During the excavations at Balkerne Lane between 1973-6 (ECC332) a Roman strip-house (CAT Building 41) was discovered. This was one of several buildings (MCC493, MCC494, 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. One collapsed east-west partition wall was recovered with its ground-plate surviving in situ as charcoal. Some charred cereals were also found in the remains of the this building (see ECC1869). The buildings plan remains unclear. The building was destroyed during the Boudican revolt.<1>