Site Event/Activity record ECC950 - Excavation at Telephone Exchange, West Stockwell Street, Colchester, 1963

Location

Location Nunn's Road, West Stockwell Street, Colchester
Grid reference Centred TL 9949 2535 (21m by 39m)
Map sheet TL92NE
County ESSEX
Non Parish Area COLCHESTER, COLCHESTER, ESSEX

Technique(s)

Organisation

Colchester Archaeological Research Group

Date

Winter 1963/1964

Map

Description

Section excavated by the Archaeological Research Group under the direction of Mr J. Blythe. The section was dug ahead of the construction of an extension to the Telephone Exchange (Telephone Managers Office). The section was dug across the north-south Roman street which runs between Insula 10 and 11. A vaulted tile/masonry drain was found to run along the roads west side.<1> This was flanked on the west by masonry foundations which overlay burnt clay walls, probably of Claudian date. <2> A letter dated 8/10/1963 gives permission to Mr Blythe for the Essex Archaeological Society to help in the NCP car park excavations (see EVT3138). A letter dated 14th/10/1963 from D. T. D. Clarke asks Mr Blythe to cease his current excavations. In reply Mr Blythe wrote on the 19/10/1963 that he had recorded the exposed remains and backfilled the trench. <3> The remains are shown on a plan of the site. <4> Crummy states that 'in 1963 the Archaeological Research Group under the direction of Mr J. Blyth found in Insula 10 a deep north-south ditch filled mostly with clean sand and sealed by a layer of Boudican destruction debris'. <5> See also EVT125.

Sources/Archives (6)

  • <1> Article in serial: Dunnett, B.R.K.. 1966. Excavations on North Hill, Colchester. 123:1. p27.
  • <2> DESC TEXT: Dunnett, B. Rosalind. K.. 1971. Inventory of Roman Colchester (unpublished MA thesis). Insula 2.
  • <3> Unpublished document: 1963-1965. SMR file: North Hill, 1965. NCP car park.
  • <4> DRAWING - PLAN: Blake, Brian P.. 25/11/1964. Telephone Manager Office Site, 1964.
  • <5> Monograph: Crummy, Philip. 1992. CAR 6: Excavations at Culver Street, the Gilberd School, and other sites in Colchester 1971-85. 6. p.5.
  • <6> Serial: The Essex Society for Archaeology and History. 1889. Vol. 3 (New Series) Transactions of the Essex Archaeological Society. Vol. III. p7.

Related Monuments/Buildings (5)

  • Roman building, North Hill, Colchester (Monument)
  • Roman drain, Telephone Exchange Site (Insula 10), West Stockwell Street, Colchester (Element)
  • Roman north-south ditch (Element)
  • Roman street, Colchester (Monument)
  • Roman wall, Telephone Exchange (Insula 10), West Stockwell Street, Colchester (Element)

Record last edited

Feb 9 2016 8:01AM

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