In February 2025, archaeologists from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) made an amazing discovery underneath an office block at 85 Gracechurch Street: they unearthed remnants of London's first Roman basilica, part of the city’s forum built around 78–84 AD. The discovery is a window onto the foundations of Roman London, or “Londinium”, as it was called.
The Heart Of Londinium Laid Bare
The basilica made up the north side of the Roman forum, a public hub for politics, commerce, and social life. Within its walls was a tribunal: a raised stage where magistrates once laid down the law and rulers spoke. It is akin, as Sophie Jackson of MOLA put it, to discovering the “Speaker’s Chair” of modern government. The scale of preservation has shocked all the experts.
London's first Roman basilica found under office basement | BBC News, YouTube
Amazing State Of Preservation
Excavations exposed massive flint, ragstone, and Roman tile foundations, some of which are over 10 meters long, with widths of 1 meter, and depths of 4 meters. These substantial remnants indicate a two- or even two-and-a-half-storey structure with an open courtyard roughly the size of a soccer field.
London's first Roman basilica found under office basement | BBC News, YouTube
A Short Life, A Lasting Legacy
This forum was only used for about twenty years before it was replaced by a bigger and better second forum, demonstrating the rapid growth of Londinium during its early Roman period. Most of the earlier structures were torn down, which is what makes this discovery such a historical treasure.
London's first Roman basilica found under office basement | BBC News, YouTube
Incorporating The Old With The New
Property developers, led by Hertshten Properties, have already overhauled their plans for a 32-storey mixed-use tower to integrate these ancient remains into a public exhibit and event space. Designs by Woods Bagot envision viewing areas with glass floors that enable the public to stand above the tribunal stage, bridging the ancient world to the modern.
London's first Roman basilica found under office basement | BBC News, YouTube
Building On The Story Of London
Aside from its value to archaeology, the discovery also helps to tie together other Roman remnants in the City of London, like the London Wall, Guildhall amphitheatre, and the Mithras temple, providing a thread that we can follow through centuries of change to the cityscape. Historic England deems it among the most important recent discoveries in the capital.
London's first Roman basilica found under office basement | BBC News, YouTube
A Legacy For Future Generations
Full-fledged archaeological digs are expected to begin once the plans are approved, and the exhibition space is projected to open to the public around 2029–2030. Archaeologists hope to find more artifacts and features that shed light on Roman government, architecture, and daily life at the deepest foundation of historic Londinium.
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