National Grid Ref.

TQ3251081310 

Organisation

DUA 

Type of fieldwork

excavation 

Archaeological periods

Roman, Saxon, Medieval, Post-Medieval 

Summary

The excavation, funded by the Corporation of London, took place between December 1985 and March 1986. The underlying geology was a thick bed of Thames river gravels overlaid by a layer of natural brickearth. A number of 1st-c Roman buildings were identified, all of which had a NE-SW angle across the site. All of the structural remains of all the earliest buildings had been removed following destruction by fire, and it is unclear whether they had been timber or masonry. One of the buildings was partially terraced into natural and was at least 5m in width. Another rectangular building Ñ at least about 6m x 7m Ñ on the W of the site was also completely robbed and the trenches were backfilled with fire debris. There was evidence for either a third building immediately to the S, or possibly a corridor in front of the building to the N, with which it was parallel. The earliest building was apparently associated with pottery dated to c 50-60, and finds from associated destruction debris of all buildings have been provisionally dated to the immediately pre-Boudican period. Clearance of the area was succeeded by extensive levelling over with brickearth spreads which raised ground level by about 0.5m. This was sealed by the construction of a Flavian building, for which there was relatively little evidence, and metalled open areas in front of it. In the early 2nd c extensive ground clearance and levelling occurred and a substantial wall was constructed across the previous external area, along the N of the site. This wall was about 1.4m wide and survived (in only very small patches) as two courses of Roman bonding brick on a shallow rubble foundation. Only two small stretches of extant wall were found, separated by more than 15m, with a larger extent of robbing trench around both areas but not conclusively linking the two together. Although too little survived to identify the building at the time (in 1985) it is now possible (after excavations to the N at GAG87, where more substantial remains of the Roman amphitheatre were recognised in 1989) to see both wall fragments as part of the outer wall of the amphitheatre. No associated surfaces survived though it has been suggested that the area S of the wall remained external for some time. The area S of the amphitheatre may have remained external for a short period, but was quickly overlaid by a succession of probably timber buildings, one of which had at least three aisles. These are dated to the 2nd and 3rd c. A (robbed) wall about 1m wide and 17m long running up to the (?) amphitheatre wall was indicated. The amphitheatre and its surrounding buildings were all apparently disused by the 4th c judging by the date of the pottery from the robbing cuts. All traces of the Roman buildings and any robbing deposits over them were covered by a thick deposit of grey silts which may be dark earth, cut by a number of Late Saxon pits, some of which contained carved bone trial pieces. Many (at least 18) of these pits produced pottery that has been provisionally dated to c 850-1000. The dark earth silts were also cut by two groups of 12th-13th-c chalk foundations, though contemporary surfaces and ground levels did not survive.Those at the W side of the site enclosed an area to the NW, with what is assumed to have been a backyard area containing a unique chalk stone-built cellar, with steps leading down into it, measuring 1.65m x 1.15m internally. This was interpreted at the time as a possible strongroom but also suggested as a possible Jewish ritual bath or mikveh (Pepper 1992).In the centre of the site substantial chalk foundations suggested another building running to the S and probably fronting on Catteaton (Gresham) Street. The size of the foundations (about 1.2m thick) imply more than one storey. The building must have been at least 6.6m E-W by at least 9.1m N-S externally (4.2m x 7.6m internally). If it indeed fronted on to Catteaton Street, it must have been about 15m long externally. It appeared to have a latrine cesspit added to its NW corner as a modification and the whole building was probably out of use by the 13th c. There were several wells and pits of post-medieval date but all other horizontal activity was truncated. [summary by N Bateman]

Source: Schofield, John with Maloney, Cath (eds.) (1998). Archaeology in the City of London, 1907-1991: a guide to records of excavations by the Museum of London and its predecessors. The Archaeological Gazetteer Series, Volume 1. London: Museum of London. ISBN 0-904818-81-0. 

Related sites:

None linked 

No. of Related publications:

2 publication(s).

London's Roman amphitheatre: Guildhall Yard, City of London MoLAS Monograph 35 (2008). Bateman, N; Cowan, C and Wroe-Brown, R (Site code: GYE92; GAG87; GDH85; GUD99; GM3; GM4; GM13; GM77; GM145; GM216, book). Published by Museum of London Archaeology Service
The London Guildhall: An archaeological history of a neighbourhood from early medieval to modern times MoLAS Monograph 36 Vol:1Bowsher, D; Dyson, T; Holder, N; Howell, I (Site code: GDH85, GAG87, GYE92, GUD99, book). Published by Museum of London Archaeology Service

Total Registered Find records in database

306

Total Bulk Find records in database

1514

Deposited Archive Contents:

Project planning, Site, Post-ex, Research
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