Car Park at Cirencester Rugby Club, The Whiteway, Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Oxford Archaeology (OA) was commissioned by Carter Jonas on behalf of
Cotswold District Council to undertake a watching brief in mitigation for a
proposed new car park at Cirencester Rugby Club, Cirencester, Gloucestershire.
The Planning Archaeologist for Gloucestershire County Council raised no
objections to the proposed scheme, but due to the proximity of Cirencester’s
Roman and medieval town and the presence of known archaeological remains
within the site, recommended a programme of archaeological recording.
The watching brief was undertaken on visits to the site between 12th February
2020 and 9th March 2020.
The watching brief recorded a ditch aligned NW‐SE and another shallower ditch
at a perpendicular alignment, extending to the SW. The ditch contained pottery
of Roman date and a piece of residual prehistoric worked flint. Two substantial
postholes were recorded which were probably structural. The finds assemblage
included domestic pottery, animal bone, and a ceramic roof tile, which may have
derived from a nearby structure.
The results add to previous structural evidence, including a posthole and a ditch
containing high‐status building material (opus signinum and a stone tesserae)
that was recorded during a previous evaluation.
A ditch aligned ENE‐WSW extended across the central part of the site. It
contained pottery and clay pipe of late 17th to 18th century date. A circular burnt
feature contained modern building material and was probably the remains of a
small bonfire