An archaeological watching brief at the Colchester County High School for Girls, Norman Way, Colchester, Essex: May-November 2005

The watching brief was carried out during groundworks for a new music and careers block at the Colchester County High School for Girls. The site lies within the Late Iron Age and Roman dyke system, and previous archaeological discoveries in the area include roads, cemeteries and earthworks associated with the early settlement of Colchester. At least two of the the ditches of a ‘triple-ditched dyke’ recorded in the school grounds in 1955 should have been uncovered within the footprint of the new building and in soakaway 2, but were not visible. F4 in soakaway 1 looked substantial but was not in line with any of the ditches recorded in 1955. Either the ‘triple-ditched dyke’ turns a corner and therefore does not continue into the watching brief site area or it does not actually exist. The groundworks did, however, expose some smaller cut features which, by their depth, the colour of their fills, and their lack of later material, appeared to be ancient.