Site Event/Activity record ESF21959 - Watching, Strawberry Field, Bridge Farm, Pakenham (in 2002)

The evidence from the monitoring of the trench has established with a high degree of accuracy the course of the Roman road towards the river crossing. Although the section is about 200m from the current course ofthe river it suggests the road or a ford crossed slightly to the west of the current bridge. The combination ofstratigraphic and finds evidence is consistent with a substantial high status building set back about 30m from the road frontage; they also point towards a building with a hypocaust. The extent of the building after this is difficult to gauge although the clay to the east indicates at least one room in that direction. Although only a small area was seen it should perhaps be compared with a hypocaust building identified on the road frontage approximately 100m to the south.