Monument record 726/0/156 - Roman side road and town defences, Meeting Lane

Early Roman road and later 2nd century defensive wall found during a watching brief in Meeting Lane in 1999. The road branched off the main Alchester Road. It was cut by the later 2nd century wall, interpreted as part of Towcester's town defences. Several Roman pits, sealed by a thick layer of soil dating from the 3rd and 4th centuries, were also found.

{1} A watching brief was carried out along the line of Meeting Lane. Extensive evidence of Roman activity dating from c 60AD to c 180AD was found in 30m of the southernmost part of Meeting Lane. One of the town's early roads which branched off the Alchester Road as found, which went out of use when the town's defences were constructed; the town wall was observed truncating the road in the watching brief area. The surviving foundations were 2.8m wide and 0.35m high. An industrial stone-built feature pre-dating the defences and a number of pits were also found.

<1> Atkins R.; Woodfield C., 1999, Archaeological Watching Brief Meeting Lane, Towcester, Northamptonshire, May-June 1999, Section 4.2.1 to 4.2.5 (checked) (Report). SNN100241.

<2> Chapman A.; Chapman P., 2000-01, Towcester, Meeting Lane, (unchecked) (Note). SNN103987.

Record last edited

Nov 28 2022 12:30PM