Drapers' Gardens is a site in the City of London occupied during Roman times then left unsettled for millenia - because of heavy waterlogging from tributaries of the River Walbrook - until 1967 when an eponymous skyscraper was erected there. When this skyscraper was demolished, ahead of a new building being erected, an archaeological survey was carried out at the site, revealing a wealth of highly-preserved Roman remains - effectively a microcosm of Roman Londinium.
The remains dated from 63 AD to 383 AD, and included 19 metal vessels - possibly hidden in a well by a wealthy family during a Saxon raid on the city - as well as hundreds of brooches, a wooden door with its original hinges, a ruler, various Roman roads and wooden bridges, and even the skull of a bear, which may have died in a nearby ampitheatre. The artefacts are now in the possession of the Museum of London.
The discovery of the London Mithraeum was made during rebuilding works carried out in the City of London in 1954. There was great public interest in the ruins on their discovery, with 80,000 visitors flocking to see the site. Public demand meant the ruins were preserved in a site opposite the street, where they were tilted at 90 degrees to fit in the space so building work could continue.
The site today hangs in the balance with a development of Walbrook Square first being delayed, then cancelled due to the economic recession. The remains of the London Mithraeum were due to be moved back to their original position and showcased inside a new building designed by Sir Norman Foster.
Mask in the form of the jackal head Anubis, which together with Osiris protected and represented the deceased, either one in his own different role. Made of cartonnage, layers of linen and papyrus, stiffened with plaster and then painted. It would have been worn by a priest during rituals such as the ‘Opening of the Mouth’ ceremony.
It was discovered in Southern Egypt, and was once housed in the North Yorkshire farmhouse of Benjamin or ‘Benny’ Kent (1884-1968), who was a farmer from Tatefield Hall, Beckwithshaw, near Harrogate. When Benny Kent was 17 he was invited to join excavations in Egypt, first by Petrie and then by Petrie's one-time assistant Howard Carter. Benny later recalled how he would have loved to have accepted their offers "but his farm could not spare him".
The collection was displayed upstairs in Tatefield Hall until Benny's death in 1968, when it was left to The Royal Pump Room Museum in Harrogate.
This Roman church in Colchester dates back to the 4th century AD and is believed to have been founded in 320 AD. This is just a few years after Christianity was adopted by the Emperor Constantine in 313AD. Therefore, this Roman church is thought to be the earliest known Christian church in Britain. Colchester was the first capital of Roman Britain and beneath the Roman Castle are the remains of the most famous Roman buildings, including the Temple of Claudius, the Roman Wall and the remains of the Roman Theatre.
A small area of what once was a Roman Threatre still remains in the city of Colchester. The theatre used to hold a capacity of 3000 people. The theatre was damaged in the destruction of Colchester by Boudicca in 60 AD when the Queen sacked the city. This foundation dating back to Roman Britain is the only example of a Roman theatre left in England. Colchester was the first capital of Roman Britain and beneath the Roman Castle are the remains of the most famous Roman buildings, including the Temple of Claudius, the Roman Wall and the remians of this Roman Theatre.
The Holy Trinity Church in Colchester is the oldest surviving church building in the city. Parts of the church tower are dated back to around 1050 during the Anglo-Saxon period, and it is believed that the site may have held an earlier church building. The building features triangle arches, basket windows and reused Roman bricks. The church was once used as Colchester's Social History Museum, however today the building is unconsecrated.
The Balkerne Gate was built by the Romans around the 1st century AD about 55 AD. It is one of the most important Roman structures in Britain, and is situated in historic town of Colchester. This Balkerne Gateway was a gate in the Roman Walls of Colchester, and is the largest surviving Roman gateway in Britain. The gate is 107 feet long, and projects 30 feet in front of the wall. There were four openings, two for wheeled traffic and two for those on foot. After the Romans, the gate and gateway became used as an occasional Postern Gate. This saved it from demolition, as over the centuries the other gates were destroyed during road widening schemes.
St Peter upon Cornhill is an Anglican church in the city of London which forms part of St Helen's Bishopsgate Parish. The church was rebuild in a baroque style by Christopher Wren in 1687 after it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London of 1666.
The church holds an inscription in the churchyard which claims that St Peter upon Cornhill is the earliest Christianised site in Britain as it was founded by the first Christian King, Lucius in 187. However, no definite archaeological evidence exists which proves that there were no Christian churches in the United Kingdom during Roman times, it is thought that this site may have been the location of a Roman basilica or public building.
Later the church was used by the Tank Regiment after the Second World War.
Located in London, is the small church of St Stephen Walbrook, which forms part of the Church of England's Diocese of London. This site has been used for religious purposes dating back to the 2nd century AD, when a Mithras temple stood on the bank of the river Walbrook. A Saxon church was later build in the same area in the 7th century. This saxon church was rebuild on the east bank of the river in 1439 however, it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The church was then rebuild by Christopher Wren between 1672-1680 in a baroque style which is how the church stands today.
What was it like in early Anglo-Saxon times? At West Stow you can walk in the footsteps of our ancestors, explore their homes and see the evidence for yourself.
The site has been occupied by a succession of peoples since the end of the last ice age. The site was used by stone age hunter-gatherer groups six or seven thousand years ago. There are traces of Neolithic burial mounds, as well evidence of an Iron Age settlement which lasted to 60AD.
The reconstructed buildings have been produced through a technique called Experimental Archaeology, this is testing out different ideas about how things were done in that time, using the same tools and techniques availble to the Anglo-Saxon builders. Therefore every reconstruction is different as different techniques were tried out to find the most likely way the original buidings were constructed.
In the museum you will see fascinating displays of some of the objects found during the excavation of the village telling the fascinating story of this settlement and the people who lived here, plus see an exhibition of Replica Anglo-Saxon costume. Early Anglo-Saxon material from West Stow, Icklingham, Westgarth Gardens and Eriswell is displayed.
