An evaluation was carried out in order to assess the impact of the proposed redevelopment on the archaeological remains at the former Maternity Home, Lexden Road. The evaluation consisted of a series of five machine-dug trenches in the open areas to the north and south of the redundant hospital buildings. At the northern end of the site, the trenches were shallow as much of the post-Roman topsoil had been terraced away in this area. Recent services prevented the full excavation of trench 1 and necessitated the offset at the west end of trench 5. The main features revealed in trenches 1,4 and 5 were large pits of Roman date which were left unexcavated. Two small Roman pits or postholes were half-sectioned and a small quantity of redeposited cremated bone was recovered from another feature. Trenches at the rear of the site were slightly deeper than those at the front as the post-Roman topsoil survived to a greater depth and in places sealed a mixed layer of reworked subsoil and overlay undisturbed subsoil. No definite Roman features were uncovered and an although an undated shallow gully was possibly of Roman date or even earlier. There was however an abundance of gravel at the interface of topsoil and subsoil in trench 3 which may have derived from Roman street metalling. A late medieval or post-Medieval pit was also discovered in Trench 3. <1><2>