Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Site of Customs Watch House marked on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map (c.1858-1873). A building, not listed as the watch house, is shown on the 2nd and 3rd editions (c.1891-1922) but not the 4th (1931-1940).

Monument Types

• CUSTOMS LOOKOUT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD? to 1900 AD?)
• BUILDING (Demolished, Post Medieval to Modern - 1865 AD to 1928 AD? (pre))

Full description

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Site of Customs watch house marked on the 1st Ed OS map. Building, not listed as watch house, is shown on the 2 and 3rd Ed's but ont the 4th (1928 - 1947)

During an excavation on the Rochester Riverside development site foundations were found relating to the former 19th century Customs House. Modern disturbance had removed all other traces of the building.

Reused oak and elm posts, former ships' timbers, were used to make foundation piles driven into reclaimed ground, on top of which were horizontal beams. These ground beams were sealed with concrete and brick walls were built on top of this. The building was later demolished, this activity being represented by a layer of mixed 19th century pottery (1).

AOC Archaeology, 2008, Archive Report on Archaeological Works (Phases II-V): Rochester Riverside Kent (Unpublished document). SKE31289.

<1> AOC Archaeology Group, 2006, Rochester Riverside, Kent: Post Excavation Assessment (Unpublished document). SKE15936.

Sources and further reading