Monument record MCC349 - Roman street between Insula 9a & 17a, the Gilberd School, Colchester

Summary

Roman east-west street discovered along the northern margin of the Gilberd School Site, 1984-5.

Location

Grid reference Centred TL 9928 2530 (31m by 4m) (3 map features)
Map sheet TL92NE
1848 Parish ST PETER
Non Parish Area COLCHESTER, COLCHESTER, ESSEX

Map

Type and Period (2)

Full Description

During the Gilberd School excavations in 1984-5 (ECC340), an east - west street was discovered laid out to the north of a timber-framed building (MCC340) 'probably on the early colonial alignment'. A 0.15m thick layer of street metalling forming the southern edge of the street was excavated and further traces of metalling were observed in a contractor's trench 3m to the west. A possible drainage gully (MCC341) alongside the street was noted as was a slot further south which may have held a revetment. The existence of a footway between these two features was suggested by patches of gravel which appeared to have been burnt in the Boudican destruction AD 60/1.

Further street metalling was excavated in a trench to the west and a substantial length (approximately 3.6m) of metalling, 0.25m thick, was observed in a contractors trench to the south of this.

In the period following the Boudican destruction the street continued in use and a substantial layer of metalling was excavated with possibly an earlier surface which sealed thick layers of make-up. Several layers of street metalling were also recorded in the trench to the west.<1>

A layer of compacted gravel, slightly over 2m in length was exposed in a contractors trench during the building of a extension at the 6th Form College in 1997. This was probably street metalling, which on the basis of the 1984-5 excavations belonged to the street junction between Insula 9 and 17. The metalling consisted of 0.3m of compact gravel overlying 0.1m of gravely sand make-up, which in turn sealed natural sand.<2>

Sources/Archives (2)

  • <1> Monograph: Crummy, Philip. 1992. CAR 6: Excavations at Culver Street, the Gilberd School, and other sites in Colchester 1971-85. 6. p.135.
  • <2> Evaluation Report: Benfield, Stephen (CAT). 1997. AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION AT ELD LANE, COLCHESTER.. 7/97G.

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Protected Status/Designation

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Related Events/Activities (2)

Record last edited

Oct 18 2016 3:34PM

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