THE recent demolition of the old Waitrose site in St Martin's Street, Wallingford, prior to re-development, has caused some excitement because the archaeologists working there (from Cotswold Archaeology) have discovered the remains of a property dating back to the early town.

When the site was last developed around 1970, little thought was being given to how new buildings destroyed evidence of the past, but a 1973 booklet entitled Wallingford, The Archaeological Implications of Development, by the new Oxford Archaeological Unit (OAU, the first of its kind in the country) was to help change that attitude.

The Wallingford Historical and Archaeological Society (TWHAS) was born at a public meeting that year, chaired by Tom Hassall of the OAU, and in future the society helped monitor local planning applications for potential sites of interest.

Many 'rescue digs' were subsequently carried out.

By 1990 the government had produced a national Planning Policy Guidance on archaeology (PPG 16) and reports from excavations under this and its later adaptations have helped provide more information about the town's development over the centuries.

St Martin's Street takes its name from the medieval church of St Martin, the cemetery of which lies buried beneath the new Waitrose.

Excavations by Northampton Archaeology from 2004-06 excavated more than 300 burials, ranging from the 10th century to the 14th.

The presence of the cemetery was known from an 18th century description of 'dung-cart loads' of skeletons being unearthed during building works!

The more recent excavations included a pierced pilgrim's shell – the symbol of St James of Compostella – buried round the neck of a 10th century Saxon, who may well have visited the saint's shrine in Spain.

Small silver Saxon hooks to hold a linen shroud in place were also discovered (all displayed in Wallingford Museum).

TWHAS arranged for all the exhumed skeletons to be reburied in Wallingford cemetery in 2014 with due Roman Catholic ceremony.

Further along St Martin's Street on the old Regal Cinema forecourt, a TWHAS excavation led by Pat Granados in 1980, guided by Brian Durham of the OAU, revealed a sequence of occupation from modern times back to the 10th/11th century.

There was a 19th century well (much too close for comfort to an earlier cess-pit!), a 17th century fire-place, medieval rubbish pits, and, finally, a late Saxon well and the post-holes of a substantial late Saxon building, set at right-angles to the street.

These now all lie beneath the Wallingford Bookshop and neighbouring properties.

So it's perhaps not surprising that more early houses are being discovered beneath the old Waitrose site – St Martin's Street has been an important thoroughfare for more than 1,000 years!

We'll look forward to watching the progress of the current excavations.