Crossrail and its Essex Connections

A free exhibition of archaeological finds discovered whilst preparing for the construction of Crossrail across London is open until 15 March at the Visitor Centre near Tottenham Court Road Tube Station.

Crossrail, which opens in 2018, will radically reduce journey times across London, linking central London with Maidenhead in the west and Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the east.  The route surfaces in the east at Pudding Mill Lane, where a new station is being constructed almost opposite the former Bryant and May match factory and the Olympic Park at Stratford, where until about thirty years ago a large blue enamel board with white lettering announced to passengers '3 miles to London'.

'Portals to the Past' is displaying a number of finds from sites within 'the square mile', the site of Roman London.  From Liverpool Street two gaming counters, Roman hairpins, a bracelet and coins dated AD119-121 and AD201 were discovered. There are also human craniums excavated from Blomfield Street thought to have found their way from a cemetery into the River Walbrook as a result of soil movement. 

Crossrail's community engagement includes the production of a quarterly newsletter called 'Moving Ahead'. A medieval burial ground believed to be up to 660 years old was discovered at Charterhouse Square at Farringdon (Issue 28: June 2013); the first piece of gold - a C16 coin - was found at Liverpool Street as well as C17 crafts from the Bedlam hospital site on which the Victoran Station was built, while at North Woolwich flint from a Mesolithic 'tool making factory', 9000 years ago, was excavated (Issue 29 Autumn 2013). The latest edition (Issue 30, Winter 2013) headlines with the breakthrough of tunnel boring machine Elizabeth at Stepney Green, the location of the eastern spur, in November. The waste from the tunnels is being taken to Wallasea Island in Essex where a new nature reserve is being constructed. One million (1,000,000) tonnes of earth has been deposited so far. There have also been new archaeological discoveries at the Liverpool Street site: Below the C16 Bedlam burial ground, about 20 Roman skulls were found 6 metres below current ground level. These will be analysed to discover the cause of death - perhaps the Boudican revolt - and information about their age, sex and diet. 

Liverpool Street might be the end of the line for many Essex commuters but is the start of new discoveries about London.