Watching brief report: 28 Hythe Quay, Colchester, Essex

The site of the watching brief is a derelict plot occupying the west side of the river frontage just south of the Hythe bridge. The site itself was covered with demolition material, primarily brick rubble, from a previous quayside building or buildings. One visit was made during which four test-pits were excavated. There was no evidence of any medieval or Roman activity on the site, either as surviving structures or as loose finds such as pottery. Only one undated loose find was made. This was a wooden stake, or more probably the lower part of a wooden stake. The lack of finds or other evidence of any substantial medieval activity or structure on the waterfront at this site indicates that the quay must have been substantially rebuilt in the 19th or 20th century.