During excavations at Culver Street between 1981-2 & 1984-5 (ECC337), part of a Roman legionary barrack block (CAT Building 79) was excavated. The barracks were situated facing south on the west side of the via principalis (MCC760), and lay back to back with another barrack block (MCC754).

Prior to the construction of the barracks the area had been cleared of vegetation, topsoil and part of the underlying subsoil. Three early military pits and a line of stake holes may have predated the building.

The principal, load-bearing walls of the building were constructed on mortar plinths which probably supported a superstructure of sun-dried blocks of sandy-clay several of which were found within the Boudican destruction layers from the building. The plinths were set within construction trenches, dug into the natural sand.

The non-load bearing walls of the building were much narrower and were constructed on single timber ground-plates set within shallow slots. Some of the ground-plates survived as charred fragments. The internal walls were of 'stud-and-wattle' type.

The centurion's quarters were wider than those of the other barracks (MCC753 and MCC754) and had a major internal, load-bearing wall. Twelve rooms and a passage were identified within the building. One of the rooms had evidence of a wooden floor and was associated with a square latrine pit and a north-south timber drain suggesting it may have been a wash room. The drain was open next to the pit but every where else it was underground and appeared to exit the building beneath the southern wall of the barracks, where it presumably drained under the street.

Other internal features included: a hearth and several ovens. This is the only barrack block to provide evidence for the use of window glass.

Immediately to the south of the building were six postholes, each in their own post-pit situated along the north side of a drain (MCC765) and cut into the metalling of the street (MCC763). The pits may have been associated with a secondary structure tied to the roof trusses of the building.

Following the military abandonment of the Legionary fortress (MCC477) and the founding of the colonia in c.AD 49, the barrack building was occupied by civilians until its destruction during the fires of the Boudican revolt in AD 60/1. During this time some of the internal features went out of use, new floors were laid and new hearths were in use. During the period immediately after the Boudican revolt, at least two of the plinths were robbed out. <1>