Urban development in the

north-west of Londinium
Excavations at 120122 Cheapside to 1418 Gresham Street,
City of London, 20057
Sadie Watson

MUSEUM OF LONDON ARCHAEOLOGY ARCHAEOLOGY STUDIES SERIES 32

MOLA

Urban development in the north-west

of Londinium
Excavations at 120122 Cheapside to
1418 Gresham Street, City of London, 20057

MOLA Archaeology Studies Series

For more information about these titles and other MOLA publications
visit the publications page at www.mola.org.uk

17 A Roman drainage culvert, Great Fire destruction debris and other

evidence from hillside sites north-east of London Bridge: excavations
at Monument House and 1321 Eastcheap, City of London

1 A 14th-century pottery site in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey:

excavations at 7076 Eden Street

18 Late 17th- to 19th-century burial and earlier occupation at All

Saints, Chelsea old church, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

2 Excavations at 7275 Cheapside/8393 Queen Street, City of

London

19 Roman waterfront development at 12 Arthur Street, City of

London

3 Bankside: excavations at Benbow House, Southwark, London SE1

20 Finsburys moated manor, medieval land use and later development

in the Finsbury Square area, Islington

4 A Romano-British cemetery on Watling Street: excavations at

165 Great Dover Street, Southwark, London
5 Excavations at 25 Cannon Street, City of London: from the
Middle Bronze Age to the Great Fire
6 The London Millennium Bridge: excavation of the medieval and
later waterfronts at Peters Hill, City of London, and Bankside,
Southwark
7 An excavation in the western cemetery of Roman London: Atlantic
House, City of London
8 The Roman tower at Shadwell, London: a reappraisal
9 Early modern industry and settlement: excavations at George Street,
Richmond, and High Street, Mortlake, in the London Borough of
Richmond upon Thames
10 Roman burials, medieval tenements and suburban growth:
201 Bishopsgate, City of London
11 Investigating the maritime history of Rotherhithe: excavations
at Pacific Wharf, 165 Rotherhithe Street, Southwark
12 Medieval and later urban development at High Street, Uxbridge:
excavations at the Chimes Shopping Centre, London Borough of
Hillingdon
13 Pre-Boudican and later activity on the site of the forum:
excavations at 168 Fenchurch Street, City of London
14 Roman and medieval development south of Newgate: excavations
at 39 Newgate Street and 1617 Old Bailey, City of London
15 The Doulton stoneware pothouse in Lambeth: excavations at
9 Albert Embankment, London
16 Becoming Roman: excavation of a Late Iron Age to RomanoBritish landscape at Monkston Park, Milton Keynes

21 The City Bunhill burial ground, Golden Lane, London:

excavations at South Islington schools, 2006
22 Stepney Gasworks: the archaeology and history of the Commercial
Gas Light and Coke Companys works at Harford Street, London E1,
18371946
23 Medieval settlement to 18th-/19th-century rookery: excavations at
Central Saint Giles, London Borough of Camden, 20068
24 New Bunhill Fields burial ground, Southwark: excavations at
Globe Academy, 2008
25 The Hope playhouse, animal baiting and later industrial activity at
Bear Gardens on Bankside: excavations at Riverside House and New
Globe Walk, Southwark, 19992000
26 Roman and medieval development south of Cheapside: excavations
at Bow Bells House, City of London, 20056
27 At the limits of Lundenwic: excavations in the north-west of
Middle Saxon London at St Martins Courtyard, 20078
28 Prehistoric to medieval landscape and settlement at Kemsley, near
Sittingbourne, Kent: excavations 20035
29 Roman roadside settlement and rural landscape at Brentford:
archaeological investigations at Hilton London Syon Park Hotel,
200410
30 Medieval Haywharf to 20th-century brewery: excavations at
Watermark Place, City of London
31 Roman occupation south-east of the forum: excavations at 20
Fenchurch Street, City of London, 20089
32 Urban development in the north-west of Londinium: excavations at
120122 Cheapside to 1418 Gresham Street, City of London, 20057

Urban development in
the north-west of
Londinium
Excavations at 120122 Cheapside to
1418 Gresham Street, City of London,
20057

Sadie Watson

MOLA ARCHAEOLOGY STUDIES SERIES 32

Published by MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology)

Copyright MOLA 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in

a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission
of the copyright owner.
The Ordnance Survey mapping included in this publication is
Crown copyright, Ordnance Survey. All rights reserved.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Production and series design by Tracy Wellman

Typesetting and design by Sue Cawood
Reprographics by Andy Chopping
Copy editing by Katy Carter
Series editing by Sue Hirst/Susan M Wright
Printed in the United Kingdom by Henry Ling Ltd
at the Dorset Press, an ISO 14001 certified printer

Front cover: a group of domesic pottery from the early Antonine period (c AD
14060), including products of the Verulamium and Highgate industries

CONTRIBUTORS

Principal author

Sadie Watson

Documentary research

Rupert Featherby

Building materials

Ian M Betts, with

Terence P Smith

Roman pottery

Amy Thorp

Decorated samian

Joanna Bird

Stamped samian

Joanna Mills

Stamped mortaria

Kay Hartley

Pottery graffiti

Roger S O Tomlin

Saxon, medieval and later

pottery

Jacqui Pearce

Roman glass

Angela Wardle

Medieval and later glass

Geoff Egan, John

Shepherd, Hugh Willmott

Roman accessioned finds

Angela Wardle

Roman coins

Julian Bowsher

Medieval and later

accessioned finds

Geoff Egan, with Nicola

Powell, Lyn Blackmore

Plant remains

Karen Stewart

Animal bone

Alan Pipe

Geomatics/CAD

Eamonn Baldwin, Raoul

Bull, Mark Burch,
Catherine Drew, Cordelia
Hall, Sarah Jones, Dave
Mackie, Joe Severn

Graphics

Hannah Faux, Carlos Lemos,

Faith Vardy

Photography

Edwin Baker, Andy

Chopping, Maggie Cox

Project managers

Nick Bateman, Nicola

Powell

Editor

Katy Carter

List of figures

CONTENTS

List of tables
Summary

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

xii

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

xiii

Acknowledgements

Introduction

development of Londinium
The development of the north-west part

1.1

Location and circumstances of the excavations

1.2

Previous archaeological investigations of the

. . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.3

Organisation of the report

1.4

Textual and graphical conventions

2.1

Geology and topography (period 1)

2.2

Prehistoric evidence (period 2)

3.1

The early Roman sequence, AD 43c AD 120

of the Roman city

(period 3)

xiv

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cheapside area

The landscape before the westward

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Introduction

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9
9

Early Roman external dumping and pitting

(period 3, phases 12)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Quarrying and reused quarry pits (period 3,

phases 12)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11

Earliest clay and timber buildings on site A

(period 3, phase 1)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

13

Later 1st-century AD buildings on site A (period 3,

phase 2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Drainage features on site A (period 3, phase 2)

. . . . .

14
15

Earliest 1st-century AD clay and timber buildings

on site B (period 3, phase 2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Construction of Road 1 (period 3, phase 2)

16

. . . . . .

17

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19

Buildings contemporary with or post-dating

Road 1 (period 3, phase 2)

Possible metalworking area beside Road 1

(period 3, phase 2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19

Construction of a large town house on site B,

c AD 90100 (period 3, phase 3)
Discussion (period 3)
3.2

. . . . . . . . . . . .

19

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

23

The 2nd century AD, c AD 120200 (period 4)

Wells and possible industrial area

. . . .

23

. . . . . . . . . . . .

23

Robbing and demolition of Building 27

. . . . . . . .

2nd-century AD clay and timber buildings on site A

2nd-century AD dumping

24

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

30

Mid to late 2nd-century AD drainage features

vi

24

. . . .

34

Road 1 disuse

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Disuse of the large town house on site B

Discussion (period 4)
3.3

. . . . . . . .

35

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

36

The Roman city, c AD 200400 (period 5)

Late Roman dumping and pitting

. . . . . .

36

. . . . . . . . . . .

36

Dark earth sealing the Roman sequence

Discussion (period 5)

Reoccupation: late Saxon to the mid

4 4.1

12th century, c AD 9001150

. . . . . . . .

39

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

39

Late Saxon activity, c AD 9001050 (period 6)

. . . .

40

Late Saxon pitting on Londons western fringe

. . . .

40

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

41

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

42

Late Saxon structural evidence

Discussion (period 6)
4.2

35

Mid 11th- to mid 12th-century activity, c 1050

c 1150 (period 7)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

42

Refuse pitting and dumping behind streetfront

properties

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

43

Chalk and gravel foundations and other structural

activity

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Discussion (period 7)

Medieval and later urban development,

5.1

c 1150 to modern

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Medieval activity, c 1150c 1500 (period 8)

. . . . . . .

Cellared building fronting on to Milk Street

. . . . . .

46
47
48
48

Cellared buildings fronting on to Gresham Street

(Catte Street)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Other structural remains across the study area

Chalk-lined cesspits

. . . . .

53

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

54

. . . . . . . . . . .

56

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

57

Medieval pitting behind buildings

Discussion (period 8)
5.2

49

Post-medieval occupation, c 1500modern

(period 9)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

57

Additions to cellared building and medieval

window glass backfill

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

An apothecarys shop on Wood Street

. . . . . . . . .

Further post-medieval structural evidence

Discussion (period 9)

The character and course of Roman,

medieval and later development: aspects
and conclusions

6.1

58
59

. . . . . . .

60

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

61

Roman development and activity

. . . . . . . . . . . .

The earliest Roman activity (period 3)

. . . . . . . . .

62
62

Urban development and buildings in the north-west

of the Roman town (period 3)

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

62

The late 1st-century AD road and roadside buildings

(period 3)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

63

vii

Early Roman industrial activity (period 3)

2nd-century AD activity (period 4)

. . . . . . .

64

. . . . . . . . . .

64

The end of Roman occupation (period 5)

6.2

. . . . . . .

64

Medieval and later urban development

. . . . . . . . .

65

Late Saxon, c AD 9001050 (period 6)

. . . . . . . . .

65

Mid 11th- to mid 12th-century activity, c 1050

c 1150 (period 7)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

65

The later medieval urban landscape, c 1150c 1500

(period 8)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The study area after c 1500 (period 9)

Specialist appendices

7.1

Building materials

. . . . . . . . . .

66

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

67

Material probably linked to the Cheapside baths

. . .

67

. . . . . . . . . . . .

69

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

70

Other Roman building material

7.2

Roman pottery

Introduction and methodology

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

70

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

70

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

74

The decorated samian

The samian stamps

The stamped mortaria

7.3

65

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

74

The pottery graffiti

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

77

Post-Roman pottery

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

78

Late Saxon pottery, c AD 9001050

. . . . . . . . . .

78

Mid 11th- to mid 12th-century pottery, c 1050

c 1150

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Medieval pottery, c 1150c 1500

7.4

Roman glass

. . . . . . . . . . . .

79

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

80

Catalogue of illustrated glass

7.5

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

80

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

83

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

83

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

83

Medieval and later glass

Introduction
Vessel glass

Window glass
7.6

7.8

86

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

86

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

87

Roman coins

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

92

Introduction

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

92

Chronology

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

92

Distribution

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

94

Medieval and later accessioned finds

. . . . . . . . . .

94

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

94

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

94

Introduction
Catalogue
7.9

viii

84

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Introduction
7.7

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Roman accessioned finds

Catalogue

79

The plant remains

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

97

Methodology and results

7.10 The animal bone.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

97

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

108

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

108

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

108

French and German summaries

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

112

Bibliography

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

114

Index

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

119

Methodology
Results

ix

FIGURES
Fig 24

Fig 25

Fig 1
Fig 2
Fig 3
Fig 4
Fig 5
Fig 6
Fig 7

Fig 8

Fig 9
Fig 10
Fig 11

Fig 12
Fig 13
Fig 14
Fig 15

Fig 16
Fig 17

Fig 18
Fig 19
Fig 20
Fig 21
Fig 22

Fig 23
x

Location of the study area within the City of

London . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Location of archaeological investigations within
sites A and B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Locations of other archaeological work in the
immediate area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The study area in relation to adjacent features
of Roman London . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Graphical conventions used in this report . . . . . .
Natural feature (OA1) and Late Iron Age pit (OA20)
in the study area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Plan of the principal early Roman archaeological
features (period 3, phase 1): pitting and dumping
(OA2), drainage features (OA3), quarry pits (OA4)
and external dumping and pitting (OA5) . . . . . . .
Early Roman artefacts from Open Area 5: copperalloy rosette brooch <S2>, iron wool comb <S17>
and enamelled mount <S35> . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ring-and-dot beaker fabric tettina/feeding bottle
<P1> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Glass vessels <G4>, <G15>, <G19> and <G20>
from quarry pits (OA4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Artefacts from quarry pits (OA4): copper-alloy
brooch <S3>, antler roundel pendant <S4> and bone
spoon <S24> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Plan of the early Roman clay and timber buildings
(B5, B8, B9 and B12) on site A . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mosaic from Building 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
View looking west across the northsouth beam
slot on Building 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Plan of the 1st-century clay and timber buildings
on site B (B31, B32, B33, B34 and B36), road (R1)
and associated open areas (OA21, OA22) . . . . . . .
View looking west along the principal eastwest
wall line of Building 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bone spoon <S25> and stone hone <S31> from
Open Area 21 and iron spearhead <S34> from
Open Area 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Roman glass <G2> and <G13> from Building 36 . .
Plan of the large town house (B27) north of Road 1 .
View looking south along the central northsouth
foundations of Building 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
View looking north along the drain running
through the southern wall of Building 27 . . . . . .
View looking south of the small trench to the
north of Building 27, showing a pilae stack on an
opus signinum floor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Plan of the principal structures (B1, S1, S3, S4,

Fig 26
Fig 27
Fig 28

Fig 29

Fig 30

3
5

Fig 31

Fig 32
Fig 33

10

Fig 34
Fig 35

11

Fig 36
Fig 37

11

Fig 38
12

Fig 39
12

Fig 40
13
15

Fig 41
15

Fig 42
16

Fig 43

17

Fig 44
Fig 45

18
19
20

Fig 46
Fig 47

20
21

21

Fig 48
Fig 49
Fig 50
Fig 51
Fig 52

S8 and S9) relating to water management in

period 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Plan of the 2nd-century AD clay and timber
buildings (B4, B6, B7, B8, B10, B11 and B13)
on site A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Carnelian intaglio <S7> depicting Mars, from
Building 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Shale tray <S21> from Building 8 . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Solid voussoir brick <T1> from Building 8 . . . . . 28
Surviving timber flooring within Building 13,
looking south . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Building material <T2> and pottery <P2> from
Open Area 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Evidence of period 4 dumping and refuse pits
(OA6), drainage features (OA11) and pits dug
through Road 1 (OA24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Wall plaster fragments <WP1><WP14> from the
study area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Artefacts from Open Area 6: melon bead <S8> and
bone spindlewhorl <S20> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Locally produced pottery <P3><P5> from dumps
in Open Area 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Possible water pipe <T3> from Open Area 11 . . . . 35
Late Roman pitting (OA14) and dark earth (OA15)
during period 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Pottery <P6><P9> from Open Area 14 . . . . . . . 38
Plan of the late Saxon evidence from site A: Open
Area 16 and Structure 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Late Saxon artefacts from Open Area 16: copperalloy hooked tag <S38> and bone skates <S42>
<S44> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Late Saxon pottery from Open Area 16: cooking
pot <P10> and base of lamp <P11> . . . . . . . . . . 42
Plan of the 11th- to 12th-century features across
the study area: Open Area 17, Building 15 and
Structure 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
View looking south at a section through a pit from
Open Area 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
11th- to 12th-century pottery <P12><P16> from
the study area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Late Saxon lead object with zoomorphic decoration
<S48> from an Open Area 17 pit . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Pitcher <P17> in north French yellow-glazed ware
from Structure 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Plan of the medieval structures on site A:
Building 22, Building 24 and Building 25 . . . . . . 48
Steps in Building 25 leading down to the cellar . . . . 49
Plan of the medieval buildings and other activity
on site B (B43, B44, B47, B48, OA28, S10, S11,
S16, S17, S18 and S20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Building 47 under excavation, looking west . . . . . 50
Building 48 under excavation, looking south . . . . . 51
Pottery <P19><P23> from Building 48 . . . . . . . . 52
Pottery <P24><P27> from Structure 11 . . . . . . . 55
Plan of later medieval pitting across the study
area (OA18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Fig 53 Faithorne and Newcourts map of 1658, with the

study area highlighted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fig 54 Plan of the post-medieval structural remains across
the study area: Building 49, Structure 12 and
Structure 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fig 55 Handled bowl <P28> from Building 49 . . . . . . .
Fig 56 17th-century pottery <P29><P35> from
Structure 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fig 57 Post-medieval pottery <P36> and <P37> from
Structure 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fig 58 18th-century delft wall tile <T15> . . . . . . . . .
Fig 59 Two pieces of Purbeck marble from Open
Area 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fig 60 Building material <T4><T7> with a possible link
to the Cheapside bathhouse . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fig 61 Roman bricks <T10><T13> . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fig 62 Tegula roof waster <T14> from Open Area 14 . .
Fig 63 Decorated samian <DS1><DS3>, <DS5><DS6>,
<DS10>, <DS14>, <DS20>, <DS29><DS30>,
<DS33> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fig 64 Mortarium stamps <MS1><MS4> . . . . . . . . .
Fig 65 Graffiti <PG1><PG4> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fig 66 Cast bowls <G1> and <G3> . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fig 67 Free-blown monochrome and colourless glass
<G5><G10> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fig 68 Free-blown naturally coloured glass <G11>, <G12>,
<G14>, <G16><G18>, <G21> and <G22> . . . . .
Fig 69 Post-medieval vessel glass <G23> and <G25><G31>
Fig 70 Ice glass vessel <G24> from Building 49 . . . . . .
Fig 71 Decorated fragments of window glass (type 1)

58

Fig 72
.
.

.
.

58
58
60
61
61

63

68
69
69

.
.

72
75
78
81

81

82
83
84

.
.
.

.
.

Fig 73
Fig 74
Fig 75
Fig 76
Fig 77
Fig 78
Fig 79
Fig 80
Fig 81
Fig 82
Fig 83
Fig 84
Fig 85
Fig 86
Fig 87
Fig 88
Fig 89
Fig 90

<G32><G35> from backfill of cellared building

(B48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Decorated fragments of window glass (type 2)
<G36><G40> from Building 48 . . . . . . . . .
Fragments of window glass (type 3) <G41> and
<G42> from Building 48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Early Roman brooch <S1> . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Antler and bone pendants <S5> and <S6> . . . . .
Glass bead <S9> from Open Area 11 . . . . . . .
Bone hairpins <S10><S15> from period 4
contexts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Copper-alloy mirror <S16> . . . . . . . . . . . .
Craft tools: bone needles <S18> and <S19> . . . .
Lamps <S22> and <S23> from 2nd-century AD
contexts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Stone quern <S26> from Building 9, period 3 . .
Glass and ceramic counters <S27><S30> from
period 3 and 4 contexts . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Iron keys <S32> and <S33> . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Copper-alloy harness pendant <S36> from
Open Area 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bone waste <S37> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Histogram of identifiable Roman coins by
Reece coin periods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Copper-alloy buckle <S39> from Open Area 18 .
Bone artefacts from Open Area 17: comb
<S40> and needle <S41> . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Stone hones <S45><S47> . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Late Saxon lead object <S48> from pit in Open
Area 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. .

85

. .

85

. .

86
87
88
89

. .
. .
. .

. .
. .
. .

. .
. .

. .
. .

. .
. .

. .
. .

89
89
90
90
91
91
91
92
92
93
95

. .

95
96

. .

96

. .

xi

TABLES

Table 1 Key to archaeological sites shown in Fig 3 . . . . .

Table 2 Details of the illustrated ceramic building
materials <T1><T15> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table 3 Details of the illustrated Roman wall plaster
<WP1><WP14> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table 4 Details of the illustrated Roman pottery <P1><P9>.
Table 5 Verulamium region white ware (VRW) mortaria
stamps identified by MOLA Roman pottery
specialist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table 6 Details of the illustrated post-Roman pottery
<P10><P37> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table 7 Breakdown of earlier medieval pottery by ware
type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table 8 Breakdown of later medieval pottery by ware

xii

3
70
70
70

74
78
79

type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table 9 Breakdown of pottery from Building 48,
period 8, by fabric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table 10 Summary of the Roman vessel and window . . .
glass by form and manufacturing technique
Table 11 Summary of the identified Roman accessioned
finds by functional group . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table 12 Identifiable Roman coins by Reece coin periods .
Table 13 Plant remains from Roman samples from site A .
Table 14 Plant remains from Roman samples from site B .
Table 15 Plant remains from medieval and post-medieval
samples from site A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table 16 Plant remains from medieval samples from site B .
Table 17 Hand-collected and wet-sieved animal bone from
site A selected contexts, by period fragment
counts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table 18 Hand-collected and wet-sieved animal bone
from site B selected contexts, by period fragment
counts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table 19 Hand-collected and wet-sieved animal bone from
sites A and B percentage fragment counts by
period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

80

80
81

.
.
.
.

86
93
97
98
100
104

110

111

111

SUMMARY

This report presents the findings from two adjacent excavations

in the City of London, undertaken by MOLA between 2005
and 2007. Although these excavations, of 120122 Cheapside
and 1418 Gresham Street, were separate projects, they are
published together here to enable a thematic study of a wider
area, which lay within the western part of the Roman town and
directly north of the main eastwest road (beneath modern
Cheapside) running towards Silchester.
Geoarchaeological work made it possible to reconstruct the
landscape in the pre-Roman and Roman period. The water
table fluctuated and the ground surface was boggy in places,
making the area generally unsuitable for habitation.
In the Roman period the earliest activity across the sites was
quarrying, presumably to provide materials for the construction
of the main eastwest road and other projects undertaken during
the mid 1st century AD. There was no evidence of extensive
pre-Boudican activity. A preoccupation with drainage and
water management was evident, but the area was largely open
waste ground.
The earliest buildings, in the southern part of the study
area, may have pre-dated the Boudican fire of AD 60/61. Most
of the early buildings, however, date to the Flavian period:
ranged along the street on the south side of the study area, these
were mainly domestic and constructed using timber and
brickearth. One building, which had a fine mosaic floor, may
have been of higher status: it was near the Cheapside bathhouse
and would have been part of a group of larger stone buildings
there. To the north, more stone foundations with brickearth

walls above may represent an area of larger domestic properties

near the amphitheatre to the north-east.
A road was built across the north part of the site in the late
1st century AD, running north-west to south-east, consolidating
the road network in this part of the town. However, its surface
was not regularly maintained, and it does not seem to have been
a major thoroughfare. A large town house built to the north of
this road at the end of the 1st century is evidence of the
development of the north-western suburb by relatively rich
inhabitants of Londinium, contrasting with the typical clay and
timber buildings seen elsewhere in the study area.
A major fire, possibly the Hadrianic fire of AD 1205,
destroyed buildings in the south-eastern part of the site, although
other buildings remained in use. There was more extensive
dumping in the northern part of the site, where the road fell
into decline. The clay and timber buildings across the study area
seem to have fallen into disuse by the mid 2nd century AD, and
there is no evidence of later Roman habitation.
Evidence from the later Saxon period is limited to pitting,
and there is no trace of the market area known to have lain
immediately east of the study area. There is more evidence
from the mid 11th to mid 12th century, with foundations from
timber buildings reflecting the general development of the city
at this time, and there is also evidence of small-scale industry
within buildings fronting on to Gresham Street (then Catte
Street) to the north.
The archaeology for the later medieval period reflects the
economic growth of London, with two well-preserved cellars
from buildings on Gresham Street representing fairly wealthy
inhabitants from the merchant class. An assemblage of highquality medieval window glass from one of these cellars may
have originated from the destruction of nearby St Albans
church on Wood Street.
Post-medieval archaeological remains were fragmentary, but
documentary research revealed a possible link to one inhabitant,
an apothecary called John Scarborough.

xiii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The excavations on the study area were generously funded by

Land Securities (120122 Cheapside) and City Offices Real
Estate LLP and Hermes Real Estate (1418 Gresham Street).
The MOLA staff were given considerable assistance during the
fieldwork by the client teams on both sites, and we would like
to thank Tony Maryan and Jonathan Alabaster of Bovis Lend
Lease for 120122 Cheapside and Barry Dobbins of the project
engineers Watermans for both projects. The work at 1418
Gresham Street was carried out in consultation with Mills
Whipp Partnership and we would like to thank Pete Mills for
his help and advice. In addition, we would like to thank the
City of London Assistant Director (Historic Environment)
Kathryn Stubbs for assistance and guidance throughout the
projects.
For help with the site works we would like to thank the
McGees site manager, Frank ODonaghue, and his team at
120122 Cheapside, in particular for the safe working practices
they facilitated, and for 1418 Gresham Street the H Smiths
project manager Alan Wilsher, site managers Richard, Mick,
Gary and Lawrence, and their teams. Jim Allen from HASCOM
gave advice on health and safety matters.
Thanks are due to the MOLA site staff for their hard work
on one or both sites: Bernadette Allen, Eamonn Baldwin, Kirsty
Bone, Tim Braybrooke, Howard Burkhill, Agnieszka Bystron,

xiv

Lindy Casson, Aleksandra Cetera, Jon Crisp, Simon Davis,

Helen Dawson, George Demetri, Tina Dolan, Vicky Donnelly,
Peter Drake, Val Griggs, Satsuki Harris, David Harrison, Chiz
Harward, Sophie Hunter, Mark Ingram, Daniel Jones, Sylvia
Kennedy, Antonietta Lerz, Hana Lewis, Peter Lovett, Jo Mansi,
Victoria Markham, Chris Menary, Sarah Mounce, Charlie
North, Laura OGorman, Libby Philpott, Sasathorn Pickering,
Adele Pimley, Kirk Roberts, Iris Rodenbeusch, Caterina
Ruscio, Michael Shapland, Jon Shimmin, Ceri Shipton, Simon
Stevens, Gemma Stevenson, Imogen Smythson, Riley Thorne,
Paul Thrale, Steve Turner, Virginia Vargo, Joseph Walker, Mark
Wiggins, Christine Wilson, Nigel Wilson, Louise Wood, Paul
Wordsworth and Frank Zwettler. At 120122 Cheapside Steve
Turner did the initial watching brief, the evaluation was carried
out by Lindy Casson, and the standing building recording
exercise on the cellars was carried out by Alison Telfer, Maria
Utrero and Andrew Westman. The evaluation at 1418
Gresham Street was carried out by Ian Blair; Ian Betts and
Nathalie Cohen provided advice on the recording of the cellars;
and Jane Corcoran provided advice on geoarchaeological aspects
of the site. Specialists who reported on finds included Tony
Grey, Mike Hammerson, Lynne Keys and Lucy Whittingham,
together with the conservator Liz Goodman. Others who
worked on the 120122 Cheapside project were Chris Clarke,
Tom Collie and Helen Robertson from AOC and Will Johnson
and Rik Sawyer from PCA.
Sadie Watson would like to extend particular thanks to
Antony Francis, who co-supervised the 120122 Cheapside
excavations, and Bruce Watson for advice on the cellar steps.
Lyn Blackmore is indebted in particular to Leslie Webster,
together with James Graham Campbell, Gabor Thomas, David
Wilson and Susan Youngs, for their helpful comments.