A MISSING link in Gloucester's Roman past could finally be unearthed this summer.

Archaeologists will dig Southgate Street and the Kimbrose Triangle ahead of construction of a link between the city centre and the docks, and they could find the last undocumented piece of Gloucester's Roman wall.

The wall, or at least evidence of it, has been found in a ring around the city centre – except the stretch between the corner of Parliament Street and Southgate Street, and the corner of Commercial Road and Ladybellegate Street.

But when archaeologists start in the area in June, they hope to uncover that last piece.

"It will be exciting if anything is found there," said Nigel Spry, of Gloucester Civic Trust and Gloucester and District Archaeology Research Group, who started excavating in the city in 1966.

"There was an excavation in the 1930s but they didn't find the wall."

The work is being done in June so work can start on the pedestrianisation works to Kimbrose Triangle and Southgate Street.

That will form a link between the city centre and the docks designer outlet centre.

This Sunday, six trees will be cut down, then later replaced by five semi-mature trees, to allow the dig, and the pedestrianisation work to take place.

The nearest remains of the wall are inside Gloucestershire Furniture Exhibition Centre on the corner of Southgate Street and Parliament Street, and Blackfriars.

Henry Hurst uncovered the wall at Bearland in 1969, and it runs under Berkeley Street, to the nearest corner of the cathedral, to St Aldate Street, through King's Walk, Brunswick Road, and Parliament Street.

Gloucestershire County Council projects manager Nigel Edgeworth said: "The long-term plan is to feature a public art wall at the site."