Roman wall foundations at Carmel Street Close (EHER 14806)

A trench dug by the Water Authority for laying a new pipeline in Carmel Street Close revealed a wall foundation of large flints and stones set in white mortar.

January 1995. Watching brief. A trench dug by the Water Authority for laying a new pipeline in Carmel Street Close revealed a wall foundation of large flints and stones set in white mortar. The pipeline trench cut through a wall foundation at a depth of 0.65m from the surface. The top of the foundation lay 0.20m from the surface and was 0.4m wide. The full depth of the foundation could not be established. Immediately adjoining the wall foundation on the northern side was a strata of packed chalk extending for 4.8m terminating in what appeared to be a filled gully 0.3m wide. The surface of the chalk was level at a depth of 0.5m. Immediately above it was a thin layer of orange/brown clayey soil approximately 0.1m deep and above that was a layer of hardcore and post-medieval rubbish being the foundation of the present road. As the trench was only 0.4m wide it was difficult to establish the alignment of the wall but it appeared to cross the existing road at right angles. The sides of the gulley at the northern end of the chalk sloped inwards and was filled with a dark orange/ brown soil of finer texture than that above and beyond it. Unfortunately it was not possible to establish the full depth of the gulley, the chalk or the wall foundation and no dating materials were found. <1> Site Assessment: In view of the depth of the wall foundation and the chalk strata it is certain that these pre-dated the farm buildings which occupied the area until 1969. See also <2>.