Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

Numerous excavations took place at the site of the Roman Ridingate, City Wall during 1953-54, 1970 and 1986.

Monument Types

• GATE (Roman to Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 43 AD to 410 AD)
• ROAD (Roman to Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 43 AD to 410 AD)
• WALL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

In the summers of 1953 and 1954 excavations were undertaken on the site of the Roman Riding Gate by Frank Jenkins and Louise Millard. The excavations were coded CXXIV RG trenches I and II and CXXVI RG trench III.
In 1953 the south portal was investigated and trench I was loacted within the portal itself. The earliest level seen was Roman Street metalling, gravel c. 8cm thick and underlain by a silty mud. The street is thought to have been laid in the first century AD and relaid or narrowed sometime after C. 100 AD. There was also evidence for a later Roman building having been built partially over the street and which went out of use in late 3rd century when the defences were erected. The area was now immediately beyond a foot passage which flanked the SW side of the Roman gateway. Trench II revealed evidence that the foot passage had been blocked , probably in the 4th century and a structure was also erected adjacent o the south gurad chamber.
Trench II lay just outside the gate and as well as evidence for the blocking of the foot passage also revealed the site of the outer southern pier of the gate flanking the footpassage at the side.
Trench III, excavated in 1954, investigated the northern portal of the gate. The trench revealed the battered apron of a Medieval semicircular tower (No. 5) constructed of ashlar blocks. Just inside the city wall on the lower part of a modern path leading up to the wall walk excavations revealed the innner half of the Roman guard chamber built of lower courses of Kentish Ragstone and upper walls of flint and tile.
The area had been much disturbed in modern times by the laying of power- and telephone lines, and much of the available interior of the guard-chamber was occupied by a modern brick-built drain gully. Dating evidence was scanty, but it seemed certain that the guard chamber was of one built with the city wall.

In 1970 an iron footbridge of 1883 and its brick abutments were demolished at the site of the Riding Gate. This had inhibited excavation in 1953-4 but further excavation was now undertaken by Frank Jenkins and Louise Millard.
On the north side of the gate the core of the Roman city wall was seen to be standing to a height of 3.66m and was built of flints in a yellow mortar. The eastern corner of the Roman guard chamber was seen to be bonded to the wall and was confirmed as being contemporary with it. There was no evidence that the guard chamber had ever been a foot passage as on the other side of the gate. An opus signinum floor was found 1.52m below the surviving tops of the walls.
On the south side the guard chamber was seen to be in a better condition with walls standing to 1.52m high. The walls were built of flint and mortar and had tile courses on their internal face. The internal chamber measured 2.36m by 2.13m and was floored with opus signinum. The entrance was centrally placed in the rear wall and was 0.91m wide. The chamber appeared to have been infilled with soil in a single episode, into which a grave had been inserted, probably associated with the 11-12th century Church of St Edmund Riding Gate. Some time later in probably the early Medieval period five large pits were also dug into the fill, the positioning of which suggest they were for supporting posts for a gate-tower. The Medieval gate was demolished in the late 18th century, an action which disturbed the later soil levels.
Excavations on the north side of the guard-chamber revealed the pier of the rear arch of the foot passage, seen in 1953, behind the front pier which was also re-located.

In March and April 1986 The Canterbuty Archaeological Trust excavated upon the site of the Roman Riding Gate prior to road refurbishments. The sitecode was RG86 and the work was jointly funded by English Heritage and Kent County Council.
The earliest excavated levels were the metallings of Roman Watling Street, the gate foundations were also revealed. The subfoundations were of flint and mortar above which was a plinth of massive, chamfered greensand blocks tied together by lead encased iron clamps.Upon the plinth were the main walls of flint and mortar with regular courses of Roman bricks and quoins of greensand blocks. The carriageway arches wuld have been of Roman brick. The guard chambers, one on each side of the gate, had rear entrances and were bonded into the fabric of the city wall. A defensive ditch would have fronted the wall, this presumably was spanned by a timber bridge giving access to the carriage ways. To the rear of the city wall was a massive rampart of earth and clay.
Traces of the lower part of a timber door was seen during the excavation and would have been one of a pair, one for each carriageway. It also became evident that one fo the carriageways became disused and the door was locked. The carriageway became a room and was used for industrial activity.
The carriageway remained blocked until the early Norman period when the church of St Edmund Ridingate was established in the carriageway and flanking guard chamber and this may be the time when a blocking wall was constructed in front of the decayed Roman door. The church was later extended to the west. The church was united with St Mary Bredin parish in 1349 and the church was probably demolished soon after this date.
During the Medieval period the Ridingate was a minor gate and was temporarily walled up in the early 15th century due to a threatened invasion by the French, and a semicircular bastion was added to the wall adjacent to the north carriageway. The bastion was of a chalk core with a knapped flint face and battered ashlared ragstone skirt descending into the re-cut city ditch. The gate was reopened, and possibly enlarged, in 1430. The gate remained relatively well maintained until 1782 when the streets of the city were widened for larger carriages and the gate was destroyed.

In 2001 a survey and feasibility study was carried out of the southern guard chamber (1)

Frere, SS, Stow, S, and Bennett, P, 1982, Excavations on the Roman and Medieval Defences of Canterbury. (Monograph). SKE28530.

Blockley, P., 1986, The Ridingate (Article in serial). SKE30686.

<1> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 2001, Britannia, vol 32, p 382 (Article in serial). SKE54840.

Sources and further reading