HER 774 AREA DESCRIPTION:- 2005 Border Archaeology carried out a programme of archaeological observation on behalf of Markey Builders (Gloucester) Ltd at 32 London Road, Gloucester. Significant Roman archaeology was located in almost every area of the site observed and included pits, ditches and rich material finds ranging from locally produced and imported regional and overseas pottery (including sherds of Gaulish samian ware and Spanish amphorae) to surviving iron nails and animal bone. A small melon bead was also located within Roman deposits. Stage 1 of the watching brief identified a series of stakes apparently forming two structures within the north-east part of the site and a substantial alignment of 23 stakes which may have formed part of a structure or a boundary fence. By far the most important of the finds located on the site were a series of deposits forming part of a Roman metalled road surface (identified in Stage 2) extending from the known Roman road route underlying what is now London Road. These deposits are potentially very significant as they indicate the possibility of considerable Roman activity immediately outside the known extent of the Roman town and within the immediate vicinity of the site during the late 1st/early-mid 2nd century AD. Structure 1: Structure 1 was defined principally by an east-west aligned linear cut but potentially included other cuts. The construction is presumed to have comprised a foundation ditch within which were driven a series of single stakes. These stakes may have formed part of the foundation material or may have protruded above the surface to form part of a wattle. The feature terminated at its eastern extent with no evidence of a turn. It might, however, be the case that the structure had turned north prior to a contemporary posthole similar to Structure 2 or that the degree of truncation was more intense to either the north or south and that no trace of a turn survived. Structure 2: Structure 2 was defined by an east-west aligned linear, a posthole and a north-south aligned linear. The posthole sat at the junction of the two linears and would appear to have marked the south-west corner of the structure. One linear was unexcavated owing to safety concerns but the southern one was shallow and had five wooden stakes driven through it into the natural clay, evident within a 0.75m evaluation slot. A number of stake fragments were revealed within the fill of the posthole and a single piece of wooden board, measuring 0.15m2, was embedded into the clay in the centre of the hole with its broad sides facing north and south. The stake alignment: This feature comprised 23 surviving wooden stakes driven into natural clay within a 2.2m x 0.95m area. Beyond these, two further stakes were driven into the natural clay 1.3m north of the main assemblage and slightly out of line to the east. These two were in line with Structure 1 and Structure 2. The majority of the stakes formed an approximate north-south alignment intersecting - had they continued northward. The stakes could broadly be described as forming a double course, although a large number did not conform to this arrangement. If continuing through to the north, a slight curve to the alignment. Pits: Six pits were located within the excavation area, one of which contained further fragments of surviving wood, although these were all loose within the fill rather than being driven through into the underlying clay. Other pits contained Roman pottery, animal bone and oyster shell. Road: Evidence of a probable Roman metalled roadway was represented by a series of compressed gravels, branching off from London Road and following the route now taken by the footpath leading from London Road to Oxford Terrace in a NW-SE orientation. The orientation suggests that this may have been an offshoot from the main Roman road leading into the settlement of Gloucester. This metalled roadway intersected with what appears to have been an earlier trackway or semi-metalled road surface running approximately east-west across the site. It is likely that the metalled roadway was constructed shortly after the trackway, as the pottery evidence suggests that both features dated from the late 1st/early 2nd century AD. {Source Work 12828.} |