Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A late 1st-2nd century Roman gravel pit overlaid by a gravel bank was exposed in 1964 when a police H.Q. was built. It was inspected by F Jenkins who considered it to represent later adaption as an amphitheatre.This is brickearth extraction pit was supported by later evaluation work by the Canterbury Archaeological Trust in 1997. No evidence for the amphitheatre was reported.

Monument Types

• BANK (EARTHWORK) (BANK, Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• BRICKEARTH PIT (Roman - 75 AD? (at some time) to 150 AD? (at some time))

Associated Finds

• PATERA (Roman - 75 AD? to 150 AD?)

Full description

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(TR 15005741) A late 1st-2nd century Roman gravel pit overlaid by a gravel bank was exposed in 1964 when a police H.Q. was built. It was inspected by F Jenkins who considered it to represent later adaption as an amphitheatre. (1)

A possible Roman gravel quarry was revealed in a large mechanically excavated area dug by contractors for the Police Station at the junction of Rheims and the Old Dover Road and its cells. A trench along the north side of the Police Station revealed 1st/early 2nd century pottery. The pit appears to have been used as a rubbish dump for a long period. A mound of earth running from the north-east end end of the Station is believed by Dr Frank Jenkins to represent landscaping for a possible amphitheatre. (2)

This is brickearth extraction pit was supported by later evaluation work by the Canterbury Archaeological Trust in 1997. No evidence for the amphitheatre was reported. (3, 4)

2002 evaluation for development of single storey extension. No significant archaeological remains were found in either trench. The nature of the archaeological deposits exposed suggests the presence of large quarry pits.(5)

Watching brief on clearance and construction work further evidence of Roman quarrying was found.(6)

Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2002, Archaeological Watching Brief During the Demolition and Clearance of Secondary Buildings ToThe Rear of The Police Station, Old Dover Road (Unpublished document). Ske11973.

<1> F1 FGA 27-JAN-65 (OS Card Reference). SKE42991.

<2> Archaeology of Cant: An Assessment 1985 57 (G Andrews) (OS Card Reference). SKE37336.

<3> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1997, Evaluation Police Station, Old Dover Road (Unpublished document). SKE8250.

<4> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2002, Archaeological Evaluation of land at Canterbury Police Station, Old Dover Road, Canterbury (Unpublished document). SKE8251.

<5> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1997, Canterbury Police Station, Old Dover Road, Canterbury: An Archaeological evaluation, November 1997 (Unpublished document). SKE8255.

<6> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2002, Archaeological Watching Brief During the Demolition and Clearance of Secondary Buildings ToThe Rear of The Police Station, Old Dover Road (Unpublished document). SKE11973.

Sources and further reading

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