Excavation revealing part of Watling Street

Description of this historic site

Excavation revealing part of Watling Street.

Notes about this historic site

1 1975. Excavation undertaken in advance of building work. Exploratory trenches were dug, the first 55m from the existing bridge/river crossing, the second 100.5m. Trench 1 showed that some of Watling Street survived. The ditch alongside consisted of two periods. The primary ditch silted fairly rapidly and contained late 1st century material. It was subsequently recut, offset and reduced in size. The fill of this ditch contained mid 2nd century material, comprising pottery, iron, brick, a trumpet brooch, stones and querns. A slot running alongside the top of the ditch might suggest a fence or balustrade. Trench 2 provided less information on the road, but the ditch survived with various recuts following similar lines. The earliest phase had mid 2nd century pottery, in particular a mortarium stamped by a lesser known potter (Nanii?). The latter phase had late 3rd century/early 4th century sherds. Considering that the trenches were only 1.4m wide, a vast amount of material was recovered from the ditches.
2 Excavation archive from 1975:plans.
3 Excavation archive from 1975:sections of trenches 1 and 2.
4 Correspondence relating to the rescue dig.
5 Project Design from 1985/6.
6 Description of the mortarium and maker’s mark from 1975.
7 Excavation archive. Sections drawn on site in 1975.
8 Excavation archive. Summary and two plans.
9 Correspondence from 1985 relating to the construction of further houses at the site.
10 Archival material from 1986.
11 Undated archival material.
12 Noted; partial section of Watling Street ribbon development.

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