Early Discoveries:
Early 1970s
Finds at 94 Carlton Street
In 1970-71 amateur archaeologist Ron Jeffries excavated behind 94 Carlton Street in an area just within the second fort. The finds included coarsewares, Samian pottery, a complete mortarium and a possible fragment of Roman scale armour, lorica squamata.
Further investigations at Welbeck Street
In the early 1970s lecturer Harold Bowes did further work near the excavation done by the Castleford and District Historical Society. This was to be the site for the British Legion Club. He found parallel ditches crossing the site, filled with burnt wattle and daub from timber buildings, as well as very large quantities of split animal bone.
In 1974 he began excavations with volunteers on the other side of Welbeck Street. This also produced extensive finds and the West Yorkshire Archaeology Unit continued the work as the first full time excavation in Castleford. This was the beginning of a long series of excavations that ran almost continually from 1974 to 1985. They were to reveal in detail two forts as well as a trading settlement built outside the fort to supply goods and services to the garrison.