The temple was excavated during Easter 1959 by B. Blake and the Colchester Archaeological Group (ECC686). At that time the site appeared as a foot high low mound, approximately 50ft. in diameter with a narrow ridge running from it to the south east and continuing around on two sides which was thought to be a precinct wall.
The site was first investigated by small boys who had dug into the mound revealing fragments of Roman building material and a tessellated pavement 'in situ'. The pavement was also observed and reported by Mr and Mrs D. Merson of North Station Road (ECC2305).
Excavation revealed a solidly built podium of septaria and tile which was 2ft. thick and had an overall width of 36ft. Two concentric square walls were found, the outer 4ft. 4ins. in width and the inner 2ft. thick. Both walls had been robbed for stone down to the top of their footing levels and the coarse red tessellated pavement of the 'ambulatory' formed a corridor between them. The outer wall was at least partly faced in marble.
The temple cella was dated to the second half of the 1st century AD. Below the building was an earlier timber structure (MCC1777).<1> This stone temple cella is Philip Crummy's Temple 4. The temenos wall was also traced (MCC1781) and a second, smaller temple building was uncovered situated on the north east side of the first (MCC1783).<2>