In July 1999, Colchester Archaeological Trust excavated (by hand) a 2 x 2.5m trench to a depth of 1m to establish the archaeological implications of a proposed church extension (15 x 10m in area) in St Botolph's priory grounds (CBC planning application COL/99/0617). The uppermost 60cm of the trench was occupied by modern deposits, sealing a thick layer of dark soil which extended beyond the bottom of the trench. Finds from the lowest exposed level of the dark soil indicate that its deposition occurred no earlier than the 19th century. <1>