The proposed redevelopment of the cattlemarket as the new headquarters of the Royal London not only necessitated the recording of the threatened archaeological remains on the site but also provided an opportunity to test the archaeological potential of the area.
Excavations began in January 1978. and it soon became clear that the archaeological remains were extensive and of great interest. There are three distinct periods of occupation. On the east side, fronting onto present day Middleborough, are two medieval houses ; scattered over the central part of the site is a group of medieval kilns; and on the west is a Roman house fronting onto a gravelled street running in a north-westerly direction from the north gate of the Roman town (where the Roman wall crosses the bottom of North Hill). <1>