During excavations at Culver Street between 1981-2 and 1984-5 (ECC337), a late medieval cellar (CAT Building 130) was excavated. The cellar fronted onto Head Street and lay under Headgate House (No's 44-8 Head Street). The cellar had been backfilled during alterations to Headgate House in the 1960's.
The cellar measured 4.5 m x 11.55m internally. The east wall was missing. The walls were constructed of roughly coursed ragstone and tile (peg-tile and re-used Roman material). They were thickly white washed. The north wall contained three niches with pointed heads formed of peg-tile. In the south wall was a socket.
Construction of the cellar probably dates to the 13th to 15th centuries. A small doorway and niche or window were added in the 16th or 17th century. The jambs were made of soft hand-made brick. These were bricked up in the 19th or 20th century and the east wall was demolished and various additions were built in brick.
The cellar had to be temporarily emptied out during groundworks for the new precinct but it was then backfilled again and should survive 'more or less intact'.<1>