A developer’s plans to transform a commercial central London building into a towering office block have uncovered a historic – and impressively intact – vestige of the city’s Roman past.
Hertshten Properties is now hoping to work with the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) to build a public display at the site to celebrate the discovery of one of the city’s most important pieces of Roman history.
The remains of the Basilica – a large Roman public building – were discovered during preliminary scopings of the basement at 85 Gracechurch Street, adjacent to Leadenhall Market in the Square Mile.
Its historic function would have been similar to that of an ancient House of Commons, Sophie Jackson, Director of Development at MOLA, says – making it “one of the most significant discoveries made in the City in recent years”.
She likens the remaining masonry to “discovering the Speaker’s Chair 2,000 years into the future”, with a raised structure used by Roman magistrates and political leaders as a Tribunal, from which to adjudicate on big decisions about London and beyond.
“The levels of preservation of the Basilica have far exceeded our expectations, and we have possibly the most important part of the building,” Ms Jackson said. “Excitingly, we’ve only just scratched the surface of this site’s potential through our initial investigations.”
Archeologists were aware of the Basilica’s location in the Square Mile, but didn’t know how much of the historic structure had survived the damage of thousands of years of old and new construction work.
Proposals to incorporate the slice of history into the design of the office building now suggest that it could be “a new, world-class immersive public experience” as well as “the only publicly visible display of London’s first Roman Basilica”.
The ancient foundations and walls were found by MOLA after Hertshten acquired planning permission for the site in October 2023, and photos of the basement dig show flint and ragstone walls flecked with Roman tiles.
The Basilica is thought to have been built in the late 70s or 80s AD under the Governorship of Agricola – and once stood at two-storeys-high, roughly spanning the width of a football pitch. It also had an open courtyard at its front, with an outdoor space designed for community events including regular markets.
“To find the dais of the Basilica, the heart of London’s Roman Forum, surviving beneath today’s bustling Square Mile is really something special,” Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said.
The combination of planned office space with a public display of the archaeological remains would, he added, demonstrate the importance of “celebrating the heritage of places whilst delivering something new”.
Plans for the reimagined 85 Gracechurch Street, including a new public exhibition space, are expected to be submitted this spring. Following further excavation work, it is expected to open for public use between 2029 and 2030.
