SNN117005 - Church of St Peter, Mare Fair, Northampton: Archaeological Excavation

The excavation of a new drainage ditch was undertaken alongside the Old Black Lion Inn on the western side of the graveyard of St Peter’s Church, Northampton. The drainage ditch was excavated to a depth of 0.76m bgl (67.88mOD) with a safe angle of batter of 45°with the slope being graded back up to the level of the graveyard. A short section of the northern section of the drainage ditch alongside the main body of the Old Black Lion Inn reused the existing late 19th century brick and stone feature.The excavation encountered the remains of a total of nine intact inhumations, four infantsand five adult males. In addition 839 fragments of disarticulated human bone were also recovered which represented a minimum number of 19 individuals. This indicates a significant level of disturbance to the upper layers of the graveyard in the past.The combination of the narrow nature of the excavation at the extreme western edge of the graveyard and the angle of the ditch meant that only the head and very upper part of the torso of any adult burials were encountered. The remainder of the skeleton being left in situ. The skeletal assemblage exhibited a range of pathology typically encountered in medieval/post-medieval populations. The one exception was the trauma to the skull of Skeleton 5. As the trauma was unhealed it could be that it was part of the incident that led to the death of this individual. Interestingly all the infant burials were closely grouped at the southern end of the excavation strongly suggesting a specific area for child interment. In addition to the burials a large assemblage of artefacts was also recovered. This included pottery, ceramic building material, animal bone, metal finds and both window and vessel glass. The amount of artefactual material would appear to show that the graveyard had been used as an unofficial dump for domestic refuse over time. Although there were small amounts of medieval material (e.g. 12/13th century onward pottery) the vast majority of the material was predominantly from the 18th century onwards with a particular concentration in the 19th century. This concentration may have been caused by a number of criteria such as the decline in use of the graveyard; durability of the artefacts and an increase in the population of the town. There is also a strong probability that much of the refuse may have been derived from the adjacent Old Black Lion Inn.Overall it could be seen that the excavation of the new drainage ditch alongside the Old Black Lion Inn confirmed what had been seen in the initial trial pits in that the uppermost layers of this part of the graveyard had seen considerable disturbance and disruption in the later post medieval period. This appears to be due to a combination of unofficial refuse disposal; removal of the headstones/landscaping and tree planting along the western boundary. A significant element of the project was community engagement which was achieved by having a small number of volunteers on site everyday who were able to work, under professional supervision, on excavation of the interior of the 19th century feature and the washing and sorting of the artefacts. In total 34 volunteers worked on the site over the duration of the excavation. The archaeological excavation was carried out between 16th and 22nd July 2024 by JB Archaeology on behalf of the Churches Conservation Trust.