Monument record 8442 - Centurion's House at St Michael's Street

A series of archaeological investigations carried out as part of the construction of the Grosvenor Shopping Centre between 1963 and 1965 comprised three evaluation trenches cut to the rear of No 14-22 Newgate Street along with subsequent observations of the construction work. The work was carried out by Mr Petch of the Grosvenor Museum however the excavations have never been published in full. The northern extent of a centurion’s house was recorded in trench 9. The earliest evidence for the late first century timber building comprised a 4.12m length of foundation trench in trench 9 representing the northern external wall of the centurion’s house. A short distance of the west external wall was also encountered. Traces of the interior of the building comprised sand and clay floors although no further evidence of internal partitions were encountered. This phase ended with the systematic and deliberate demolition of the timber buildings. The second phase of activity in the early second century comprised a new construction utilising stone foundations on a slightly different alignment with the structure moving 3.20m to the north to accommodate a larger centurial quarters. The stone walls appear to have been just a few courses high and were designed to support a timber superstructure. This phase dates to the early second century ending in around 130AD. Several internal partition walls recorded within the house indicated a narrow central corridor running north-south 1.93m in width creating two chambers of unequal size on either side, the western most room was 3.50m east-west and 3.10m north south while the eastern room was 3.75m east west and 4.06m north south. Both the rooms and the corridor were equipped with a mortar floor. Phase 3 was marked by a period of limited activity dating to between 130 and 170AD when the barracks appear to have stood vacant. Evidence of pitting and rubbish disposal was indicated, however, the building does appear to have remained upstanding. Phase 4 comprised a restoration of the structure with evidence of refurbishment – characterised by rebuilding of the stone base walls and the insertion of new floor surfaces. In the centurion’s house new floor surfaces of sandstone paving were inserted and the insertion of a partition wall in the west room. This phase was dated to between 170 and 190AD. A second, more extensive, period of limited activity was then recorded between 190 and 220AD during which pitting activity was resumed and the buildings appear to have become extremely dilapidated, if not demolished. In the first half of the third century the earlier structure was demolished and a new house built on a similar alignment involving the cutting of new foundations. The new building had a slightly different internal layout with an opus signinum floor in at least one room. It was also during this period that the centurion’s house was structurally linked to the barrack block by the walling up of the alley between them. This phase was dated to between 210 and 230AD. Phase 7 comprised a third period of limited activity with a general lack of maintenance noted across the site. This was followed by the final phase of constructional activity dating to the fourth century with a period of repair and alteration largely only identified in trench 7 with no further evidence of the centurion’s house identified. Activity in this period appears to tail off dramatically after c.350AD. Legionary barrack blocks each accommodated a century of 80 men plus their officers, and were normally arranged in groups of 6 (a cohort of 480 men). Narrow streets gave access to facing pairs of barracks. The centurions' quarters were situated at the ends of the barracks, adjacent to a major road - either the perimeter road (via sagularis) or main transverse street (via principalis). The centurions' quarters were divided from those of the rank-and-file by a narrow alley. They were wider than the men's quarters but lacked a veranda. In ground plan they consisted of a corridor with rooms (including a private latrine) opening off on each side. The men's quarters consisted on 14 (later 11 or 12) units of two rooms for approximately eight men, fronted by a veranda that often contained an enclosed latrine at one end. The outer room was used to store equipment; the inner was for living and sleeping and contained a hearth. Only 10 pairs of rooms should have been needed to accommodate a century; the purpose of the spare rooms is uncertain. The first barracks were constructed using a timber frame with wattle-and-daub infilled panels. These timber barracks underwent a varying number of re-buildings in a relatively short period of time. From about AD 100, there was intermittent rebuilding in stone (perhaps with timber superstructures). However, there were also periods of abandonment. A comprehensive rebuilding was finally undertaken in the early third century. These barracks had much the same plan as their timber predecessors. A diminished number of barracks continued to be occupied into the fourth century.