Note in Wire's Diary, 25-11-1842; "A labourer .. pulling down the Bear Public House, corner of High Street and East Stockwell Street informs us that in digging for the new house on the spot, a Roman pavement was discovered composed of different coloured tesserae, which shared the same fate as others found here ... broken up and the tesserae were taken away by the proprieter, Mr Catchpool". Entry in 5-1-43 notes that the pavement was reported to be 6ft below the surface, 3ft long and 6" wide. Entry for 29-3-43; "when digging a cellar for the house where the Bear Inn stood, some Roman brass coins were found of the Constantine family" and in 13-1-45; Mr Clark, bricklayer informs me when digging to enlarge the cellar of the Bear Inn ... he came upon a circular building between 20 and 30 ft in diameter. In consequence of the almost impossibility of breaking it up the cellar was left at its original depth". The building may have been an apse. <1> Other ref. <2> <3>