Page:VCH London 1.djvu/146

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A HISTORY OF LONDON Stow, Survey (ed. Strype), ii, App. v, 23; Morgan, Rom. Brit. Mosaic Pavements, 176; Maitland, Hist, of Land, i, I 7 ; Soc. Antiq. MS. Min. viii, 25a].* Bagford, writing in 1714, said that part of the pavement (' of Csesar's tent ! ') was in the museum of the Royal Society [Leland, Coll. (ed. Hearne), i, 60]. In 1841, at the lower end of the lane, was found a wall of ragstone and tiles, running 50 ft. northwards until met by a similar transverse wall (Plan C, 149). Fragments of pottery and frescoes, tiles and bricks, were found. More walls were found to the north, opposite Scots Yard (Plan C, 141), in 1839, one crossing the street diagonally ; adjoining this was a pavement of white tesserae and a concrete floor supporting the tiles of a hypocaust (Plan C, 145)- One of these tiles, a hollow cube in form, is now in the British Museum _Arch. xxix, 156, 402 ; Soc. Antiq. MS. Min. xxxviii, 152 ; cf lllus. Rom. Land. 14, 116; Cat. Lond. Antiq. 55, No. 246]. Roach Smith thought that these massive substructures indicated a south-eastern boundary wall with a flanking tower. Another wall, about 200 ft. in length, 10 ft. high and 12 ft. thick, was discovered in the excavations for Cannon Street Railway Station (Plan C, 144) ; this inclosed foundations supporting smaller walls, 3 ft. wide, composed principally of tiles, connected by similar cross walls [Lond. and Midd. Arch. Soc. Trans, iii, 213 ; see also Cannon Street and Thames Street, Upper]. The evidence here, as in most cases, is very vague, but that there must have been an extensive building or series of buildings in this locality seems clear. See above, p. 75. In the British Museum are two fragments of Gaulish pottery with the stamps of Mettius and Titticus (Roach Smith), also a lamp with combat of gladiators. In Little Bush Lane to the south (Plan C, 148) a wall of tile and rag was found in 1846, extending across the street, also the base of a column [Journ. Brit. Arch. Assoc, ii, 341] ; and in Chequers Court on the west (now covered by Cannon Street Station) two fragments of tiles were discovered in 1 841, one inscribed p ■ BR • Bii, the other BR [Arch, xxix, 157 ; lllus. Rom. Lond. 114 ; Corp. Inscr. Latin, vii, 1235 ; see p. 90] ; both now in British Museum. Butcher Hall Lane. — See Angel Street, King Edward Street. Camomile Street (Plan C, 50). — In 1707 a tessellated pavement was found at a depth of 4 ft., and ' sinking downwards, under the Pavement, only Rubbish occur'd for about two Foot ; and then the Workmen came to a Stratum of Clay ; in which, at the Depth of two Foot more, they found several urns. Some of them were become so tender and rotten that they easily crumbled and fell to pieces. As to those that had the Fortune better to escape the Injuries of Time, and the strokes of the Workmen that rais'd the Earth, they were of different Forms ; but all of very handsome Make and Contrivance. . . . These Urns were of various sizes, the largest capable of holding full three Gallons, the last somewhat above a Quart. All of these had in them Ashes and Cinders of burn'd Bones.' Along with the Urns were found various other Earthen Vessels ; as a Simpulum, a Patera of a very fine red Earth, and a blewish Glass Viol of that sort that is commonly call'd a Lachri- matory. . . . There were likewise found several Beads, one or two Copper Rings, a Fibula of the same Mettall, but much impair'd and decay'd ; as also a Coin of Antoninus Pius* [Obv. radiated head, antoninvs aug .... IMP. XVI ; rev. seated woman with hasta pura]. ' At about the same Depth . . . was digg'd up an Human Skull, with several Bones [Leland, Coll. (ed. Hearne), vii. Wood- ward's Letter to Wren, 13 ; cf. Stow, Survey (ed. Strype), ii, App. v, 23 ; Allen, Hist, of London, i, 25 ; Gent. Mag. (1807), i, 415 ; Morgan, Rom. Brit. Mosaic Pavements, 177 ; see above, p. 12]. These finds were made in the course of rebuilding some houses, and It seems to be open to doubt if these are Roman. Fig. 41. Statue of Warrior from Camomile Street dy • See below under Cannon Street. 94