History Uncovered at Northampton Castle Station

Though this image isn't that exciting in itself, the current explorations at Northampton's Castle Station are!

An old tarmac surfaced car-park was removed before the whole station is modernised, and archaeologists were called in as remains of Northampton Castle (parliament used to meet here) were uncovered. As they worked downward, remains of an even earlier Saxon walled town have been found.

Here's some abbreviated notes posted on the fence surrounding the dig:- Beneath the tarmac was found the cobbled yard of the old station, beneath which ironstone walls from a 12th century outbuilding of the castle were uncovered and remains of a metalworking workshop from that era along with pottery, bones, a Henry 11 silver penny, bronze belt fixings and a Norwegian knife-sharpening stone. Under that again have been found the older Saxon remains from the 10th and 11th centuries including the pottery oil lamp in the picture and debris from a butcher's shop.

When you consider that the first white man to set foot on Australia (Willem Janszoon) is believed to have done so in 1606, it puts the long history of Northampton into perspective.