Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 803: summary

Archaeological test-pit at 9 Ashley Gardens, Colchester, Essex: November 2014
by Ben Holloway (with contributions from -)

Date report completed: December 2014
Location: 9 Ashley Gardens, Colchester, Essex
Map reference(s): TL 9827 2506
File size: 364 kb
Project type: Archaeological test-pit
Significance of the results: *
Keywords: Roman, pit

Summary. This site (the front garden of 9 Ashley Gardens) lies west of the historic Roman and later town of Colchester and within the Roman ‘western cemetery area’. A test-pit was excavated to the south of a newly-constructed extension on the southern side of the house. The work was carried out in response to an enforcement notice from the Colchester Borough Council (CBC) planning enforcement team, due to a breach of the archaeological condition attached to the planning application. The test-pit revealed a modern foundation, and a 2nd-century Roman pit. The fact that the Roman pit extended beyond the western side of the test-pit (towards the new extension) indicates that other Roman features may have existed here, and would have been encountered had the new foundation beams been archaeologically excavated. The absence of burials indicates that this site is to the west of the main area of the Roman western cemetery, which lies to the south and east along the Roman road to London.