Roman town of COlchester - the E-W street S of the High Street. This street starts in the W at the postern gate at St Mary's Steps, but nothing is seen on this line until the Public Library. At TL 99392514, in 1936 a trench for a water main was cut along the W kerb of Head Street and the appearance of an E-W street was noticed at the end of Church Street North. The position is 90ft N of the expected line if this is a road at all. It is possibly not a town street, but one of the several 18ft roads found outside the walls and which seem to have been laid down before the colonia was planned, possibly in connection with an early military layout. Alternatively its resemblance to a metalled road may be quite deceptive. AT TL 99512509, in 1938-9 basements for the Public Library were excavated (see also 13024, 13072) and the work watched for the Museum by EJ Rudsdale. The NW corner of the boundary wall of insula 35 was found thus fixing the position of two streets. Altogether some 40ft of the metalling of the E-W road was exposed and it was 29ft wide between the walls of insulae 27 and 35. It was pierced by a number of recent rubbish pits. Plan in this source. <1> AT TL 99862511 in 1928 when the Wire Street arcade was built remains of a Roman road were exposed between insulae 30 and 38 at a point 70ft S of the expected line. The gravel metalling was much damaged and entirely destroyed at the W end. It was pierced by numerous pits and holes of later date so it was difficult to find its exact width and line. "It is about 20ft wide, made of rammed gravel, with a cobbled surface, 1-1.5ft thick at the camber". At one point it was observed to run over the foundation of an earlier building and coins, including one of Carausius, were found under it. "We may expect to find an earlier street lying more to the north". <1> <2> <3>