An L-shaped trial trench (30m in total length) was excavated by Colchester Archaeological Trust on the site of a new student services building. <1> In T1, two layers were removed by machine - modern turf and imported topsoil L1, which was 130-230mm thick, and the underlying earlier topsoil L2, which was 450-600mm thick. L2 sealed a Roman demolition horizon (L3). The combined thickness of both layers above Roman deposits was 700mm. The evaluation was halted at this level. The top of a concrete WWII air raid shelter at the southern end of the N-S arm of T1. Finds from L3 included fragments of Roman box-tile, tesserae and painted wall plaster. A coin of George II was recovered from L2.