A watching brief (ECC1289) held during construction work (during the excavation of a large basement on the W side of the site) on the Royal London Insurance building at Middleborough in 1979 revealed (the base of) a well-preserved timber-lined Roman well (F1020) which was one of three from the site with MCC470 and MCC471.

Most of the well had been dug away by contractors so that only the two lowest stages survived where, because of water logging, the timber work was well preserved. The structure was well designed and made of oak boards. The well was probably originally of six stages which would have brought it level with the nearby Roman kiln (MCC416). The lowest stage was set into the water-bearing gravel and contained a fill with pottery indicating a date of mid 2nd to 3rd century for its abandonment.<1>