An archaeological watching brief (rapid assessment and recording due to the speed and method of the development) was undertaken by Colchester Archaeological Trust in June 1996. A Roman greyware vessel, probably a cremation vessel although no bone was recovered, was discovered in the north-east part of the carpark. A Roman urned cremation G1, comprising a greyware jar containing crmeated bone and set in a pit and broadly dated between the 1st to 3rd centuries AD, was discovered in section in the southern part of the site. A spread of Roman pottery and tile was noted across a 100m area in the south-east part of the site, where disturbance was less. The watching brief followed a trial-trenched evaluation in April 1996 (ECC3487).<1>