Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 762: summary

Archaeological trial-trenching evaluation at Colchester County High School for Girls, Norman Way, Colchester, Essex - March 2014
by Ben Holloway (with contributions from Stephen Benfield)

Date report completed: March 2014
Location: Colchester County High School for Girls, Norman Way, Colchester, Essex
Map reference(s): TL 9794 2461
File size: 1,650 kb
Project type: Evaluation by trial-trenching
Significance of the results: *
Keywords: Roman, ditch

Summary. The County High School for Girls is within both the oppidum of Camulodunum and the Roman town’s western cemetery. Two evaluation trenches (total length, 16m) were located within the footprint of the proposed new sixth form block to be situated in what is now an open grassed square occupied by three re-locatable classrooms. One archaeological feature was revealed by the evaluation: a Roman ditch dating to the later 1st century AD. The ditch was aligned at right-angles to the defensive triple ditches seen on the school site in 1955, and is parallel to ditches seen on the St Benedict’s School site in 1939. An hypothesis to be tested by future excavation is that all three sets of ditches are related.