5/6 Clerk Maxwell Road, Cambridge: An Archaeological Excavation. Post-Excavation Assessment.

Abstract

An archaeological excavation was carried out by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit at the former University Cocks and Hens Tennis Club, Clerk Maxwell Road, Cambridge between 28th June and 10th August 2021, ahead of development. The work was commissioned following an archaeological evaluation which identified significant Roman remains in the northern half of the Development Area (Middleton 2021). The excavation revealed late Roman (third-fourth century AD) ditched enclosures and boundaries, a road, metalled surfaces, a scorched surface, pits and disuse deposits. These features were rich in artefactual and environmental remains and provide evidence of edge-of settlement activity associated with the dense, multi-phase, Vicar’s Farm Roman settlement neighbouring the excavations to the west (Evans and Lucas 2020). The Roman road identified appears to be a continuation of that discovered at Wilberforce Road to the south (Brittain and Evans 2018). The medieval Willowes Ditch, first noted on maps in the 14th century (Hall and Ravensdale 1976) and still partially extant today, bisected the site from west to east. Extensive archaeological investigations in the environs of this site have revealed a coherent map of Roman settlements, roads and field systems surrounding the town of Duriloponte (Roman Cambridge). The overarching aim of this project is to investigate the character and phasing of the site’s Romano-British activity within the context of the surrounding excavations, thereby enhancing our understanding of Romano-British settlement in the western hinterlands of Duriloponte.