Five evaluation trenches (135m in total length) were excavated by Colchester Archaeological Trust in advance of the construction of a new medical centre, Tollgate west, London Road, Stanway, Colchester. One archaeological feature was observed during the evaluation; a shallow pit of unknown date and function.<1> The topsoil (Layer or L1) was very compact and covered all five trenches. The depth was uniform at 30-35cm, except in Trench 4 where the depth was 15cm. In all trenches except Trench 4, the topsoil lay directly above undisturbed subsoil (L2, L3). In Trench 4, the topsoil lay above redeposited subsoil (L4), 35cm thick, which in turn sealed the undisturbed subsoil. A shallow pit (Feature or F2) was defined in T1, which contained fragments of indeterminate burnt clay and very small charcoal flecks, and in Trench 5 there was a modern field-drain. The function of pit F2 is unknown, and the quantity and condition of the burnt clay was too poor to allow dating.