Roman features and finds. Six test pits in the former tennis courts of the Colchester Institute produced a small quantity of residual Roman material (two pottery sherds spanning the 1st-early third century in date range and a small number of tile fragments). No deposits or substantial finds of archaeological significance were encountered to depths of 2m below present surface, however, 3 pits (nos. 9, 10 and 12) had a silt and sandy layer at about 6m OD containing preserved organic material in the form of wood/timber, one piece which appears to be a structural timber of medieval date. Trenches on the Colchester Institute playing fields demonstrated clear Roman deposits in water-logged deposits at about 1.2m below present ground surface in each trench. Features comprise a group at the east end of T1A and a probable ditch and spread of degraded mortar in T4D which contains fragments of red painted wall plaster. Finds include pottery of C1-C3 date; tile; bone charcoal; wood; structural timber and oyster shell. <1>