Hostel Yard, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge: An Archaeological Excavation

An archaeological excavation covering c.46m2 undertaken between August and November 2004 in and around Hostel Yard of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, (TL 4482 5286) on behalf of the College. The excavations revealed a stratified sequence of Saxo-Norman to Early Post-Medieval features and deposits. Activity began in the 11th and 12th centuries in the form of quarry pits, challenging the idea that Trumpington Street is a major axis of the town from the early 10th century onwards. The site becomes distinctively urban in the 13th century, with the appearance of boundary ditches, and activity continues, albeit at a relatively low level, until the late 14th century, although much of the area was used for gardening or horticulture. Activity increases during the late 14th and 15th centuries, reaching a peak during the 16th and early 17th centuries when there are a number of large rubbish pits containing substantial assemblages of domestic refuse, evidence for small scale industry and a substantial stone lined cess pit. The digging of features ceased by the mid 17th century and there are no archaeological deposits of the late 17th or 18th centuries. In the 1820’s Corpus Christi College demolished all the existing structures from the area, taking over part of it and regularising the layout. In the 1930’s the College took over more of the area