More information : SP 839976 Four Grubenhauser were discovered during excavations at Bridgewater, Collier and Beaufort Streets in 1980-1. (1-3)
Griffiths notes that the 4 Grubenhaeuser, which lie immediately outside the north gate of the Roman fort, have been assigned to the 5th century, but that they may well in fact belong to the 10th century burh, thought to have been located at former fort. There were no diagnostic stratified finds, and the Grubenhaeuser were thought to have been 5th century on the grounds that they directly cut the latest Roman layers. Griffiths notes that the site may have been levelled for construcion of the buildings, thus removing the intervening deposits. The construction techniques are allegedly not typical of the Early Saxon period, particularly the use of stakes rather than posts, which points rather to the 10th century or to a generally later date. (4) |