Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During the Medieval period the Ridingate was a minor gate and was temporarily walled up in the 15th century. 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.

Monument Types

• GATE (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1430 AD to 1782 AD)

Full description

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During work to the main drainage system of Canterbury the ciy engineer, James Pilbrow, observed Medieval drawbridge foundations (of chalk and flint) at the site of the former Riding Gate.

In September 1948 The Canterbury Excavation Committee began work on a site 27.4m south of the Riding Gate on the city wall. At this location the city wall had suffered bomb damage in 1942. Two trenches were dug, one across the bank inside the wall, the other (4.88m further south beyond the major damage) against the outer face of the wall. Theses were coded C XIII CW A and B.
The trenches revealed that the Roman wall stood to a height of 2.44m on footings 0.91m deep and that the bank was contemporary with it with no earlier bank discernable. A late third-century date for the building of the defences seems certain; although most of the pottery from the bank itself was residual, sherds of mid to late third century date were found sealed by it. In the Medieval period the city wall fell into decay and a building with chalk walls and an earth floor was erected on the surface of the bank. Later the bank of the Medieval defences was piled on its demolished remains. Much restoration work was carried out in c. 1790, in connection with the new Riding Gate.

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.
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 would 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.

Thus the Roman origins for the gate were established and the gateway is mentioned the Records of St. Augustine's Abbey for 1040.

Pilbrow, J., 1871, Discoveries made during excavations at Canterbury in 1868 (Serial). SKE30226.

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

Andrews, G., 1985, The Archaeology of Canterbury: An Assessment (Unpublished document).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

Sources and further reading