Cannon Street

Another day, another foreshore. This time it’s Cannon Street, under the station bridge, where I used to rumble in as a commuter many years ago. It’s in the area of the Roman Governor’s palace which got buried under the station, but our main concern is to match the features with the old maps Sunny has acquired of where the wharves used to be before World War II and all the bombing.

The sights I’m seeing on this week of archaeology have prompted the question, why is it that on dry land most traces of that great conflict have been tidied away or built over, yet down on the foreshore they are there for all to see?

I have been viewing the prospect of going back to this site with some trepidation, as some areas of it would make excellent training areas for rock climbers I feel, and I have never been that steady on my feet! But somehow now it’s not winter, and the predicted rain has dried up to give way to a misty sunshine, it’s all a lot more bearable. While Sunny and the others relate the features we can see to the names on maps, I take time out to observe the river traffic, which resembles that on the station above during the rush hour. Goodness, it is busy!

The picture to the left shows the extent of the wash which is hitting the site at least every 20 minutes. That’s the frequency of the Thames Clippers, but today they are by no means the only traffic on the river.

At the end of the session, there is a surprise bonus; Roman finds! Someone found some Samian early on, but now there is more: a very distinctive roof tile and some Opus Signinum, which definitely says Roman!

I think this session on the foreshore illustrates how the FROG are evolving their techniques from simple measuring and recording to looking at recorded material to help with interpretation of what they find. An interesting and rewarding morning; tomorrow it’s back to Westminster to see how they’re getting on near the Houses of Parliament!