Ancient Roman Road Discovered in London During Heating Project
During early work to bring low carbon heating to homes along Old Kent Road in London, archaeologists made an exciting find: evidence of a Roman road. This discovery was shared in a press release from the London Borough of Southwark.
The road, known as Wating Street, was built shortly after the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43. Before this excavation, there was little information about the exact path this ancient road took.
Archaeologists from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) uncovered sections of the road while working for Veolia and RPS, a Tetra Tech Company. Gillian King, RPS’s director of archaeology, stated that finding this well-preserved part of Wating Street changes how we view the Roman road network in Southwark and provides new insights into Roman building methods.
Notably, Roman roads are usually straight, and this clue helped researchers in their exploration. The road revealed during the excavation was 5.8 meters (about 19 feet) wide and 1.4 meters (about 5 feet) high. It was made using a strong foundation of gravel covered with layers of chalk and compacted sand and gravel.
MOLA project manager Dave Taylor expressed his amazement at how well this section of the road has survived despite all the construction and changes in the area over the years. He noted that it is exciting to uncover such a significant piece of Roman history amidst the modern developments happening in London.
A sign will be placed near Old Kent Road Bridge to commemorate this remarkable discovery.
