Chesterton Lane Hoard found 2000

Cambridge Core & Flower Trail, Chesterton Avenue

History of Cambridge Core and Flower Trail

Starting outside St John’s College in Bridge Street and carrying on to Magdalene College are 600 brass flowers in the pavement.  They were designed by Michael Fairfax and lead towards Magdalene College passed bollard also designed by the same artist. They lead up to an 11.5-foot bronze column on the corner of  Magdalene Street facing Castle Hill, known as ‘Cambridge Core.’ This commemorates a treasure trove of 1,800 gold and silver medieval coins, now in the Fitzwilliam Museum, found by Anglian Water workers. (See p.86 111 Places in Cambridge That You Shouldn’t Miss)

The hoard, with a face value of just over £10, was buried shortly after the Black Death. Until 1344 most people used silver pennies, but after 1350 higher value coins such as the groat (4d), assumed a larger role. The coins were found during excavations by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit in 2000.