The History and Archaeology of Cathedral Square Peterborough

Northamptonshire Archaeology, now MOLA Northampton, was commissioned by Opportunity Peterborough (Peterborough City Council) to undertake archaeological work ahead of an improvement scheme centred on Cathedral Square, the historic centre of Peterborough.The construction of two triangular arrays of fountains in the central part of Cathedral Square formed the core of the archaeological investigation, which was undertaken from November 2008 to August 2011.The archaeological work identified a succession of stone surfaces from the creation of the market square in the 12th century through to the 19th century.The cobbled surface of the original market square was overlaid by an accumulation of dark organic silts, containing finds dating through to the 16th century.At the start of the 15th century the parish church of St John the Baptist was constructed over the western half of the medieval market square with a cemetery immediately to the west of the church.Following the closure of this cemeter