Following the discovery in February 2022 of some of the largest Roman mosaics found in London for over 50 years, further excavations at a new London development site have uncovered a Roman mausoleum described by experts as “completely unique.” The incredibly rare finds have been uncovered at The Liberty of
Preparatory work for a £10.9m Oxford City Council housing development has unearthed fascinating glimpses into Oxford’s past. Council housing company Oxford City Housing Ltd (OCHL) and preferred principal contractor Willmott Dixon expect to start work next month on building 36 flats in the city centre. The development site is probably
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Following the discovery in February 2022 of some of the largest Roman mosaics found in London for over 50 years, further excavations at a new London development site have uncovered a Roman mausoleum described by experts as “completely unique.” The incredibly rare finds have been uncovered at The Liberty of Southwark site, a stone’s throw away from Borough Market and London Bridge Station. Archaeological investigations were led by Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA), on behalf of Landsec and Transport for London (TfL), who own the site, and Southwark Council. The remains of the mausoleum (a type of monumental tomb) uncovered on Landsec and TfL’s Southwark development include the walls and interior flooring. At its centre, is a striking mosaic surrounded by a raised platform on which the burials were placed. The lowest entrance steps into the structure also survive. Significantly, this level of preservation of the interior makes this the most intact Roman mausoleum ever to be discovered in Britain. Landsec and TfL are working together in a joint venture partnership on The Liberty of Southwark development and are committed to restoring and retaining the mausoleum within the permanent scheme for public display and enjoyment. The future display of the mausoleum will provide a tangible link between the Roman archaeology of Southwark and the site on which the artefacts were found, making these unique discoveries publicly accessible. Antonietta Lerz, Senior Archaeologist at MOLA – “This relatively small site in Southwark is a microcosm for the changing fortunes of Roman London – from the early phase of the site where London expands and the area has lavishly decorated Roman buildings, all the way through to the later Roman period when the settlement shrinks and it becomes a more quiet space where people remember their dead. It provides a fascinating window into the living conditions and lifestyle in this part of the city in the Roman period.” Marcus Geddes, Managing Director – Workplace at Landsec – “These extraordinary finds add great significance to the already culturally rich location of The Liberty of Southwark. We’re pleased to have worked together to ensure these finds were uncovered prior to our construction on site and we’re committed to celebrating Southwark’s heritage in the future of the development. We’ll continue to work with MOLA to preserve and protect the mausoleum and mosaics, and to display them for the enjoyment of the public and our future office and retail customers at The Liberty of Southwark.” Councillor Catherine Rose, Southwark Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Leisure and Parks – “The rediscovery of this Roman mausoleum and mosaics is a testament to the rich tapestry of our past. It is a moment of pride for Southwark, as we pay homage to the ingenuity and artistic brilliance that graced our borough in the Roman times. We are extremely grateful to the archaeologists, historians, and all those involved in unearthing these extraordinary remnants. As a council we are committed to preserving and promoting these archaeological treasures, ensuring that they are accessible to the local community and beyond for generations to come. This includes the recent discovery of a stone sarcophagus built into a mausoleum near Harper Road and a 19th century sculpture of King Alfred in Trinity Church”. Victoria Shin, Senior Property Development Manager at TfL – ‘This new discovery builds on the exciting findings already uncovered and develops our understanding of the changing use of the site throughout the Roman period. It is key that as we bring forward new developments across the whole of London that we work hard with others to preserve and reflect the heritage of London whilst delivering the homes and jobs that London needs to continue to thrive in the future.” The mausoleum underwent significant modifications during its lifetime and archaeologists uncovered a second mosaic directly beneath the first – indicating the floor of the structure was raised during its lifetime. The two mosaics are similar in design, with a central flower surrounded by a pattern of concentric circles set within a pavement formed of small red tiles. The walls of the structure were almost completely dismantled, probably during the medieval period, for reuse elsewhere. However, all signs indicate this was a substantial building, perhaps two storeys high, requiring large buttresses in the corners for support. Alongside the mosaics, the mausoleum contained a raised platform formed of tiles bonded with a hard wearing and waterproof pink mortar known as opus signinum. The platform defined the locations for the burials, arranged around three sides of the structure parallel to the walls. The mausoleum would have been used by wealthier members of Roman society. It may have been a family tomb or perhaps belonged to a burial club, where members would have paid a monthly fee to be buried inside. Archaeologists didn’t find any of the coffins or burials that would have originally been inside the mausoleum. However, over 100 coins were discovered, together with some scrap pieces of metal, fragments of pottery and roofing tiles. Furthermore, the area immediately surrounding the mausoleum contained over 80 Roman burials, which included personal items such as copper bracelets, glass beads, coins, pottery, and even a bone comb. This collaboration to safely excavate the site ahead of construction has now concluded. Yet, work to process and fully understand the finds continues. Among other areas of investigation, MOLA specialists will be working to pinpoint an exact date for the mausoleum. The site is being redeveloped as The Liberty of Southwark, a complex of offices, homes and shops that is a joint venture by Landsec and TfL. This will bring exciting contributions to the local area including increasing connectivity, creating jobs, enhancing Crossbones Graveyard, and providing much needed affordable workspace. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Preparatory work for a £10.9m Oxford City Council housing development has unearthed fascinating glimpses into Oxford’s past. Council housing company Oxford City Housing Ltd (OCHL) and preferred principal contractor Willmott Dixon expect to start work next month on building 36 flats in the city centre. The development site is probably best known to current Oxford residents as that of former homeless hostel Lucy Faithfull House, built in the 1970s and demolished in 2018. However, an archaeological excavation carried out between April and June by MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) uncovered evidence of Oxford’s medieval past. Blackfriars The Dominican Order (Blackfriars) first came to Oxford in 1221 and established their first friary near what is now Oxford Town Hall. Lucy Faithfull House sat on the site of the Blackfriars’ second friary, established in 1246 in what is now the St Ebbe’s area of Oxford. This was an unusually large friary which functioned as a college – or Studium Generale – for the order, training students from across Europe in theology. It was also head of one of the four visitations into which the English province of Blackfriars was divided. Like other monastic houses in Oxford, Blackfriars came into rapid and repeated conflict with the university. However, its death knell came with the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII in 1538. Dismantling of the site began not long afterwards. The Dominican influence in Oxford persisted beyond medieval times. While the Friars area did not survive the post-WW2 clearance and redevelopment of St Ebbe’s, evidence of the Blackfriars’ importance in Oxford still lives on in the street names of Friars Wharf, Preachers Lane and Blackfriars Road. The Blackfriars did not return to Oxford until the 1920s, with Blackfriars Hall joining the University of Oxford as a permanent private hall in 1994. The new 36 flat development will reference the Blackfriars’ black and white coat of arms by using light and dark building materials throughout. Excavation and findings The excavations uncovered parts of the west range of the main cloister and the west end of the friary church, revealing sequences of external and internal walls and floors and nearby rubbish pits. Finds included fragments of moulded stone, a 13th or 14th century decorated floor tile from the cloister and painted glass from the west end of the church. A stone coffin was discovered west of the church, along with other burials in the northern part of the site. The dig also yielded evidence of horn cores indicating the likely use of the site as a tannery after dissolution, as well as stone lined waste pits and pottery dumps belonging to the early 19th century housing that later occupied the site. The excavation has now been backfilled. Once construction is underway the impact of the development on the remaining walls and waste pits will be reduced by careful foundation design, with the stone coffin and other burials protected below shallow ground beams. Following analysis by MOLA specialists, artefacts recovered at the site will be donated to the Oxfordshire Museum for storage and potential display. The council hopes it may be possible for them to be put on temporary display at the Museum of Oxford after it reopens in September. Lucy Faithfull House Initial planning permission for a Church Army hostel that became Lucy Faithfull House was granted in 1972, with construction beginning the following year. The building was used as supported accommodation for people experiencing rough sleeping until it was decommissioned by Oxfordshire County Council in 2015 as part of a round of funding cuts. When the hostel closed in February 2016, its 61 beds were replaced by 62 beds provided in shared houses across the city. Oxford City Council acquired Lucy Faithfull House in 2017. As the building was in a bad state of repair and poorly configured for modern use, the council decided it was no longer viable as hostel accommodation and decided to redevelop the site for much-needed housing. Demolition began in April 2018 and was completed that August. The 36 flats on the redeveloped site will be in a single block of four to six storeys, which will include 15 council homes let at social rent, eight shared ownership and three homes at affordable rent. The remaining 10 homes will be for market sale. Lucy Faithfull herself was a social worker, children’s campaigner and founder of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a nationwide charity working to protect children from sexual abuse. Joining Oxford City Council as a children’s officer in 1958, she was appointed as director of social services in 1970 and retired in 1974 as local government reorganisation put social care in the hands of a new tier of county councils. She was awarded an OBE in 1972 and became Baroness Faithfull of Wolvercote when she accepted a life peerage in 1976. As Baroness Faithfull, she played a key role in the passage of the Children Act 1989 and later helped to set up the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Children. She also served as a trustee for a number of voluntary organisations, including Barnardo’s and the National Children’s Bureau. She died in 1996. Comment Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, cabinet member for planning and housing delivery, said: “History is literally underfoot in Oxford and excavation on the Lucy Faithfull House site has yielded new insights into our city’s medieval past. The surviving archaeological remains will be protected below the flats for future generations to investigate with new techniques and new questions about Oxford’s rich medieval history.” Oxford City Council archaeologist, David Radford, said: “The former Lucy Faithfull House proved to have been built on extensive modern foundations. Nevertheless, the area in the former courtyard proved to be well preserved and the work by MOLA has produced important new information. I am especially pleased about the details we have learnt about the internal layout of the west range of the friary, which certainly surpassed our initial expectations.” MOLA director of developer services, Sophie Jackson, said: “This year marks the 800th anniversary of
