The Origins of a Leicester Suburb: Roman, Anglo-Saxon, medieval and post-medieval occupation on Bonners Lane: Roman, Anglo-Saxon, medieval and post-medieval occupation on Bonners Lane

Between 1993 and 1997 excavations were carried out on the south side of Bonners Lane, Leicester. The excavation preceded construction on the site of a new De Montfort University building. This report presents a detailed account of the findings of the excavation and attempts to integrate this information with the results of four other excavations undertaken in the same general area. The excavation site (National Grid Reference: SK 5852 0395) encompassed an area of c. 0.16 hectares on the south side of Bonners Lane, at its junction with Oxford Street (the medieval Southgates), approximately 250m south of the Roman and medieval walled town.The excavation area was dictated by the footprint of the planned new building and excluded an area in the south of the site and the eastern part of the Oxford Street frontage.This eastern area was subsequently excavated, in order to fully investigate the remains of an Anglo-Saxon building discovered in this part of the site.The total area excavated archaeologically amounted to c. 0.1 hectare. The range of finds included Prehistoric (of particular note was a Neolithic polished stone axe), Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, Post-Medieval, Post-Civil War, and Modern material. Excavations in 1993 and 1994 on Bonners Lane, Leicester, uncovered a frequently-repaired Roman road, roadside and industrial features, and a substantial late Roman timber building, on the site of which a sunken-featured building was constructed during the 5th and 6th century. Medieval dwellings were replaced in the early post-medieval period by a hide-processing workshop and a dye works. This volume reports on the excavation's discoveries, which are also placed within the wider context of Leicester's archaeology, as well as the finds. These included ceramics, building materials, ironworking debris and environmental remains. Between 1993 and 1997 excavations were carried out on the south side of Bonners Lane, Leicester. The excavation preceded construction on the site of a new De Montfort University building. This account of the excavations findings attempts to integrate thisinformation with the results of four other excavations undertaken in the same general area. Between 1993 and 1997 excavations were carried out on the south side of Bonners Lane, Leicester. The excavation preceded construction on the site of a new De Montfort University building. This account of the excavations findings attempts to integrate this information with the results of four other excavations undertaken in the same general area Front Cover Title Page Copyright Table of Contents List of Illustrations List of Plates List of Tables Summary of the main findings of the excavation 1. Introduction 2. The Site Sequence 3. Discussion 4. The Finds 5. The Environmental Evidence 6. Bibliography