Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The remains of Dover's Medieval Town Wall, surviving in places to a height of 3.8m, were revealed by a sewer trenching associated with the A20 road and sewer scheme. Two areas of walling were located, possibly representing two different phases of the town wall, the earlier of the two phases located 7.5m to the north of the later phase. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• TOWN WALL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

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A deep sewer trench cut across the York Street roundabout in the winter of 1991-2, during work associated with the A20 road and sewer scheme, revealed a substantial section of the Medieval town wall (1). This survived to a height of 3.8m. In all a total of some 9m of walling, extending roughly E-W was revealed. At the lowest point recorded the wall was some 2.7m wide, including an external offset. The south (i.e, seaward facing) side of the wall consisted of ashlared rectangular blocks of greensand set on a slight batter. The lowest four courses of blockwork showed obvious signs of being heavily water-worn in situ and this clearly indicates that the sea once came up to the base of the town wall in this area. Alongside this the wall was sealed by beach shingle suggesting that the sea had subsequently breached the curtain here. The top of the worn blockwork was at +3.56m OD, a level which falls within the range of high-tides recorded at Dover today. A masonry projection located on the northern (landward side) of the main wall may be connected with the Old Snare Gate which is believed to have stood in this area. (2)

As the pipe trench was continued northwards, a second very substantial wall made of large, mortared chalk blocks was cut through. It seems possible that this represents a fragment of an earlier town wall, situated 7.5m to the north of that first discovered, but set on the same general axis. (3)

Environmental assessment report on the Dover A20 sewer scheme (4)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2001, Dover Sewers/A20 Project 1991–3, Assessment Report and Updated Project Design (Unpublished document). SKE31815.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1998, Dover Town Centre Investment Zone: Archaeological Appraisal Stage 2 (Unpublished document). SKE6598.

<3> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1991-1992, Canterbury's Archaeology, Sites Outside Canterbury 1991-1992 (Article in serial). SKE31645.

<4> Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 1993, Dover A20 & sewer scheme environmental assessment report (Unpublished document). SKE31642.

Sources and further reading

Related records