works and deep ground reduction for the construction of an undercroft car park. The programme of archaeological monitoring and recording revealed an abundance of evidence suggesting constant and repeated occupation of this particular area of Northampton during the late post-medieval and modern periods. The site was overlain by a wide range of layers and deposits indicative of relatively recent construction and groundwork activity. The main features revealed during the programme of archaeological monitoring and recording comprised two wells, three walls or wall footings, a brick culvert and a drain or culvert. Although none of the features or their associated fills revealed any dating evidence, the form, method of construction and location of the features all indicate a late post-medieval to modern date. Wells M2000 and M2001, for example, overlay and truncated made ground which was dated by means of pottery sherds, in addition to clay pipe fragments, to the 18th – 19th century.