In Autumn 2014, ULAS archaeologists returned to a site in Leicester, that they first investigated in 2012, to carry out a second phase of work. The site is on the corner of Highcross Street and Vaughan Way, between All Saints’ Church and the John Lewis multistory car-park. In 2012, archaeologists excavated seven trenches in order…
Tag: Medieval
Medieval Coventry revealed in city’s Heatline Project
During the first half of 2013, ULAS carried out an intermittent inspection of extensive groundwork in the historic south-east quarter of medieval Coventry during the installation of the city’s new district heating system pipeline. Although Lady Godiva remains elusive, slight archaeological remains dating from the medieval period through to the 19th century were observed in…
King Richard III Identity: CASE CLOSED AFTER 529 YEARS!
An international research team led by Dr Turi King from the University of Leicester Department of Genetics has published overwhelming evidence that the skeleton discovered under a car park in Leicester indeed represents the remains of King Richard III, thereby closing what is probably the oldest forensic case solved to date. The team of researchers,…
Evidence of medieval iron production found at Irchester, Northamptonshire
A recent investigation of three fields east of Irchester in Northamptonshire has uncovered tantalising glimpses of a lost medieval iron smelting industry in the village. The work was undertaken by ULAS for the landowner in order to assess the likely impact of a proposed housing development on any underlying archaeology. Of the twenty-five trenches excavated,…
Recording Leicester’s hidden medieval heritage
Medieval is probably not a word often conjured up by people if asked to describe Leicester today; Victorian, perhaps Georgian, will be more commonly used but hidden behind the 18th and 19th century shop fronts little known fragments of the medieval town still survive. In 2012, ULAS carried out an historic building assessment of No….
Fifteenth century religious precinct wall discovered in Leicester
A small excavation carried out by ULAS has recently recorded a 15m long section of the medieval Newarke Wall, a 15th-century precinct wall surrounding the Newarke, a religious close containing a college of canons and a hospital which was once situated immediately south of the medieval town. The work was carried out for De Montfort…
Exploring the ponds of Grace Dieu Priory, Leicestershire
This summer, ULAS carried out a small archaeological investigation of a large earthwork bank, part of a medieval/post-medieval fishpond, next to the ruins of Grace Dieu Priory in north-west Leicestershire. This was to try and explain why water is being lost from the pond so that the Friends of Grace Dieu Priory can implement repairs…
‘Bloody will be thine end’ – Perimortem trauma in King Richard III
Today the fifth peer-reviewed paper on Richard III is published in The Lancet, providing a blow-by-blow account of the injuries inflicted on King Richard III’s body at the Battle of Bosworth Field on August 22, 1485. The remains of King Richard III—the last English monarch to die in battle—were found under a car park in…
Hallaton’s Lost Chapel
ULAS archaeologists have been working with local volunteers to uncover the lost chapel of St Morrell overlooking the small village of Hallaton in east Leicestershire. The Fourth year of excavations with the Hallaton Fieldwork Group (HFWG) has revealed the full plan of the chapel as well as the cemetery and evidence that the hillside has…
Medieval Wellingbrough unearthed
Wayne Jarvis has recently completed an archaeological excavation at The Dun Cow Public House in Wellingborough (Northamptonshire), following on from a programme of trial trenching earlier this year. The site lies in the area of the former medieval settlement of Wellingborough, within a tenement group fronting Broad Green which forms part of the northern gateway…
Christian burial found in Roman cemetery at Oxford Street, Leicester?
First published 13/09/2013, Updated 03/01/2024 In 2013, ULAS carried out an excavation of part of a Roman cemetery between Oxford Street and Newarke Street in Leicester. Excavation director John Thomas reports: The site lay in the town’s south suburb, adjacent to one of the main routes into Roman Leicester, about 130m outside the town’s south…
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