Latest news with #HertshtenProperties
BBC News
17-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Roman London: Tower plans to be revised after basilica found
Ben Lynch Local Democracy Reporting Service Visulent AB The basement of the new tower is to be made into an exhibition space to display the Roman remains Plans to build a new tower block are to be revised to showcase a "monumental piece of London's history" after the remains of a Roman building were unearthed. Archaeologists found the remains of a Roman basilica - a 2,000-year-old public building where major political, economic and administrative decisions were made - underneath an office block at 85 Gracechurch Street, which is due to be demolished and rebuilt. The ongoing excavation has so far revealed sections of limestone wall that formed the base of the basilica. Site owner Hertshten Properties already has permission to build a 32-storey tower at the site, but the proposal will be revised to include the Roman display. The remains are to be presented as part of an immersive experience delivered in partnership with London Museum, with hopes of opening by 2029-2030. Hertshten Properties said it was excited to showcase "such a monumental piece of London's history". The exhibition would be a "world-class public experience" for visitors, the firm's chief executive Rob Hertshten added. Unearthing early Roman London under an office basement The developer said it also planned to reduce the height of the proposed tower to 30 storeys, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The building, which is opposite the historic Leadenhall Market, will include offices, retail outlets as well as cultural space. Tony Jolliffe Some walls of the basilica were revealed during a dig between filing cabinets at 85 Gracechurch Street Previous investigations at the site revealed the existence of the basilica, but it was only uncovered in recent excavations by the Museum of London Archaeology. Experts believe it was the first to be built in Roman London and dates back to the late 70s or 80s AD. The basilica would have formed part of a wider Roman forum - a political, judicial, commercial, and social hub for residents and visitors. Peter Marsden The basilica is likely to have looked like this building Sophie Jackson, the Museum of London Archaeology's director of development, said it was "one of the most significant discoveries made in the City in recent years". "It's like discovering the Speaker's Chair and chamber of the House of Commons, 2,000 years into the future," she said. Ms Jackson added that the structure was much better preserved than they expected it to be and that there were likely to be more discoveries at the site. "Excitingly, we've only just scratched the surface of this site's potential through our initial investigations," she said. Related internet links Museum of London Archaeology
NBC News
14-02-2025
- Science
- NBC News
Archeologists discover London's first Roman basilica under office building
'It really is the heart of Roman London, where the big decisions that were made impacted the rest of London and also the wider Roman world in Britain,' Henderson-Schwartz added. Hannah Platts, a lecturer in ancient history and material culture at the University of London, said that the basilica's discovery was 'hugely significant' because it also revealed how the province of Britannia was integrated into the broader Roman Empire. 'What the discovery demonstrates is that the Romans were quick to instill in Britannia similar methods of governing that they used elsewhere in the Roman world,' she said. Archeologists and historians had long suspected the approximate location of the 2,000-year-old building through earlier investigations. But the full extent of what was hidden beneath the concrete floor was only uncovered when the building's owners, Hertshten Properties, approached MOLA to launch a new investigation. 'We knew that this was potentially the site of the first Roman Basilica, but what we didn't know was how well these remains had survived,' said Henderson-Schwartz. From there, the team undertook several small test pits, or open areas of excavation, to see what was hidden beneath the concrete floor. What they found were large sections of the Roman basilica still intact — walls 32 feet long and 13 feet deep made of flint and limestone transported from Kent. Among other artifacts, archaeologists uncovered bits of Roman pottery, brick, and tiles, including one roof tile with the name 'London' stamped into it and fingerprints of the Roman tile maker. 'You can literally put your fingers in their finger marks on the tile, so it's really a tangible connection to the early origins of the city,' Henderson-Schwartz added.
New York Times
14-02-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Remnants of a Roman Basilica Are Found Under a London Office Building
Archaeologists have unearthed the foundations of London's first public building. Excavating under the basement of a commercial building in the city's financial district, they encountered what they believe are the roughly 2,000-year-old remains of a basilica from Roman London. The basilica was part of London's Roman forum, or public square, and was 'effectively the first town hall,' said Sophie Jackson, a director at the Museum of London Archaeology. The archaeologists first found the remnants over the summer and completed their investigation a few weeks ago, Ms. Jackson said. They began work after planning permission was granted to demolish a commercial building at the site and replace it with a 32-story mixed-use office tower. They unearthed 'massive foundations and walls made of flint, ragstone and Roman tile,' the museum said in a statement announcing the discovery on Thursday. In some areas, these remnants were more than 33 feet long, three feet wide and 13 feet deep, the statement said. Their size and scope indicates that the basilica, which must have been the city's biggest structure at the time, was three stories high and built atop a hill, Ms. Jackson said in a phone interview on Thursday. She added that it was probably a place where administrative matters were resolved and money may have been stored. Archaeologists also believe that the site that was excavated was a designated area inside the basilica called a tribunal, where magistrates sat on a raised platform and made judgments on court cases and important decisions about the government, Ms. Jackson said. 'This was a clear symbol of Roman power and authority,' the museum said. Archaeologists had known of the existence of the basilica, but they did not know how much of it had survived underneath the streets of London, nor did they expect such a high level of preservation. The remains were found in the center of a bustling metropolis, in an area of London that essentially has the same function now as it did thousands of years ago under Roman rule. The Museum of London Archaeology said the basilica was 'once the beating heart of Roman London.' 'Trying to understand Roman London is a puzzle,' Ms. Jackson said, and 'most of the pieces have been lost.' The Romans conquered Britain in 43 A.D. and established London, then known as Londinium, about five years later. The city at that point was an industrial port with a quickly growing transportation network. Thirteen years into the founding of Londinium, British tribes led a rebellion against the Romans and destroyed most of the city. Roughly 15 years later, in the late 70s or 80s A.D., the Romans rebuilt the city, including the recently unearthed basilica. The Romans also built a bath house and an amphitheater in the same area around the same time. Ron Hertshten, the chief executive of Hertshten Properties, the company that is redeveloping the site, said that 'the discovery of the remains under our building has caused us to significantly revise our plans.' The company, he said, planned to incorporate the remains into a public display that would be open to the public. Archaeologists hope that the revelation of the remains will lead to more discoveries about Roman London. After the existing building is demolished, they will be able to do a full excavation, Ms. Jackson said. 'We'll find out so much about the origin of London and the lives of the first Londoners,' she said. The remains of the basilica are hardly the first significant archaeological discovery in London. In 2022, archaeologists dug up two extremely well-preserved Roman mosaics. In 2017, when Bloomberg completed a large office building in the City of London, it incorporated the 2,000-year-old Temple of Mithras, another relic of London's days under Roman rule that was first discovered in the 1950s, into its design. It was not even the first time that Roman ruins had been found on the same street. 'A Roman mystery has sent London citizens scurrying to the scene of recent excavations,' The New York Times reported in February 1926, when remnants of the forum were discovered during the construction of a Barclays Bank building on Gracechurch Street, about 350 feet from the site of the recent basilica discovery. 'Only two or three pieces of it will be preserved,' The Times reported. 'The remainder will once more be lost sight of, to offer no doubt a puzzle to future generations rearing habitations undreamed of by this one.'
Boston Globe
13-02-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Archeologists unearth the remains of a Roman basilica on the site of a new London skyscraper
Sophie Jackson of the Museum of London Archaeology called it 'one of the most significant discoveries' in years in London's oldest quarter, the City – the square-mile financial district where modern glass high-rises stand atop the remnants of Victorian, medieval, and even earlier structures. Advertisement What has been uncovered are the foundations of a two-story building, almost as big as an Olympic swimming pool. It was constructed between 78 and 84 AD, about three decades after Roman troops invaded Britain and some 20 years after forces of the Celtic warrior queen Boudicca sacked the fledgling settlement. The basilica was part of the forum, the social, political, and commercial heart of Roman London, where people went to shop, mingle, seek justice, and hear the latest edicts from political leaders. The newly discovered remains are believed to form part of the tribunal, a raised area of the forum where politicians and officials made decisions about the city's governance. Archeologists already knew where the ancient Roman basilica, the first of two to stand on the site, was located, but did not know how much would remain after centuries of construction. 'It's the beating heart of the city,' said Andrew Henderson-Schwartz, head of public impact at Museum of London Archaeology. 'It kind of towers above the city. And so it's a real symbol of Roman power and authority. 'We're talking about the early stages of London here, but it's a real sign of investment in the city, even in its early infancy,' he said. Developer Hertshten Properties, which owns the site and has planning permission for a new office tower, has agreed to incorporate the remains into its plans and put them on display in a visitor center. Advertisement Henderson-Schwartz said the extent of the 'absolutely massive' foundations discovered in several test pits suggests an 'extraordinary' level of preservation. Further digging could answer intriguing questions, including why the original forum was only used for 20 years before being replaced by a much larger one, which remained in use until the collapse of Roman rule in Britain three centuries later. Items such as writing tablets, styluses — even ancient trash — could give glimpses into the daily lives of Roman Londoners. Property developers in Britain routinely have to consult archeologists as part of their planning process, a practice that has uncovered finds from Saxon jewelry to medieval ice skates to the skeletons of 14th-century plague victims. The latest discovery adds to the scant traces of Roman London that can be seen around the city, including a section of ancient wall, a portion of amphitheater beneath the Guildhall, and a temple to the god Mithras, which lies incongruously under the modern headquarters of information company Bloomberg. 'We do have these little windows into Roman London that are all over the city,' Henderson-Schwartz said. 'But this is really in some ways the site that connects them all together. This is the heart of Rome in London, where all the decisions were made.'
CNN
13-02-2025
- Business
- CNN
Roman basilica remains uncovered in office block basement
The remains of an ancient basilica that would have formed the heart of Roman London have been uncovered during building work in the center of the British capital. About 2,000 years old, the basilica would have housed the tribunal, where magistrates, officials and politicians would have deliberated important decisions on a raised stage, according to a joint statement from developer Hertshten Properties and Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) on Thursday. Described as the 'beating heart' of Londinium, the basilica would have formed part of a wider forum, which would have been the political, commercial and social hub of the city. 'This is one of the most significant discoveries made in the City in recent years,' said Sophie Jackson, director of development at MOLA, in the statement. 'The levels of preservation of the Basilica have far exceeded our expectations, and we have possibly the most important part of the building,' she added. 'Excitingly, we've only just scratched the surface of this site's potential through our initial investigations.' The basilica was discovered during work to redevelop an office block at 85 Gracechurch Street, in the City of London financial district. It was found in the block's basement. Archaeologists working at the site found 'massive foundations and walls made of flint, ragstone and roman tile,' in some areas more than 10 meters (33 feet) wide, one meter (three feet) long and four meters (13 feet) deep, according to the statement. The forum is thought to have been built from the late 70s and 80s AD. It was built on a raised platform and is around the same size as a soccer pitch. 'This was a clear symbol of Roman power and authority,' reads the statement. While previous research had allowed archaeologists to pinpoint the location of the basilica, they didn't know how much of it would have survived later Roman and more modern construction projects. However, the latest excavations have revealed 'extraordinary levels of preservation,' according to the statement, and there are plans to make the site accessible to the public. 'The Roman Basilica will be incorporated as a world-class public experience through updates to the proposed design of the development, right in its original location,' said Ron Hertshten, CEO of Hertshten Properties, in the statement. The basilica would have been in use for around 20 years, when it would have been demolished and replaced by a much larger second forum, reflecting the rapid growth and importance of Londinium in the Roman Empire.
