Site Event/Activity record ECC812 - Excavation of Bastion V and bus-park, Queen Street, Colchester, 1931

Location

Location Priory Street and Queen Street, Colchester
Grid reference Centred TL 9998 2506 (23m by 62m)
Map sheet TL92NE
Non Parish Area COLCHESTER, COLCHESTER, ESSEX

Technique(s)

Organisation

Hull, M. R. H. (Rex)

Date

1931

Map

Description

Examination of external bastion of town wall, north of Priory Street in 1931.<1><2> Prior to the conversion of a large garden into a concrete parking area for the Eastern National Omnibus Company, it was possible to undertake an examination of the area north of Bastion V. In addition to examining the Bastion itself, the Roman town wall was examined and a single trench was cut from a point a few feet east of the Bastion northwards for 180 ft. Within the first 40 ft of the section discoveries included the town wall rampart and a Roman drain. 13 ft. 6 in. north of the drain was a septaria wall the top of which lay 5 ft. 6 in. from the surface. Other discoveries included the demolished walls of a wattle-and-daub/timber building and a deep rectangular pit. North of the wall were further traces of the earlier wattle-and-daub building, including five wall-slots containing mortar rubble. At 125 ft. from the town wall was an irregular deposit of gravel and a substantial wall slot over 2 ft. 6in. Wide and 6 ft. 6 in. from the surface. Southwards from this wall was a layer of mortar which may have been the foundation for a tessellated pavement. Hull interpreted the remains as representing two separate houses one of which may have been a courtyard house. <3><4>

Sources/Archives (4)

  • <1> Serial: Society for the promotion of Roman Studies. 1911-. Journal of Roman Studies. Vol XII, p.212.
  • <2> Unpublished document: 1931. SMR file: 1931 Town wall and Bastion V.
  • <3> Monograph: Hull, M. Rex. 1958. Roman Colchester: Reports of the Research Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of London. No. XX. p.51, p.54, pp.216-218.
  • <4> Unpublished document: 1931. SMR file: Queen Street, Pottery from long trench, 1931.

Related Monuments/Buildings (15)

  • Bastion 5, Town Wall, Colchester (Monument)
  • Rampart of the Roman town walls, Colchester (Monument)
  • Roman drain, Eastern National Bus Depot, Queen Street, Colchester (Element)
  • Roman features, Eastern National Bus Depot, Queen Street, Colchester (Element Group)
  • Roman tessellated pavement, Eastern National Bus Depot, Queen Street, Colchester (Element)
  • Roman wall (robbed out), Eastern National Bus Depot, Queen Street, Colchester (Element)
  • Roman wall, Eastern National Bus Depot, Queen Street, Colchester (Element)
  • Roman wall, Eastern National Bus Depot, Queen Street, Colchester (Element)
  • Roman wall, Eastern National Bus Depot, Queen Street, Colchester (Element)
  • Roman wall, Eastern National Bus Depot, Queen Street, Colchester (Element)
  • Roman wall, Eastern National Bus Depot, Queen Street, Colchester (Element)
  • Roman wall, Eastern National Bus Depot, Queen Street, Colchester (Element)
  • Roman wall, Eastern National Bus Depot, Queen Street, Colchester (Element)
  • Roman wall, Eastern National Bus Depot, Queen Street, Colchester (Element)
  • Town Wall, Colchester (Monument)

Record last edited

Oct 29 2018 12:46PM

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