Archaeological evaluation by trial-trenching at A Barber & Son, 10 William’s Walk, Colchester, Essex March 2008

An archaeological trial-trenching evaluation of a site in Insula 13 of the Roman town found modern strata and footings lying over a considerable depth of post-medieval soils. The highest significant archaeological horizons were Roman in date, and were found at depths ranging from 1.3m to 2.1m below present site level (ie the builder’s yard surface).
A quantity of Roman brick and tile and other building material in residual contexts in the post-medieval soils were the only indication found of a Roman building. A small area of compacted gravel is likely to represent the north-south Roman street between Insula 12 and Insula 13. Historic maps indicate that this was an area of gardens in the post-medieval period. That fact, combined with the gradual infilling of buildings over the 18th to 20th centuries, would explain the depths of soil and the modern footings observed here.