The remains of a Roman temple, possibly preceded by an Iron Age shrine, were found in excavations before the Old Gaol flats were built.
Ditches which may be medieval property boundaries, and medieval pits and later structures, were also found.
Record Type Archives
Northcourt Cricket Ground
An excavation here, not far from the medieval barn at Northcourt (now Christ Church) produced two ditches and a few pieces of Late Saxon pottery, suggesting that the hamlet of Northcourt existed before the Norman Conquest. Northcourt is not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, but this is probably because it formed part of Abingdon abbey’s large manor of Barton.
Vineyard excavations
A small excavation was carried out in in 1970 the back garden of a house awaiting demolition.
A rubbish pit containing a large amount of 18th century china, and pottery was found, including a plate with the name ‘H. Day’ inscribed on it.
Railway Inn
Foundations of a Roman building were found when the Railway Inn site was being developed in 2002.
The building had been built over the infilled defensive ditches of Abingdon’s Iron Age ‘oppidum’. Medieval and later features were also found
Market Place
In 1972, an excavation on a vacant site on the Market Place (behind the County Hall) found a large number of medieval rubbish pits and much medieval pottery.
These would have been in rear yard or garden of a property fronting onto the Market Place, which was the heart of the medieval town. Much Roman pottery was also found.
Faringdon Road
Skeletons were found and excavated when a house was being extended.
They seem to be part of a medieval cemetery which is not recorded in any documents.
Barton Lane gravel quarry
Salvage excavations in a gravel quarry found remains of two Iron Age stone causeways, crossing a filled-in former river channel.
Much animal bone, and some human remains, were found.
Vineyard (Cattlemarket) excavations
An excavation on the site of the New Abbey House Council offices found Iron Age houses, a Roman building and stone-lined well, Roman skeletons in lead coffins, Saxon buildings, features relating to Abingdon abbey including the cemetery where townspeople were buried, and a previously unknown cemetery from the English Civil War.
Abingdon Museum Lift Shaft
At a depth of nearly 2 metres below the modern pavement, an excavation beside the County Hall for a lift shaft found remains of Iron Age buildings.
Above these was a Roman road with wheel ruts in it. It had been resurfaced with gravel several times. In medieval times, the site seems to have been been open land, part of Abingdon’s Market Place.
Clothing Factory
Remains of Abingdon’s clothing factory, a major establishment in the 19th century, were found in an excavation in West St Helen Street in 1977.
Roman pottery, a medieval ditch which was probably a property boundary, and much medieval butchery waste were also found. The site is now occupied by the St Helen’s Church Centre.