Approximately 8m south of Short Wyre Street, part of a large foundation (F4) was uncovered in the bottom of the trench. It extended for 1.3m north-south and was 1.05-1.15m below the modern ground-level. It was constructed of large blocks of septaria and some pieces of peg-tile set in a pale brown mortar. It sealed or was cut into natural sand (L8). The foundation was cleaned up but remained unexcavated and undamaged during the pipe-laying. It appeared to survive as two layers or courses of stone, or about 0.2m, deep. The foundation was probably part of the medieval remodelling of the South or St Botolph’s Gate. The peg-tile in F4 would be consistent with a date of around 1400 for the foundation, as there was extensive repair and refurbishment of the town wall at this time. The foundation F4 was sealed by an extensive deposit of robbing or demolition debris (F2; Sx 2b), which was 0.35-0.5m thick. <1>

Approximately 0.7m to the north of F4, a large stone-and mortar fragment (F3) protruded for 0.1m out from the eastern section of the trench. The fragment measured 0.5m north-south and was 0.25m thick. It lay just under 1m below the modern street-level. It appeared to be of similar construction to F4, and to be enveloped in robbing/demolition debris (F2). It was probably a redeposited fragment deriving from the South Gate.

A glazed potsherd in post-medieval red earthenware, of probable 17th- or 18th-century date, was recovered during the cleaning of F4. It possibly derives from the demolition or robbing debris F2. No other dating evidence was recovered from F2 or F3, although they presumably date from the time of the
demolition of F4, which was probably in 1817-18 (Hull 1958, 58).

Further traces of probable demolition debris (L9) were observed in the bottom of the trench to the south of F4. This was most marked between 1m and 3m south of F4. It was at least 0.25m thick and 0.9-1.15m+ below the modern street level. It differed from F2, consisting largely of pale brown mortar fragments and flecks, with fragments of peg-tile, septaria, and some Roman brick/tile and greensand. The mortar was sandy and looked medieval rather than Roman. Further to the south, L9 was cut by pits and service trenches. The mortar rubble L9 probably derives from the South Gate, although it could have come from a structure elsewhere, perhaps one on the St Botolph’s Street frontage.

There was no definite evidence for the Roman wall or gate seen in the trench.