History of 500-year-old churchyard revealed

Builder William Branson (right) and a colleague pictured in 1951 building the ornamental wall that formed the square at St Katherine's Gardens

The history of a former churchyard dating back more than 500 years has been revealed on new signs at the garden which now sits in its location.

St Katherine's Churchyard was located in St Katherine's Gardens in Northampton until about 1945.

A chapel once stood on the site in the 1450s to commemorate plague victims and a new church was built in the 1800s, but was later demolished.

Bob Purser from Northampton Town Council said the gardens had "a fascinating history".

The signs tell the history of the gardens, churchyard, chapel and church

The signs were paid through a £10,000 National Lottery grant given to Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID).

The town council researched the churchyard's history while local historians Avril and Michael Sharp and Don Kennedy provided some additional information and photos.

The church was replaced with a memorial square in 1951, complete with an ornamental wall that still stands today.

The memorial wall in the gardens still stands

Mr Purser said: "Thanks to recent renovation works, the garden provides a peaceful green space in the town centre, and I hope that people enjoy learning more about its past when they next visit."

The signs are the latest stage of a restoration project at the park, organised by the town council and the BID.

Mark Mullen, of the BID, said they will also be installing "additional seating areas and will also be commissioning artists to work on further murals on the surrounding perimeter walls".

The gardens sit in between shops, offices, and a hotel