A roadside temple, a Roman landmine and the remains of some of Bishop’s Stortford’s first Christian residents are just some of the archaeological treasures unearthed at Grange Paddocks Leisure Centre!
You can watch this bit of history unearthed on Digging for Britain on BBC iplayer
These roman finds were uncovered as part of the archaeological excavations undertaken for the footprint of the new 3G football pitch! A Roman road, possible temple, coins, and pottery are just some of the findings archaeologists from Oxford Archaeology have found. The excavation took place next to the route of Roman Stane Street. Joining the two Roman towns of Verulamium (present-day St Albans) and Camulodunum (Colchester). The street just passes the newly constructed Grange Paddocks Leisure Centre and will soon be covered over once again as the 3G pitch is completed.
Skeletal remains have been exhumed for analysis from the late roman cemetery. You can see the extent of the cemetery clearly from the images below! The graves were aligned east to west which hints that the cemetery dates back to an era when the Roman Empire switched to Christianity. Metal spearheads were also discovered, together with a Caltrop! (An area denial weapon – similar to spike strips that police deploy to stop cars today!)
Rachel Legood from HBC visited the excavation site as part of a weekend open day by East Herts Council and Oxford Archaeology at the end of April and said
“Unbelievable that these treasures have been found literally no more than a metre below the surface! The quality of the pottery finds is outstanding! It’s been wonderful to listen to the intriguing stories and theories by Oxford Archaeology regarding this settlement. I’m so pleased and delighted that we’ve been able to visit and witness this amazing site before it is covered over again!
Read about the New Grange Paddocks Leisure Centre
