Beneath the bustling heart of Leicester, England, archaeologists have unearthed a 2,000-year-old prison hidden under the city’s historic Market Place. What began as a routine excavation for urban redevelopment has turned into one of the most significant discoveries in recent UK archaeology. The dig, led by the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS), is part of a £7.5 million project by Leicester City Council to create a new market square. The team uncovered the long-lost Gainsborough Chamber—a medieval civic building first recorded in 1533, infamous for its “vile prison.” They also discovered layers of Roman and Anglo-Saxon life, artifacts, and even a Roman infant burial, offering an extraordinary window into centuries of human history lying silently beneath the modern marketplace.
Unearthing 2,000-year-old history beneath a busy marketplace
At the centre of the discovery is the Gainsborough Chamber, demolished around 1748 but now partially restored in the archaeological record. Historical texts describe it as a “most vile prison,” where harsh conditions likely made it infamous in medieval Leicester. Archaeologists uncovered its thick stone walls, a stone-lined well, and remnants of the dungeon, confirming the building’s architectural and civic importance. According to historian Charles Billson, a prisoner in 1533 described being chained, lying on hard planks, and receiving no comfort or company, highlighting the dungeon’s grim reputation. Gavin Speed, the lead archaeologist, emphasized that this area of Leicester had remained largely untouched until the current excavation, making the discovery even more remarkable.
Layers of Roman life
The excavation revealed a wealth of Roman-era remains, including a timber building later replaced by a stone structure. Artifacts such as Roman tesserae, pottery, coins, and jewellery help reconstruct daily life in ancient Leicester. A particularly poignant find was the burial of a Roman infant beneath the timber structure, likely around 1,900 years ago, providing a glimpse into family life and customs from nearly two millennia ago. The later stone building was constructed directly over the earlier timber house, showing how the city evolved over time. These findings underscore Leicester’s long-standing significance as a Roman settlement and trade hub.
Anglo-Saxon and medieval insights
Beneath the medieval layers, archaeologists uncovered a thick Anglo-Saxon soil layer, shedding light on a little-understood period in Leicester’s history. Compacted pebbles, overlain by silts and successive resurfacing layers, revealed nearly 800 years of continuous market activity. Post-holes from medieval market stalls offer rare physical evidence of the city’s commercial past. Dr. Speed described the site as “like a slice through an archaeological cake,” showing how each layer represents a different generation of market activity and urban life. These discoveries reveal how Leicester’s central square continuously adapted to social and economic changes, blending Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and medieval influences across centuries.
A marketplace built over history
The dig confirms Leicester’s role as a historic trade centre, with layers of activity preserved beneath the modern square. The city council plans to repave the market in porphyry by the end of 2026 but hopes to display some of the archaeological finds to the public. Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby highlighted that the expertise of ULAS has revealed how the site has been used for thousands of years, from Roman settlers to Victorian traders. While shoppers walk above, centuries of human history remain hidden just below their feet, from infant burials to bustling medieval markets.
