Excavation prior to the construction of a day nursery. Trial trenches showed Roman material 0.7-0.8m below the surface. To protect deposits it was decided to erect the new building on a raft foundation. At the centre of the site of the new building was an E-W Roman street with Roman buildings to either side. To the S was a small patch of tessellated pavement (disturbed), probable robber trench, mortar floor and probable hearth. To the S were various foundations, robber trenches and mortar floor; the width of the walls are consistent with houses. The street had been dug away in variuos places by large post Roman pits. Several small post Medieval pits were also observed. A patch of metalling in the main trench was probably part of the N-S intervallum road behind the rampart. The position matches closely with the position of corresponding streets found on the opposite side of town at St Mary's Rectory. Human bones were found during the digging of the contractors cess pit; a small trench was excavated to recover bones for radiocarbon dating. Two shallow graves were uncovered - one adult, c.33-45 years in age, one a child of c.18mths. The bodies had been placed prone without coffins, the heads detached and placed between the legs. They probably date to c.AD200-500. <1>
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Site Assessment = The building was constructed on a raft foundation to protect buried deposits. <1>

A magnetomer and topographic survey was carried out in the grounds of East Hill House. A negative linear anomoly running N-S is possibly a street, revetment, or terrace.<5>