Early Roman occupation on the site of the former Queensway Hall, Dunstable

Andrew Mudd

Source: Bedfordshire Archaeological Journal, 25, 141-158

Excavations in advance of the redevelopment of the former Queensway Hall, Dunstable, uncovered ditches and pits dating to the later part of the first century AD. The quantity of pottery recovered indicated that the site was associated with settlement, although no evidence of buildings was present. Other finds and environmental material were meagre. While the site may have had an agricultural basis, it is possible that it was associated with the early establishment of the Roman town of Durocobrivis. It is unclear whether the site’s abandonment in the late 1st or early 2nd century AD represents a purely local change of land use or has wider significance.