During the excavations at Balkerne Lane between 1973-6 (ECC332) a Roman strip-house (CAT Building 40) was discovered. This was one of several buildings (MCC493, MCC495, MCC496) of similar type built along a common frontage outside the west gate of the abandoned Legionary fortress during the early years of the Colonia. It is not clear how far back from the frontage the building extended.

The building had floors and walls of daub. Most of the walls seem to have been of stud-and-wattle type although some walls which survived to a height of a few centimetres had no studs and may have been of the daub-block type. The buildings plan remains unclear but the house may have been up to 40m long. The building was destroyed during the Boudican revolt.<1>