A cobbled street over 150 years old unearthed by archaeologists investigating the site of a 12th Century Knights Templar mill on the edge of the London 2012 VeloPark site is to be reused in the Olympic Park design.
The Knights Templar – or the Order of the Temple – was founded after the First Crusade of 1096. They ensured the safe passage of the many Europeans who made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem after its conquest. They were one of the most famous Western Christian military orders and existed for approximately two centuries in the Middle Ages.
The Museum of London Archaeological Services and Pre-Construct Archaeology team believe the street may be part of the original Temple Mills lane, in the western area of a more recent mill complex that was demolished in 1854 before being covered by thousands of tonnes of rubbish and rubble over the last 150 years.
Once recorded by the Museum of London archaeologists the cobbles will be carefully dug up and stockpiled so they can be reused by parkland designers in the Olympic Park being created for the Games and legacy, which will be the largest new urban park in the UK since the Victorian era.
–www.london2012.com.