Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Sherds of 11th-13th century pottery were found in area II and a number of late Saxon pits, including two wicker lined wells were investigated. These may be part of pre-castle occupation on the site.

Monument Types

• OCCUPATION SITE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

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From summer 1976 to Autumn 1977 the Canterbury Archaeological Trust excavated within the Rosemary Lane Car Park in advance of redevelopment of the site. The sitecode was RLCP76/77. The site included the north west quarter of the outer bailey of Canterbury Castle. The purpose of the work was to excavate as much of the enclosure as possible, together with the earlier and Medieval levels.

Three areas were looked at, area I in the outer bailey, area II to the north of this and outside the castle enclosure and area III to the east within the bailey. An additional small trench was also cut prior to the constrcution of a new building to the south of Gas Lane, in the Autumn of 1975.

In the post Roman period the early to mid Saxon period sees the deposition of a uniform soil, possibly a plough soil, but no pottery. Sherds of 11th-13th century pottery were found in area II and a number of late Saxon pits, including two wicker lined wells were investigated. These may be part of pre-castle occupation on the site.
No trace of Norman occupation was found apart from the castle ditch; this was 2.8m deep and 8.9m wide. The clearance of the area prior to the construction of the castle is suggested by a very mixed layer found in the small 1975 trench south of Gas Lane. This was sealed by a layer of plough soil, indicating that the area outside the castle was probably used for agricultural purposes for a considerable period after the castle was built. No trace of the bailey wall was discernable within the excavted area, and were probably removed during the construction of the gasworks.

A thick deposit of black-brown soil together with a number of pits sealed and cut the archaeological levels outside the Castle bailey. This deposit and pits were probably associated with agricultural activity that began soon after Canterbury castle was constructed. Documentary evidnece from 1591/2 indicates that the areas to the east and north of the Castle bailey were hop-fields at that time.

Bennett, P., Frere, S., Stowe, S., 1982, Excavations at Canterbury Castle (Monograph). SKE29766.

Andrews, G., 1985, The Archaeology of Canterbury: An Assessment (Unpublished document). SKE30429.

Sources and further reading