HER 10117 DESCRIPTION:- Roman 1st and 2nd century timber buildings, boundary ditches, enclosure and road were recorded in Priory Road Gardens, Gloucester. 1972 - 1975 Gloucester and District Archaeological Research Group (GADARG) undertook a rescue excavation in the Priory Road Gardens, Gloucester. The site was formerly cottages 14-24 St Mary's Street. The excavation was carried out in advance of the building of a subway (subsequently not built) and other work connected with the proposed inner ring road. The excavation revealed 1st and 2nd century timber buildings. The mid-late 1st century building was of post-in-trench construction. This was followed by an early 2nd century structure. Later, at the south-east of the excavation, fragmentary surfaces, originating in the 1st century, became more compact and in the early 3rd century a circular gully/enclosure containing postholes cut the stone surface. By the 3rd century, in the western half of the excavation, a compact rubble-stone road running north north-west to south south-east had been established. To the east it was bounded by large stone-packed post holes. There was some evidence of a ditch between the road and the latest eastern stone surfaces. Upper road surfaces of the 4th century and later were mainly composed of iron slag and tile. This road survived into the Norman period when it was cut by drainage ditches that joined into a watercourse around St Oswald’s Priory. The first of the drainage ditches was 11th century or possibly earlier in date. This was recut slightly to the south and by the late 11th or early 12th century there was a single large ditch. From the 13th century, the surviving Roman road surfaces were augmented by further slag and stone to form the floors of two phases of timber buildings. Earlier re-occupation on the site is shown by 12th century pits at the east end of the road. Rubbish disposal continued here at the rear of the buildings throughout the next two centuries. At the west, the timber structures were followed in the 14th century by more substantial stone-based, but probably still timber-frame buildings containing stone built ovens. At the west of the site, occupation continued unbroken into the post medieval period, evinced by successive clay floors, surviving stone wall foundations and a 14th-17th century sequence of stone hearths and other internal features. By the 15th century the properties had extended back towards the east. The properties, with yards beyond were accessed by passageways, fronted onto the street. Structural changes continued in the 17th and 18th centuries. In their latest form, as basic cottages with brick scullery extensions behind, they were demolished in the 1930s. {Quoted from Source Work 9097.} |