Archaeological excavations on land to the rear of 12, Market Street, Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 4EH

This document is a fieldwork report for an archaeological evaluation and excavation on land to the rear of 12, Market Street, Lutterworth, Leicestershire (NGR: SP 54515 84531). The excavations were commissioned by Lutterworth Town Estates and carried out in advance of the proposed development of the site for a new museum building. The site was previously used as a car park. A trial trench evaluation was carried out, which revealed archaeological features in all three trenches. Consequently, the proposed development was fully stripped, and a full excavation carried out on the site. The archive for the site will be deposited with Leicestershire Museums with accession number X.A67.2020. The excavations revealed three distinct areas, corresponding to three medieval burgage plots, broadly running east to west across the site. Features including undated linear features, large quarry pits, cess pits and post-holes dating from as early as the 13th century were revealed with later medieval and post-medieval features above. Two of the plots had later been levelled and a compacted metalled surface laid over earlier features. The surfaces themselves had then been truncated by later pits and post-holes. Finds included pottery ranging from the 13th-18th century, medieval tiles and post-medieval bricks suggesting a demolished high-status building nearby. There was evidence of burning in some features and industrial residue including hammer-scale and possible hearth lining. Small glass beads and preserved wooden items were also recovered, including a well-preserved alder bowl.