A watching brief was maintained during the construction of the northern extension to the inner relief road from Middleborough roundabout to North Station Road in 1979. A new river channel was dug to direct the Colne slightly further south than its existing course. This required the excavation of a deep pit for two tunnels. During these excavations workmen noted an area of extensively burnt soil on the south bank of the river. Later finds of pre-Flavian pottery within the lowest silts of the river suggested the presence of a kiln. The sections of the tunnel pit provided much information about previous courses of the river and character of the various silts. Those attributable to the Roman period were of sand and gravel with some silt. The lowest of these layers contained the pottery included wasters and under fired sherds which were probably associated with a kiln.<1>