A trench was machine-dug by the contractors on 12th November 2014 to take the base of the helter-skelter. The trench was located within the new play area in the northern part of Upper Castle Park, and was approximately 1.6m square and 600-650mm deep. Three narrow arms, 900mm long, 400mm wide and 600mm deep, extended off this trench. Two small holes for additional supports for the helter-skelter were dug 350-375mm deep to the east of the main trench. <1> Roman deposits were not reached in the trenches dug by the contractors in the new play area to take the base of the helter-skelter. A thick layer of dark greyish-brown, post-Roman topsoil or ‘dark earth’ (L16) was exposed in the lower part of the trench. The ‘dark earth’ (L16) was reached at a depth of approximately 350mm below the modern ground level, and continued below the bottom of the trench at 600-650mm below the modern ground level. A large modern concrete base was removed from the central part of the main trench during machining, and some modern disturbance was observed in the area around the concrete. It was perhaps associated with a former nursery building on the site. The post-Roman topsoil (L16) was sealed by a layer of light yellowish-brown modern make-up (L15), approximately 300mm thick. This was probably added to raise the ground level during the creation of the new play area in 2011. A thin layer of modern plastic matting was laid on the top of L15, and turf had grown on this. A small quantity of finds was noted in the spoil from the trench. These probably came mainly from the post-Roman topsoil (L16), and included modern potsherds, a small Roman grey ware sherd, a fragment of clay pipe stem, a piece of modern window glass, and some undiagnostic fragments of brick/tile. These were not retained, although further details are available in the site archive.