Water workers uncover Roman site

The outline of a Roman roundhouse has been uncovered at the site

A Roman settlement has been unearthed in East Yorkshire by workers laying a new water pipeline.

Yorkshire Water contractors made the discovery in a field between Haisthorpe and Thornholme while laying 25 miles (40 kms) of pipeline into Bridlington.

Archaeologists have so far uncovered coins, pottery, irrigation ditches and the bones of five babies at the site, which is thought to date from 100 AD.

Experts have described the findings as "significant" and work is ongoing.

Upgrading pipework

Ben Westwood, who has been supervising the excavation, said: "We've had some nice imported pottery that's probably been traded into the area all the way from France in the 2nd and 3rd Centuries.

"We've also got evidence of industrial activity with metal slag and iron strips and nails."

Yorkshire Water spokesman Steve Parsley said a number of archaeological finds had been uncovered during the £12m project to upgrade the water system around Bridlington.

"Obviously when you're laying a pipeline there's always the chance that you could come across something significant," he said.

"The last thing we'd want to do is destroy it so the idea is that the archaeologists will follow us as we're digging."