Monument record MCC539 - 1st century defensive ditch of the Roman Colonia, Colchester
Summary
Location
| Grid reference | TL 99221 25153 (point) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | TL92NE |
| 1848 Parish | ST PETER |
| Non Parish Area | COLCHESTER, COLCHESTER, ESSEX |
Map
Type and Period (2)
Full Description
A large defensive ditch dated to the years immediately after the Boudican destruction of the Colony.
At the Balkerne Lane excavations the ditch was located at various points over a distance of 138m along the west side of the town. The ditch was observed to cut the backfill of the earlier ditch (MCC478) and also cut across the sites of several buildings (MCC499, MCC516 and MCC517) destroyed in the Boudican fire of AD60/1. No trace of a rampart survived.
At Balkerne Lane the ditch was sectioned in one place only where it was found to be 5.5m wide x 3.3m deep.
At Balkerne Lane the ditch was shown to have been backfilled c.80 AD.<1>
During observation of a pipe trench in Castle Park (ECC375), 1983, a shallow, early ditch was revealed sealed by the Roman street between Insula 7 and 15 (MCC1285). The ditch was at least 4.5m wide x 0.6m deep. The position of the ditch suggested that it could be the Flavian town ditch, 'although...the ditch did not seem to be deep enough and the evidence must be viewed as inconclusive.'<2>
Excavations at 44 North Hill (ECC658)<3> and in the garden of Logarth (ECC940)<4> have revealed a V-shaped ditch running parallel to the town wall which may have been the same as the ditch discovered at Balkerne Lane.<5>
Sources/Archives (5)
- <1> SCC100 Monograph: Crummy, Philip. 1981. CAR 3: Excavations at Lion Walk, Balkerne Lane and Middleborough, Colchester, Essex. 3. p.110, p.115.
- <2> SCC101 Monograph: Crummy, Philip. 1992. CAR 6: Excavations at Culver Street, the Gilberd School, and other sites in Colchester 1971-85. 6. p.371.
- <3> SCC73042 Article in serial: Dunnett, B.R.K.. 1971. Excavations in Colchester, 1964-8. Transactions of the Essex Archaeological Society Vol. 3, Part 1. pp.43-44.
- <4> SCC183 Article in serial: Dunnett, B.R.K.. 1966. Excavations on North Hill, Colchester. 123:1. p.29.
- <5> SCC100 Monograph: Crummy, Philip. 1981. CAR 3: Excavations at Lion Walk, Balkerne Lane and Middleborough, Colchester, Essex. 3. p.3.
Finds (0)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (4)
- Event - Intervention: Balkerne Lane Excavations, Colchester, 1973-6 (Ref: ECC332) (ECC332)
- Event - Intervention: Excavation along Castle Park Sewer, Colchester, 1983 (Ref: ECC375) (ECC375)
- Event - Intervention: Excavation at Logarth, West Stockwell Street, Colchester, 1963/4 (Ref: ECC940) (ECC940)
- Event - Intervention: Excavations at 44 North Hill, Colchester, 1967 (Ref: ECC658) (ECC658)
Record last edited
Dec 8 2016 2:47PM