Medieval find in Northampton's Gold Street
Major roadworks in the centre of Northampton have given shoppers a glimpse into the town's medieval past as well as providing evidence of the historic shoe trade.
Workers began digging up Gold Street about a month ago to allow two new water mains to be laid beneath the street.
But as they dug, a group of town centre historians spotted what is now believed to be a medieval road about three feet below the current surface of Gold Street.
Northampton Borough Council's heritage champion, Councillor Jean Hawkins (Lib Dem, Eastfield), was among the heritage lovers who looked into the site.
She said: "We're so close to the Saxon core of the town in Gold Street we have to be very careful and make as detailed records as we can about everything we find.
"You do have to use your imagination with some of the things that have been unearthed so far, but they're very interesting.
"And it's a very sensitive area of the town, so we have to be very careful."
As well as the possible medieval road, archaeologists also found numerous pieces of leather in old Victorian drains underneath Gold Street, which are believed to be off-cuts disposed by workers in the town's shoe industry.
Councillor Hawkins said: "It's not surprising in Northampton to find evidence of the shoe industry, but some of the things they've found are really beautiful.
"They're a real part of the town's history."
Despite workmen starting on Gold Street four weeks ago, archaeologists were only called in this week after historians highlighted the importance of the site.
Councillor Hawkins said: "This was a very near miss. Had it not been for the fact we have archaeologists in the town who know what they're looking for this could have very easily been missed."
The works on Gold Street will see two, 70-year-old water mains replaced and the pavements in Gold Street widened.
The 29-week project is part of a 6 million improvement scheme to improve links between the town centre and the railway station, which has been backed by the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC).
A spokesman for the county council said: "We're working with Northamptonshire Archaeology who have been on site this week as excavation is taking place.
"They will continue to be on hand to make a record of anything that is found."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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