Five small evaluation trenches were excavated, four to the north of the present Mercury Flats, and one to the south (ie on the Mecury Theatre side). All five trenches showed that the highest siginficant deposits were Roman in date, and lay at (no higher than) 1.50m below modern ground on the south side of the site, and between 0.70-1.00m below modern ground on the north side of the site. In terms of absolute heights AOD, the top of the Roman deposits was below 31.38m on the south side of the site, and between 31.62m and31.97m AOD on the north side. As well as a number of modern, post-medieval and medieval features and layers, the archaeological remains exposed included two in situ Roman walls (one partially robbed), a Roman mortared structure (either a floor or a wall), several Roman floor and dump layers and a complete Roman pot probably buried as a foundation deposit. A large quantity of Roman material (brick and tile, pottery, animal bone, etc) was recovered from the site including three late Roman coins. <1>