National Grid Ref.

TQ32558148 

Organisation

MOLAS 

Type of fieldwork

excavation 

Archaeological periods

Roman, Saxon?, Medieval, Post-Medieval/16th century?, 17th century, 18th century, 19th century 

Summary

London Archaeologist Round-up 2005: A sequence of Roman occupation was revealed above the natural gravels, starting with building construction, probably of barns or sheds. At least some were replaced with three timber-lined wells. Ditches were excavated and may represent land divisions. The entire Roman sequence was characterized by pitting, for brickearth and gravel extraction, or for domestic refuse. In the SE corner of the site some pits contained large amounts of glass production material. A single infant burial and disarticulated human bone was recovered from a ditch fill. Post-Roman consolidation and levelling deposits were recorded across the site succeeded, at the W end, by the remains of a possible Saxo-Norman clay and timber building. Its disuse was sealed (and the rest of the site) by more consolidation and levelling. Increased activity on the site in the 12th c was then indicated by a number of pits, mainly for domestic rubbish. Thereafter the level of the site was successively raised and new pits cut until a chalk-founded building was constructed in the S of the site. A chalk-lined cellar was also found, together with the bottom two steps of a stone spiral stairway. It was associated with a yard, large chalk-lined cesspit, well and sequence of a variety of later hearths and ovens. Above the demolished building were chalk foundations which may delineate the courtyard of the Bear Inn (documented from 1475). Post-medieval activity was recorded, including a brick cellar dating to the late 16th or early 17th c, rebuilt after the Great Fire. Some of the medieval structures were retained and repaired: the cellar, cesspit and well. All these, together with two 17th or 18th-c brick cesspits and the remnants of brick property walls along the S limit of the site, were probably associated with the Bear Inn. An access road from Basinghall Street was located along the S limit of the site. The W area of the site was truncated by mid 19th-c basementing. 

Related sites:

None linked 

No. of Related publications:

1 publication(s).

The glass workers of Roman London Shepherd, John and Wardle, Angela (BAZ05, book).

Total Registered Find records in database

0

Total Bulk Find records in database

0

Deposited Archive Contents:

No deposits.