SNN116749 - Archaeological Report: St Edmunds Cemetery Excavation, Orient House, Northampton (Draft)

In order to fulfill the requirements of a planning condition set out by the Local planning Authority at West Northants Council with regard to the redevelopment of Orient House, 3-32 Kettering Road, Northampton, drp archaeology was commissioned by Fortis Vision to undertake a multiple phased archaeological investigation and mitigation work on the site. The site is located towards the centre of Northampton on its north-eastern side. The site sits in a heavily urbanised residential area but is immediately surrounded by retail and other commercial buildings. The site itself is virtually entirely built over with three existing and vacant buildings and forms an island bordered by main roads. The proposed redevelopment of the site involved the demolition of the existing modern buildings on site and their replacement with a 35-unit student accommodation and some retail. The development was regarded as highly likely to encounter archaeological remains related to St Edmunds Church, a non-designated heritage asset, located in the immediate vicinity but demolished during the 16th century, its precise location remaining unknown. A previous Heritage Impact Assessment established through cartographic evidence that the location of the development site was once occupied by Victorian terraced house fronting Kettering Road at least dated to 1880 and which were demolished at some point after 1960. Due to the high potential for significant archaeology related to the church and its cemetery a multi-phased approach was adopted upon which each stage would inform the subsequent stages. A test pit survey was initially undertaken in November 2021. Three test pits revealed a significant level of post-medieval and modern disturbance but also revealed cellars with re-used church limestone blocks for wall construction, belonging to the aforementioned Victorian terraced houses. This work was subsequently written up as a standalone approved report. Demolition of the existing building onsite followed this but unfortunately a wholesale and unmonitored ground reduction by c0.6m across the site was undertaken by machine. This work uncovered an articulated inhumation burial (SK1) demonstrating the ground surface was at the archaeological horizon. Careful investigation to confirm the church cemetery and its extent was required and this was achieved through stratified hand evaluation of 7 defined 2m square areas (phase 2) undertaken in February 2022. Graves were identified in all but one area confirming the location of St Edmunds cemetery. This led to the identification of a possible 200+ burials cut into the natural and representing the earliest phase of burial on site. The upper levels of burials were lost through substantial post-medieval and modern development at the site. In order to achive sustainable development, it was considered that the best approach was to seek a bespoke solution that would allow for preservation in situ where possible. To realise this ambition, the foundation designs were altered so that the only below-ground impact would be from individual piles, the ground beams being raised above the ground. Phase 3 therefore involved the hand excavation of 37 pile locations across the site. This identified 13 burials that would require excavation and removal. Phase 4 moved the project into the mitigation stage and involved the excavation of the burials to be impacted. The 13 burials removed represented a mixture of male and female adults with only a single adolescent. A small number of grave goods were found including a 14th century jetton. During the monitoring work (phase 5) another Victorian cellar was revealed, containing more limestone-built walls and a stairwell. Careful consideration was also given to the long-term preservation condition of the burials to remain on site. In order to ensure the remaining burials would not be unduly impacted from compaction or hydrology issues, moisture retentive soil layers were imported to a depth of 0.6m on top of the excavation area after which, the piling the pile mat was removed. The excavation at St Edmunds achieved two pricipal goals. Firstly it allowed for an archaeological outcome. The results have provided a more precise location for St Edmunds Church; have contributed additional information regarding the development of medieval Northampton and assisted in contributing to the Regional Research Agenda. Secondly, by undertaking this unusual methodology it achieved a number of positive outcomes. It allowed for the development to be economically viable by reducing the quantity of costly cemetery excavations, which might otherwise prohibit such development. It facilitated the practice of preservation in situ, allowing undisturbed archaeology to remain undisturbed. It has also addressed a moral debate by allowing Christian burials to remain where they were intended to be in perpetuity.