First steps to explore the Dig for Eboracum: Roman Walking Tour

With plans afoot for a major archaeological dig on York’s Rougier Street, which it is hoped will reveal more about the lives of the city’s Roman residence, York Archaeological Trust and the Council for British Archaeology Yorkshire have teamed up to offer a special tour, this Wednesday 24 July 2019 at 5.30pm.

The tour forms part of the CBA’s Festival of Archaeology, and will give participants the opportunity to hear the ‘story so far’ of what we know about the Romans who lived in this part of the city. Led by YAT’s head of archaeology, Ian Milsted, the 90 minute walk will take history enthusiasts on a tour of the key sites that have already been excavated in the Micklegate area, to connect the dots of what we already know and to speculate about what might come out of the huge Dig for Eboracum, which is hoped to start next summer.

“Through a series of much smaller digs over the last four decades, we’ve got some strong indications of how this part of the Roman town of Eboracum was used. The military garrison itself was on the opposite bank of the Ouse, but we believe that the area around Micklegate and Rougier Street housed the civilian population that would have provided services to the soldiers based here,” explains Ian. “The footings for the bridge that became the primary access to the garrison are close to the site we’ll be digging, so during the walk, we will start to share the picture of what previous excavations have revealed, and explain why we believe that the Rougier Street will be so significant, both in terms of its size and what we could potentially find.”

The tour starts at the Multangular Tower – the best example of standing Roman remains in York – in Museum Gardens at 5.30pm, and will finish at Micklegate Bar at around 7.00pm. Participants are advised to dress appropriately for the weather – including bringing bottled water for refreshment is the forecast heatwave manifests.

Tickets are priced at just £5.00 per person. Advance booking is essential as places are limited.

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