Page:VCH London 1.djvu/128

 A HISTORY OF LONDON about 30 ft. from the surface level, and consisted of a number of small fragments of Romano-British pottery contained in a solid framework of timber, 3 ft. square, and puddled over with clay (Plan C, 122). London Stone (Plan C, 133) also, a portion of which exists to-day, but not in its original position, which was on the opposite side of Cannon Street, a little to the south-west, has long been held to have been used by the Romans as a central miliarium. Whatever truth there may be in this conjecture, a line drawn from its original position due north passes through the spot marked by the discovery in the Walbrook, and as nearly as possible divides the City through the centre, while further north on the same line near Coleman Street '* was found a pit containing pottery, &c., also considered to have been a similar boundary mark (Plan C, 105). The alteration in the direction of Bishopsgate Street down Gracechurch Street will be seen to trend towards the position of Old London Bridge. Satisfactory evidence of the existence of a bridge in Roman times was furnished during the operations undertaken for the new bridge in 1824, by the discovery of vast numbers of coins extending from Augustus to Honorius, in the bed of the river along the line and under the piers of the old bridge.'' It is indeed difficult to suppose that the Romans would long delay building a bridge after the route to the north had become established and the importance of Londinium was assured as a trading centre from which radiated so many important roads. On the opposite side of the river a considerable settlement also sprang up, and many indications of its occupation have been found at Southwark. Remains of houses have been plentifully found along the line of the High Street, as far south as St. George's Church, and from the foot of the bridge westward to about opposite Dowgate. The turn in the direction of the High Street suggests that it was deflected to the east when the bridge was built, and that originally it took a more westerly course to the ferry. Many of the pavements have been found resting on piles driven into the marshy ground by the river side, and some pile structures similar to those in the Walbrook have also been discovered. Although Roman remains have been found extending over a wide area, the settlement does not seem to have exceeded the boundaries above indicated. To the south and east of this, however, many sepulchral remains have been discovered, and this district appears to have formed an extensive cemetery. The Thames was also crossed by a ferry at Westminster, and remains have been found showing that a small settlement had grown up there in Roman times. On the west London was naturally protected by the deep valley of the Fleet River, but beyond this there were isolated villas in the districts of the Strand and Holborn, and in Strand Lane what is supposed to be a Roman bath still exists, and until recentlv had continued to be used. These buildings standing in the open country show clearly that long periods of peace and security must have been enjoyed. Imperfect and fragmentary as are most of the remains and records of Roman London, there is still sufficient to show that a vast City with a teeming population had grown and flourished at an early period, that it passed '* Roach Smith, lUus. Rom. Lond. 142. ** Arch, xxv, 600. 82