Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A section of the medieval and Roman town wall of Rochester found during building work in 1902 at Horsewash Lane. The lower section of Roman masonry was set below courses of Kentish Ragstone Wall.

Monument Types

• TOWN WALL (Roman to Medieval - 200 AD? to 1539 AD? (between))

Full description

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In the Autumn of 1902 demolition work revealed a large portion of the city wall. At 7' 2" from the surface the "set-off" was reached and below this at 8' 10" the base of the wall was reached. Above the set-off were seven courses of Kentish Rag. Above the regular courses the "core" is denuded of facing-stones to a height of 9 ft. The above shows that some fourteen or fiftteen feet of the northern wall of the city wall is pure Roman masonary from the base at that portion under consideration. The faced part corresponds with that remaining above ground at the East Gate at the rear of Leonard's shop. (1)

See useful location plans for archaeology in this area in [2 and 3].

AOC Archaeology, 2008, Archive Report on Archaeological Works (Phases II-V): Rochester Riverside Kent (Unpublished document).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

<1> Kent Archaeological Society, 1905, Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. XXVII 1903 - 1905, Researches and Discoveries in Kent: Rochester Ixvi - Ixvii (Payne, G.) (Serial). SKE7957.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1999, DRAFT Archaeological Observations undertaken during the Boley Hill, Rochester Repaving Project 1998. Volume 1: Report (Unpublished document). SKE12475.

<3> Alan Ward, 2000, Rochester and District Archaeology Report Number 4. The archaeological implications of the Proposed Riverside Development at The Common, Rochester (Unpublished document). SKE12508.

Sources and further reading