Lower Park Street, Jesus College, Cambridge. The St. John's College Archaeological Summer School 2016

Abstract

On the 27th and 28th of July 2016 five one metre by one metre test pits were excavated at Jesus College, Cambridge, behind Lower Park Street as part of the St. John's College Archaeology Summer School. This revealed the presence of a substantial alluvial sequence, plus residual Romano-British and 10th-15th century ceramics suggesting that although peripheral the area was utilised during these periods. The bulk of the features and material relate date to the 19th-20th century and relate to the early 19th century development of Lower Park Street by Jesus College as college servant's housing. The area investigated fell within the back yards/gardens of these properties; various walls, paths and other were encountered as well as a substantial 'household clearance' deposit of c. 1870-1900. The area was ultimately cleared when Lower Park Street was converted into graduate housing in the 1980s.