A small archaeological excavation was undertaken by Colchester Archaeological Trust in October 1999 on the Hythe Hill frontage, directly opposite St Leonard's Church.<1> The excavation was limited to investigation within footing trenches for a new building fronting onto Hythe Hill, and it produced an overall sample of the archaeological sequences across the site areas, but it did not allow the establishment of clear overall building plans. A very few finds suggest the possibility of prehistoric activity, while small quantities of Roman building materials and pottery indicate Roman occupation in the area. There was certainly activity on the site in the late medieval period from the late 11th 12th century, represented by a number of pits, while a few small pits or post-holes could indicate a building. During the post-medieval period, probably until the 17th century, the street frontage was built up and occupied by a series of timber-framed buildings, probably three properties, set on mortared plinths with internal clay floors and gravelled yards to the rear. One building may have had a tiled floor. While these properties appear to have been domestic, there is evidence for two phases of industrial activity associated with one of them, the earlier phase of which is thought to represent iron-working, probably blacksmithing, and may represent a workshop fronting onto Hythe Hill. That at least one building appears to have had its long axis parallel to the road suggests that there was little development pressure on the available land for building in this area. The archaeological sequence is comparable to that from the adjacent 1994-95 excavation at 79 Hythe Hill, though there the road frontage was developed earlier, during the 16th century. The excavation followed an earlier archaeological evaluation undertaken by Colchester Archaeological Trust.<2>