An archaeological evaluation at Area E of Colchester Garrison was carried out in May 2004 as part of a programme of archaeological evaluation of areas of alienated land in advance of residential development. Area E comprised a 1.32ha area located to the west of Mersea Road and to the east of Circular Road East and the Abbey Field.<1><2> Four trial trenches were excavated, around the edges of Area E. The Roman activity was concentrated in Trenches E1 and E2 (north and east trenches) and included demolition material and robbed-out wall lines of a building (of at least two, successive phases - an early timber-framed building had been replaced by a building with masonry wall foundations, which was itself subsequently robbed-out) surrounded by a large enclosure ditch, both aligned E to W. The occurrence of opus signinum, pieces of tegula and imbrex, flue tile and tessera cubes would indicate that the building on the site was fairly substantial in form, with masonry walls, a tiled roof, a paved courtyard and metalled road/trackway and a hypocaust heating system. Pottery-dating evidence from the enclosure ditches and structural features/layers date the occupation of this site from the late 1st/early 2nd to the mid/late 3rd century, with no evidence that it continued in use beyond this date. The building is interpreted as a Roman villa/farmstead that operated as an administrative centre for the agricultural land within which it was set. Other Roman features included two pits, a post-hole and a stake hole. It is uncertain if any of these features are associated with the Roman farmstead. Three pottery vessels were found in the fill of the enclosure ditch. They may have been disturbed from nearby burials (although no in-situ burials were identified on the site). Six World War II air-raid bunkers were found intact and in a row parallel to Mersea Road at the eastern edge of Area E. A second phase of evaluation of Area E was undertaken in 2011 (CAT report 607). <3>