Centuries-old castle found buried under UK parking lot. Take a look at what was found
In medieval England, one castle became such a center of power that Parliament moved its operations inside its towering stone walls.
Northampton Castle was built in the 11th century, and by the reign of King John, the castle had held trials and tournaments, later acting as home to his royal treasury in 1205, according to Friends of Northampton Castle.
The castle was the king’s favorite, and he visited more than 30 times before his death in 1216, officials said.
Then, like the rest of Europe, the complex was hit with the plague. It was the beginning of the end, and it fell into ruin by the 16th century and as the British civil war raged on, Friends of Northampton Castle said. Stones from the castle were dismantled and used for other buildings, and it was eventually demolished in the late 1800s.
Now, pieces of the once towering structure are being uncovered.
At the Northampton railway station, a parking lot is being removed to make way for a heritage park, according to an Aug. 1 news release from the West Northamptonshire Council.
“Over a one-week period from July 17, (Museum of London Archaeology) carried out a dig in the area where the heritage timeline poles are to be located,” the council said. “This revealed large pieces of ironstone, likely quarried locally in Northamptonshire, which may relate to the demolition of Northampton Castle in 1879.”
Officials said the main structure of the castle was originally excavated in the 1960s, but because the pieces of the castle were used for other things, parts of the castle were scattered, according to the release.
“The ironstone uncovered by the team during the recent excavations was mixed with brick and modern pottery and located next to the trenches dug by archaeologists in the 1960s,” the council said. “This suggests it is the remains of rubble removed by archaeologists during the last excavations, more than 50 years ago.”
Archaeologists also found a wall from a house built next to the castle after medieval times, according to the release. That will help the researchers understand how the town developed around the castle after the civil war.
“As someone born and raised in Northampton, having the chance to excavate around such an important part of the town’s history is incredible,” Museum of London Archaeology project manager Simon Markus said in the release. “Seeing how the area developed over the centuries gives a greater understanding of the town’s past and the people who lived here.”
Northampton is in central England, about a 70-mile drive northwest from London.
This story was originally published August 1, 2024 at 9:38 AM with the headline "Centuries-old castle found buried under UK parking lot. Take a look at what was found."
