Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

It is likely that the motte was constructed just after the Normnan Conquest and was subsequently abandoned at about the turn of the 11th-12th century in favour of the new stone-built Norman keep, the new Canterbury Castle.

Monument Types

• DITCH (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)

Full description

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During the summer of 1981 The Canterbury Archaeological Trust excavated on the site of the old City Council offices at 15a Dane John. The sitecode was DJ81.

Almost no trace of pre-Norman occupation was found on the site perhaps indicating little occupation of that period, or possibly extensive later disturbance of earlier levels. The largest feature seen was a flat bottomed ditch running approximately ne/sw across the nw side of the site. This seems to have been used as an open sewer until post medieval times. The original ditch was too large to have been a simple sewer and the fill indicated it had been dug in the 12th century suggesting it may have originated as a Norman defensive feature, predating the erection of the Norman keep and associated features at the turn of the 11th/12th centuries. The ditch appears to have been more than 17m in width at the top, and some 3m in depth. The material found in the primary fills of the ditch indicates that it must have been excavated at some time before the 12th century. This evidence strongly suggests that the ditch is the bailey ditch for a Norman motte and bailey castle centred on the Dane John mound. It is likely that the motte was constructed just after the Normnan Conquest and was subsequently abandoned at about the turn of the 11th-12th century in favour of the new stone-built Norman keep, the new Canterbury Castle.

A lengthy period of abandonment before the final reduction of the former defences in the 13th century is suggested by the fact that the primary ditch silts were overlain by a thick organic layer containing late 11th and 12th century pottery which is likely to represent the accumulation of humic and vegentable material after the ditch had ceased to have a defensive function. Within the area enclosed by a the ditch were found a number of features, though the dating of them has proven problematic many may bear direct relation to the ditch in its original incarnation, or alternatively some may have related to the period of abandonment of the motte and bailey. These features included two wells, a smaller ditch and numerous pits.

By the 16th century the main ditch had all but silted up and it is also thought that the area was levellled at this time, possibly truncating many earlier features. Shortly afterwards a large quantity of garden soil was brought to the site, covering the whole area and sealing the latest ditch-fill deposits. The area was used as a garden throughout the 17th century, possibly as orchards, and at the end of the century the site was relevelled to remove a ne/sw downwards slope. In the northern area of the excavation this relevelling had cut right down to the natural brickearth.

After the terracing the area continued to be used as gardens and at this time a cart track was formed from Castle Row to the west. A number of refuse pits were also dug. Early in 18th century a large surface of crushed brick was laid, possibly a oad or courtyard. A wooden post supported structure was then erected at the edge of the coutyard, adjacent to the dn of this sructure was a large ovoid pit. The building seems to have been built c. 1737 and fell out of use by 1790, by which time it had been demolished. The site of the building was then used for the disposal of rubbish.

In 1790 the whole area was levelled and landscaped for use as public gardens, a process recognisable in the excavation by the presence of an enormous dump of material, raising the level of the area by up to a metre. Finally in 1830 buildings were erected to the north of the site.

Rady, J., 1982, Dane John Site (Article in serial). SKE30883.

Tatton-Brown, T., 1982, Potins and Other Iron Age Coins from Canterbury (Article in serial). SKE30507.

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

Sources and further reading