A HISTORY OF LONDON Of the original arrangement of streets there is Httle evidence, but few of the existing streets correspond to those of the Roman City. More discoveries of buildings have indeed been recorded in the roadways than in other parts (see Plan C and Fig. 30), since those interested in such matters have been able to some extent to observe what has been discovered in the streets, while on the building sites dark, deeds of destruction have gone on without hindrance from the prying antiquary. Numerous remains have been revealed by sewerage operations at various times, but little has been done to record what was found. The whole of the district south-east of St. Paul's and the line of East- cheap is described as having been thickly intersected with remains of Roman buildings, and similar re- mains have been met with in widening streets or in forming new thoroughfares, such as Cannon Street, Queen Street, King William Street, and Queen Victoria Street. In Lombard Street and Birchin Lane the discoveries are said to have indicated a row of houses, and a sketch plan made in 1785 gives roughly an idea of the extent to which remains have been found over a great part of the City (Fig. 30). Walls and pavements are said to have occurred also in the adjoining lanes and allevs. A pavement, an aqueduct, &c., were found under St. Mary Woolnoth Church, while more recently similar finds have been made on the site of the old General Post Office, but were not pre- cisely recorded. The present streets leading from the gates into the City are mostlv free from buildings at their commencement, but their further course through the City denotes alterations. The line of Bishopsgate Street if continued to the south reaches very near the mouth of the Walbrook, which is a probable route for the original street to the north. Its line, however, was changed in later times, and its present continuation, Gracechurch Street, passes over ground which is crossed by walls and occupied by buildings.^'* A pavement of later date also was found at a depth of 7 ft. in Bishopsgate Street, opposite Crosby Hall," which extended under the roadway. Other pavements adjoining this to the north have been found at a depth of 14 ft. and 1 5 ft. A raised causeway was discovered in Cheapside by Wren," and what appears to have been an easterly extension of this was found in line with Bucklersbury leading to a bridge across the Walbrook. This causeway was probably constructed to keep back the water from the soak, a channel of Fig. 29. — Architectural Fragments found Built INTO Walls in London '" Arch, be, 215 ; Cat. Antij. Roy. Exch. xii. ^ Parcntalia (1750), 250. 80 " lllui. Lord. News, 2 Aug. 1873. " Nat. Safe Deposit, 49.
