Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 356: summary

An archaeological investigation of the Roman town wall at Roman Road, Colchester, Essex: October 2004 and February 2006
by Gornial, M; Lister, C; Orr, K.

Date report completed: 04/04/2006
Location: Colchester town centre, Essex
Map reference(s): TM0017725385
File size: 41500 kb
Project type: Evaluation, Building survey
Significance of the results: *
Keywords: town wall, town defences, Scheduled Ancient Monument, ceramic building materials

Summary. Colchester Archaeological Trust undertook detailed survey (drawn and photographic) of the upstanding parts of the north-eastern section of Colchester's Roman town wall, combined with the excavation of two trial-holes at the exterior of the wall to the east of Roman Road. The work was commissioned by Colchester Museums in order to prepare a conservation strategy for the wall, which is a scheduled ancient monument. The trial-holes confirmed that survival of the foundations varies. Where they have not been robbed away, the foundations extend 2.1m from the existing face of the wall and are in a sound state of preservation. Above ground, the survival of the wall is very patchy. Up to 2.4m width of wall has been lost and nothing of the original exterior facing of the wall survives, only the core. The majority of what is standing has been refaced in brick or stone or completely rebuilt in brick.