Eight boreholes were drilled on the site of a proposed Office block and multi-storey car park development (Royal London Insurance building) at Middleborough in Colchester. The boreholes were 200 and 150 mm nominal diameter and were drilled with shell and augur equipment to between 25 and 30 metres. Made ground varied in thickness from 4.2 metres in borehole 8 to 1.2 metres in borehole 2 and consisted generally of soft silty clay, gravel, tarmac, wood, metal, ashes and brick. Immediately below made ground the soil varied considerably, generally, from silty clay in boreholes 3,4,5 and 7 to peat with silty clay in boreholes 1,2 and 8. This stratum was not encountered in borehole 6. Below this the gravel stratum encountered varied in thickness from 7.6 metres in borehole 6 to 2.8 metres in borehole 1. Within the gravel stratum in borehole 6 some traces of peat were noticed between the depths of 7.5 m to 8.1 m. In borehole 8 the gravel stratum was not encountered. Beneath the gravely strata in boreholes 1-7 and beneath the peat layer in borehole 8 came a mixed sequence of silty to silty sandy clays and sands which often contained fine gravel in varying amounts. Additionally boreholes 1,2,3 and 8 encountered claystone bands of varying thickness. The sequence represents the London Clay formation in this area. High morning water levels (usually the most reliable) varied between 5.17 metres to 5.83 metres OD showing a standing water level that is very close to ground level.<1>