Medieval Coventry is working with MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) to examine the possibilities of publishing the results from the nationally important 1988-89 Bayley Lane excavations.

The site, behind 19^th century Drapers’ Hall, includes the footprint of the west side of the ‘Great Drapery’, the second largest cloth, wool and linen market in Medieval England outside London. The covered market originally consisted of 35 shops on two levels from Bayley Lane to Earl Street, where 19^th century St Mary Street is located today. Recent development of Drapers’ Hall involved further excavation of the area by MOLA in 2019 and offered the opportunity to combine the results of the two excavation results.

Of particular interest are the soil samples from the 1980s dig, which contain environmental evidence in exceptional preservation, with the potential to inform us about the relationship between Coventry’s medieval citizens and their natural environment, environmental change in Warwickshire and the importance of the Rover Sherbourne to craft and industry in Coventry.