Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The walls originally of 3rd century Roman origin, were rebuilt or substantially repaired during the medieval period c. 1380-1390 when a threat of invasion seemed probable during the Hundred Years War. Large sections of wall were taken down in the 1800's and the materials sold in an attempt to defray the cost of the demolition of the city gates.

Monument Types

• TOWN WALL (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1390 AD? to 1800 AD?)

Full description

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Nearly all of the Roman and Medieval defensive works between Westgate and London Gate (including the latter) have been destroyed and removed but for sections of foundations. The walls originally of 3rd century Roman origin, were rebuilt or substantially repaired during the medieval period c. 1380-1390 when a threat of invasion by the French seemed probable during the Hundred Years War. The walls here were still standing when Parlimentary troops pulled parts down during the Civil War. Since then the stones were gradually removed and used for building materials elsewhere in the city. Large sections of wall were taken down in the 1800's and the materials sold in an attempt to defray the cost of the demolition of the city gates and other municipal projects.

In April 1952 The Canterbury Excavation Committee undertook excavations in the Westgate Gardens on the NW side of the city. The excavation code was CXXI CX.
Three trenches were dug. I and II were dug in order to locate the line of the city wall and to determine whether or not it was of Roman origin. Trench III was dug in order to locate further stretches of a gravel metalled road seen in 1951-2 to the west of the River during the construction of a drain. It was also hoped that a gateway might be found by which Watling Street could have exited the city. The siting of the trenches was influenced by an old survey found in the city Engineers office, and by a slight rise in the grass. This was west of the line of the wall as marked on the OS which proved to be incorrect. The excavation was complicated by extremely waterlogged conditions, the water-level being reached at 0.79m below the present surface.
The defences here were clearly of Roman origin and thus an old theory that the Roman city extended no further than the King's Bridge branch of the River Stour was disproved. Several courses of the Roman wall survived; the Roman bank was piled up against it, extending over the wall offsets and thus proving, that here, as at other points tested on the circuit, the wall was not preceded by a free-standing bank. The excavations at this site yielded no conclusive dating evidence.
The Medieval wall, which was demolished in c.1800, had clearly followed the same line as the Roman defences. A number of medieval tiles and large building-stones was found in the robbed material at the top of the trenches. As the Roman wall was built of flint, the large stones are presumed to be from the Medieval wall.
Two road surfaces were found under the Roman bank in trench III; on of them was presumably an early version of Watling Street. No Gateway was found in the 1952 excavation. <ref 142-3>

In April in 1955 a further trench was excavated in the Westgate Gardens by the Canterbury Excavation Committee who had dug three trenches in 1952. This trench was coded CXXVII WG IV.
The purpose of this dig was to determine if the Roman bank (located in 1952) overlay Watling Street whose true course had been meanwhile traced on the NW side of the river. A gateway, The London Gate, was also found during the excavation and became the focus for investigation. The city wall had been badly robbed at this point, but a drain which ran through the wall just north of the gate was well preserved. Several road-surfaces were uncovered, contemporary with and earlier than the gateway.

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

Bennett, P., 1983, The Westgate (Article in serial). SKE30784.

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

Frere, S., Bennett, P., Rady, J., Stow, S., 1987, Excavations Intra- and Extra-mural Sites 1949-55 and 1980-84 (Monograph). SKE29800.

Elder, J. & Duncan, M., 2002, Canterbury City Wall Trail (Monograph). SKE29730.

Sources and further reading