81 Newgate Street

The site at 81 Newgate Street is in the heart of the City of London, in what would have been the western part of Roman Londinium. It would have been densely populated in Roman and the medieval periods with occupation continuing to the present day. It was the site of a major archaeological excavation in the 1970s, when the current building was constructed, which revealed details of Roman streets, houses and workshops in extraordinary detail, as well as from the medieval period onwards.

The recent project involved the construction of a new western basement extension to the current building, and while much of the area had been excavated in the 1970s, it was recognised that archaeological strata survived in parts untouched by the earlier development.

Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd London was engaged to monitor initial site clearance and shoring work, and to conduct excavations in the undisturbed area.
The excavations took place towards the end of the COVID 19 pandemic, although restrictions remained in place and added complexity to working arrangements. The depth of excavation and tight space made the site logistically challenging, and close cooperation with the principal contractor was needed to ensure the archaeology and construction works proceeded together safely.

The earliest in situ archaeological deposits exposed by the excavation dated to the early Roman period (AD 50–70) and were associated with timber framed building and refuse dumping to the north of Roman Newgate Street. Evidence for a burning event, likely representative of the Boudican revolt, was dated to the 1st century along with industrial iron working waste material.

The period of Emperor Hadrian’s reign and later (AD 120–160) was represented by three phases of levelling and subsequent pitting, indicative of demolition and construction in the wider vicinity. Industrial iron working continued throughout the 2nd century and from the end of it and into the 3rd century there was further pitting across the site. The later 3rd century saw the construction of a clay and brick building which would have fronted onto Newgate Street.

There was no significant reoccupation on the site until around the time of the Norman Conquest, with a number of ditches and a well being dug. Medieval and later features were not well preserved due to Victorian construction on the site.

A wide range of finds was recovered from the excavation, including wall plaster, pottery, glass, metal, worked bone, and a small number of Roman coins.

Public outreach during the excavations consisted of showcasing the ‘find of the week’ on social media. Following conclusion of the excavations, a report has been produced and lectures delivered to interested groups and societies, and a paper will appear in an academic journal outlining the results of the excavation.