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Summary

Excavations revealed the earth and timber defences of the legionary fortress, coinciding with the stone wall of the Colonia.

Full description

PRN 70104
Excavations on the Westgate in 1945 to 1946 proved that the earth and timber defences of the legionary fortress were coincident with the stone wall of the colonia period on the west side. The system of defence was shown to be a timber palisade with the main posts set at five feet intervals in a palisade trench. It was supplemented on the outside by a rock cut v shaped ditch fifteen feet wide and six feet deep and on the inside by a compact earth and stone rampart ten feet wide at the base and seven feet high, presently strengthened by adding timber towers, the construction of which demanded the infilling of the first ditch and the cutting of another ditch further out, later destroyed by the Colonia fosse. {1}{2}{3}
During work on a retaining wall in the grounds of Westgate school, deposits associated with the Roman legionary and Colonia defences were identified. Specifically those were associated with the rampart bank. {4}
An archaeological watching brief maintained by CLAU during ground investigation (boreholes) by Lincs Lab at Westgate Junior School, Westgate, Lincoln was commissioned as a requirement of Scheduled Monument Consent (SAM 115). The results of the investigation supplemented existing information relating to the location and form of the eastern defences of the Roman city. {5}{6}

<1> WEBSTER G, 1949, JOURNAL OF ROMAN STUDIES, VOL 139 PP 57-58 (Article in Serial). SLI465.

<2> SMR file cards for Lincoln, SK 9772 SW:C - (Index). SLI3134.

<3> Archaeological Research Committee, 1946, Westgate, Lincoln, LCNCC 54.77 (Archive). SLI1773.

<4> City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit, 1996, Westgate Junior School, Westgate, Lincoln: Archaeological Watching Brief, WGB95 (Report). SLI5351.

<5> City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit, Oct 2003, Ground Investigation at Westgate Junior School, Westgate, Lincoln, ON612 (Report). SLI9478.

<6> City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit, Oct 2003, Ground Investigation at Westgate Junior School, Westgate, Lincoln (Archive). SLI9479.

Monument Types

• TOWN DEFENCES (Roman - 43 AD to 99 AD)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Roman - 43 AD to 99 AD)

Associated Events

• Ground Investigation at Westgate Junior School, Westgate
• Watching brief at Westgate Junior School, Westgate, Lincoln
• Westgate excavations, 1945-46

Protected Status

• Conservation Area

Sources and further reading

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.