Kathy Davidson will speaking to The City of London Archaeological Society on Friday 15 November about PCA’s recent work at Newgate Street. This is a hybrid lecture – you can attend in person at St Olave’s Church, 8 Hart Street, London EC3R 7NB, or online through Zoom, you will receive the login information for the online meeting once you register:
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The former GPO site on Newgate Street was one of the most significant excavations conducted by the DUA in the City of London during the 1970s. This key site revealed late Iron Age and early Roman buildings from early Londinium, late Saxon structures, and traces of medieval occupation. Additionally, it revealed remains of the 12th-century church of St Nicholas Shambles and its associated cemetery.
The building constructed after the 1970s work was recently extended and its basement enlarged. Our team, led by Kathy Davidson, excavated the surviving archaeology over a trench measuring 25m by 4.5m. Surprisingly, there were no medieval burials, suggesting they might have been removed during 19th-century developments. However, we did discover human remains in an unexpected location.
The excavation revealed well-preserved sequences of medieval rubbish pits, extensive Roman buildings, and early 1st-century AD quarries. Evidence from the Roman phases strongly suggests that smiths were working either on-site or nearby, which will be a focal point for further investigation and publication.
