Monument record MCC7878 - Colchester - Kent Blaxhill's

Summary

Roman architectural screen and colonnade found after a fire at `Kent Blaxhill's' premises.

Location

Grid reference TL 9984 2525 (point)
Map sheet TL92NE
Non Parish Area COLCHESTER, COLCHESTER, ESSEX

Map

Type and Period (4)

Full Description

Roman architectural screen and colonnade found after a fire at `Kent Blaxhill's' premises. Found by Hull, foundation 15ft wide bounding the S side of the courtyard of the temple of Claudius.<1> Part of the SW corner of Insula 22 was excavated in 1953 before rebuilding after a fire. The Roman work consisted of a continuous massive foundation, the platform for an architectural screen. The latter consisted of "massive piers and short walls set alternately". From pier to pier there had been arches of shaped voussirs in tile with thin walls inbetween piers. Columns were part attached to the piers, built of coursed masonry "largely using the special segmented tiles". The floor south of the screen and the walls (or some part of them) of the screen were cased in rubble. Architectural fragments and marble fragments were among the finds. South of the screen two drains, nearly parallel, were found, but not contemporary with each other. Both are interpreted by Hull as additional "to the first plan, whatever that was". Dating was problematic though Hull suggests that the evidence of reused material in the screen points to construction being interrupted by the Boudiccan destruction and continued later. No rubbish was deposited until the C4. Only two coins were found, both unstratified (one of * one of Claudius). <2> In his final report Hull suggests the screen was completed after the Boudiccan * and the reused material came from the destroyed temple.<3> Later work suggests that the temple was * in the late C1 and was rebuilt after a fire in the late C2. As part of the rebuilding the hitherto open * of the area were built up with thin walls with much reused material. Hull * * as originally forming recesses. Much of the decorative marble found on this and other sites in the precinct may be late C4, possibly from a reconstruction of the temple. Finds from the Kent Blaxhill site mentioned in this report include C4 pottery, eg, Nene Valley and Oxford Wares.<4>

Sources/Archives (4)

  • <1> DESC TEXT: unknown. 1960 0nwards. SMR form unknown.
  • <2> DESC TEXT: Hull, MR. 1958. Roman Colchester. p171-5.
  • <3> Article in serial: Hull, M.R.. 1955. The South Wing of the Roman 'Forum' at Colchester : Recent Discoveries. Essex Archaeological Society's Transactions Vol. XXV (New Series), Part 1, 24-61. NS, Vol 25, PArt 1, pp24-61.
  • <4> EXCAV REPORT: Drury, PJ. 1984. The Temple of Claudius at Colchester Reconsidered. Vol 15, p.34, 35, 40, 41, 46-49.

Finds (9)

Protected Status/Designation

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (1)

Record last edited

Nov 28 2016 3:39PM

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