HER 405 DESCRIPTION:-

Extensive Roman walls, indicative of a large structure, have been revealed at Paternoster School.

1958 & 1963 - Insula IV, Building 1, excavated in Parsonage Field by M Rennie in 1958 (SMR 407) in advance of construction of the County Health Clinic and again in 1963 {Source Work 862.}.

Produced evidence for an extensive Roman building containing a late mosaic floor. The material from the excavations is in Corinium Museum {Source Work 476.}.

1985 - (SMR 9562) An archaeological excavation was undertaken by Corinium Museum between 29/07/1985 to 22/08/1985 in connection with the construction of a new temporary classroom. Two 1.5m square trenches were excavated. Evidence for a second century wall with painted wall plaster was revealed. These features have been interpreted as part of the documented Roman building complex on the site (SMR 405) Corinium Museum Acc No 1985/60 {Source Work 2521.}.

1985 - An archaeological watching brief (SMR 30618) was undertaken by Corinium Museum on 14-15/10/1985 in connection with the construction of a hard play area at Paternoster School, Watermoor Road, Cirencester. Over a small part of the new hard play area, some clay-loam deposits of Roman origin were exposed and small quantities removed. These deposits were of archaeological interest. Damage to the scheduled monument was kept to a minimum. There was no direct evidence of Roman structures. Corinium Museum Acc No 1985/166 {Source Work 6294.}.

1986 - An archaeological watching brief (SMR 30625) was undertaken by Corinium Museum on 20/01/1986 in connection with the construction of a new classroom. A wall dating to the second century and aligned north-west to south-east with a surface to the south west was found. Wall plaster found in situ on the south west side of the robber trench above this wall suggests the presence of a pentice. A later wall butted this wall from the south west. It appeared to be associated with a mass of tiles perhaps from a collapsed roof. Corinium Museum Acc No 1986/26 {Source Work 6295.}.

In February a service trench 25m long and c 0.85m deep was excavated by machine on the scheduled site. Roman walls and floors were located and there was much Roman tile. Samples of painted wall plaster, which had collapsed on to an opus signum floor were collected. {Source Work 6295.}

1986 - In October observation of a service trench within the scheduled area, in connection with new paths, paving and ramp foundations, revealed stratified Roman deposits at a depth of 0.8m with a limestone rubble within the overlying loam. SP 02530144. Corinium Museum Acc No 1986/170 {Source Work 6297.}.

1986 - In June the excavation of a 1.5m square trench (SMR 30635) for a soakaway on the scheduled site revealed a Roman wash deposit at a depth of 0.9m. In addition to some rubble the deposit contained a number of small abraded fragments of Romano-British tile and pottery. Corinium Museum Acc No 1986/72 {Source Work 6296.}.

1987 - An archaeological evaluation (SMR 30637) was undertaken by Crickley Hill Archaeological Trust's mobile field team on 21-22/09/1997 prior to the insertion of children's play apparatus within the school grounds. 15 small slots of varying dimensions were excavated to a maximum depth of 0.7m. A small portion of wall (undated) was defined in one slot {Source Work 2507}.

1989 - A watching brief was carried out during work for a new carpark at Paternoster School, Cirencester. A part of the Roman street aligned along Watermoor Road survived at a height of 0.30m below the modern street level. Walls and floor surfaces of late Roman buildings were also found, including a fragment of the mosaic uncovered in 1985.

The design of the car park was modified to ensure minimal damage to the archaeology. {Source Work 10666.}

2000 - A desk-based assessment (SMR 28184) was undertaken by Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service in order to consider the impact of a proposed ramp, linking the upper and lower car parks, to the east of Paternoster School (NGR 402556 201474). Archaeological records indicated that a raised bank between the two car parks had been formed by the differential survival of archaeological deposits. Previous excavations found that the topsoil on the bank was 0.1m deep and directly overlay Roman deposits, which may be the remains of buildings within insula IV, and that walls belonging to a town house (insula IV, I) pass directly under the proposed ramp. It was therefore concluded that groundworks associated with the construction of the ramp would impact upon significant archaeological remains {Source Work 6660 and 6210}.

2001 - An archaeological evaluation (SMR 28184) was underaken by Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Serice on 16/03/2001 in connection with the construction of a ramp and a sensory garden (Ramp and test pit 1 NGR 402556 201474 and test pits 2-4 centred around NGR 402507 201465). Four test pits were excavated. Test pit 1 revealed a Roman surface at 107.47m AOD. Test pit 2 revealed a Roman wall of roughly mortared limestone standing to two courses (0.21m) at 107.43m AOD. test pit 3 contained another Roman wall at 107.16m AOD. Test pit 4 contained Roman limestone rubble interpreted as possible demolition debris at 107.48m AOD. {Source Work 6210.}

2003 - An archaeological evaluation (SMR 30622) was undertaken by Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service between 27/10/2003 and 04/11/2003 in connection with the construction of a new sports hall. Twelve trenches were excavated. Roman archaeology was recorded at a depth of 0.58m below present ground level (106.85m AOD) within the footprint of the new sports hall and 0.41m below present gound level (107.45m AOD) within the area of the services. A Roman pit, opus signinum floor adjacent to a robbed out wall, Roman compacted surfaces and a post medieval ditch and drystone wall were recorded along with finds dating to both the Roman and post medieval periods. {Source Work 7613.}

2016 "The magnetometer and resistance surveys recorded disturbed or made ground. The ground penetrating radar survey located possible remains of Roman walls and anomalies likely to be due to more recent structural remains, obstructions and services." {Quoted from Source Work 14476.}