Archaeological dig starts at Grafton Centre redevelopment site

A team of archaeologists have started digging into the history of the Kite area of Cambridge before the significant works to renovate the centre and turn part of it into a new science hub begin later in 2025.

While much of the archaeological record in the area was erased by the construction of the Grafton Centre in the 1980s, finds in the wider vicinity include Bronze Age food vessels, an Iron Age burial site, Saxon jewellery, and medieval rubbish pits.

The site was also previously developed as an area of housing known as the Kite in the nineteenth century, with historic maps showing a Baptist Church, four pubs, three breweries, and two schools on the land now occupied by the Grafton Centre.

Yvonne Robertson from AOC Archaeology said:

“The redevelopment of the Grafton Centre gives us an opportunity to dig into the history of the neighbourhood. People have lived in Cambridge for more than 2100 years – from prehistoric settlement, to a Roman fort, a Viking camp, then a thriving medieval town and an important modern city.

“If we find any material remains here, our archaeologists will clean and record it to determine how significant it is and what further work is required. We will report back to the public about what we find, and how that deepens our understanding of what life was like in Cambridge in the past.”

The dig site will cover what was previously the carpark for Abbeygate House on Burleigh Place, and will be protected by hoardings from the start of April.