Monument record MCC7818 - Colchester - Headgate (site of)

Summary

Possible site of Roman Head Gate.

Location

Grid reference TL 9940 2498 (point)
Map sheet TL92SE
Non Parish Area COLCHESTER, COLCHESTER, ESSEX

Map

Type and Period (2)

Full Description

Possible site of Roman Head Gate. It would find a road running diagonally on the line of Butt Road (which has large Roman cemeteries on both sides). The fact that the Balkerne Gate was blocked in the C3 lends weight to this theory. OS could report no definite remains found (but see below). <1> <2> Hull list late C19 and early C20 observations on trenching when walls were noted but concludes that no definite remains of a Roman Head Gate had been proved. Wheeler and Laver (source 4) were in favour of a Roman date thinking that the main Roman road was diverted at some time in the late Roman period from Balkerne Gate to Head Gate. According to source 5 Head Gate was demolished in 1753 - Hull states that this is the only source for this date. <3> - <6> <10> Parts of a Roman gate were finally found in 1988 in part of the NE corner. Little is still known of the ground plan butusing tyhe width of the Roman Head Street and widths known from other gates it is suggested that the gate had two arches. However Morant and Speed show a single arch in their plans of Colchester when the gate still stood. Further excavation only can resolve the issue. <7> <8> <9>

Sources/Archives (10)

  • <1> DESC TEXT: Priddy, DA. unknown. SMR.
  • <2> RECORD SHEET/FORM: Ordnance Survey. unknown. OS cards. TL92NE4.16, 1976.
  • <3> DESC TEXT: Hull, MR. 1958. Roman Colchester. pp59-60.
  • <4> DESC TEXT: Wheeler, REM and Laver, PG. 1919. Roman Colchester. Vol 19, p151.
  • <5> DESC TEXT: Laver, H. 1893. DESC TEXT by Laver, H. manuscript book note.
  • <6> DESC TEXT: Trans Essex Archaeological Soc. 1815. Trans Essex Archaeol Soc. Vol 13, p107.
  • <7> DESC TEXT: Crummy, P. 1988. Colchester's Town Walls. No 2, pp7-8.
  • <8> Map: Morant, P. 1748. History of Colchester.
  • <9> Map: Speed. 1610. MAP by Speed.
  • <10> DESC TEXT: RCHME. 1922. An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Essex - Volume 3. Vol 3, p21.

Finds (1)

Protected Status/Designation

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (3)

Record last edited

Nov 3 2015 11:41AM

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