Medieval wall found beneath Coventry car park

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-38867619

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Part of Coventry's medieval wall has been uncovered beneath a car park.

The remains were found by archaeologists during a survey ahead of work on a £50m student accommodation development in Fairfax Street.

The project's Richard Buckley said the wall had a commercial rather than defensive role and ensured outside traders "paid the relevant tolls".

The remains are being recorded, covered up and preserved underground.

Mr Buckley, co-director of University of Leicester Archaeological Services, said the foundations of the new development might be moved "slightly" to help preserve the wall.

"There's one bit where there is nice bit of super-structure surviving, still buried under the tarmac, that's the east-west stretch; but then the north-south stretch is very, very heavily damaged."

He said like all urban areas, the site had been developed many times.

"It is a sort of horrific mess when you start digging down through the surface and there's evidence of buildings from 20th Century, 19th Century all mashed up and I think one of the buildings had been bombed as well."