Roadworks in 2004 on the corner of Pound Street and Newtown Road in Newbury revealed human remains. They were quickly recognised as part of the Litten, the burial ground of St Bartholomew’s Hospital, an important institution between 1215 and the mid-16th century. Oxford Archaeology carried out excavation and scientific analysis of bones within 59 intercutting graves. High levels of skeletal and dental pathology were noted, including one possible case of pre-Columbian congenital syphilis. This is a valuable archaeological archive for a rare sample of a medieval hospital population.
Further information about the archaeological site is available on the HER: www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MWB3457&resourceID=1030
HER – The Historic Environment Record (HER) is a register of all known archaeological and historical sites in the unitary authority of West Berkshire.
Period: 1066-1540
Place: Newbury
