Site Event/Activity record ECC1217 - Watching brief at Telephone Exchange, West Stockwell Street, Colchester, 1975

Location

Location Telephone Exchange, West Stockwell Street, Colchester
Grid reference Centred TL 99519 25303 (12m by 11m)
Map sheet TL92NE
Non Parish Area COLCHESTER, COLCHESTER, ESSEX

Technique(s)

Organisation

Colchester Archaeological Trust Ltd

Date

September 1975

Map

Description

A watching brief was maintained during the construction of an extension on the south side of the main building. "Groundwork was limited to the digging of a single foundation trench for pillars to support an extension at first floor level. As a result of terracing during the construction of the telephone exchange, the ground to the north side of the trench was 0.8 metres lower than to the south. The south face of the trench formed an east west section, approximately 1.3 metres in depth. Beneath the concrete yard surfacing, in the uppermost 0.8 metres was a thick deposit of dark greyish brown sandy loam, probably of post-Roman date. This material was absent from the north side due to the earlier terracing which has reduced the ground level with the result that the yard surfacing at this point on the hill now lies directly on the Roman strata. The layers beneath the dark sandy loam were of distinctively Roman appearance and consisted of a thin deposit of olive loamy sand above a 25 mm thick spread of crumbly opus signinum which extended across the section for 3 metres without interruption. The opus signinum rested on a further layer of olive loamy sand which continued beyond the bottom of the trench."<1>

Sources/Archives (1)

  • <1> Monograph: Crummy, Philip. 1992. CAR 6: Excavations at Culver Street, the Gilberd School, and other sites in Colchester 1971-85. 6. p.815.

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Record last edited

Feb 11 2016 1:17PM

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