An archaeological evaluation at the Co-operative Society’s store, 21-31 Long Wyre Street, Colchester, Essex, in 1997

An archaeological evaluation by five small hand-dug trenches was carried out on behalf of the Colchester and East Essex Co-operative Society Ltd in December 1997. The trench positions (Trenches 1-5) are shown on Figure 2. The evaluation revealed up to 1m of stratified Roman deposits, including burnt debris from the Boudican revolt, septaria walls and a mosaic floor (part of a Roman town house), and Roman gravel street. The Roman deposits were heavily cut by medieval and later pits, and by the footings of the Cooperative Society’s store building. In some areas, the Roman strata were buried beneath a blanket (up to 1.2m) of post-medieval soils.