A small trial-trench was excavated to the rear of 36 North Hill (Byron’s Yard), Colchester, in advance of a new house (CBC planning application F/COL/01/1964). A single trench was excavated measuring 4.3 x 1.5m. As no archaeological features were exposed, the trench was dug to 1.2m below modern ground-level, with a deeper section at the northern end to test the depth of natural ground. However, three leather shoes which are thought to date from the 15th or 16th century were found preserved near the bottom of the trench. None of the shoes soles were within any discernable features and one was found in a layer containing modern material. All the leather shoe soles were found on the interface of L3 and L5 and were not within any discernible features, c.1.10m below below ground-level. Roman roof tile and tesserae were found residually. It would appear that underlying Roman and medieval remains have been disturbed by 19th and 20th-century activity. <1>