Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A number of features of a Roman date have been uncovered during non-archaeological works undertaken on Castle Street in the first half of the 20th century. These include two areas of walling, a rubbish pit and a spread of rubble. A quantity of finds were also located in association with these features, many of which may be dated to the 2nd century A.D. (location accurate to the nearest 10m based on available information)

Monument Types

• LAYER (Roman - 100 AD? to 300 AD?)
• PIT (PIT, Roman - 100 AD? to 300 AD?)
• WALL (WALL, Roman - 100 AD? to 300 AD?)

Associated Finds

• WORKED FLINT (Later Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
• ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
• GRINDSTONE (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
• ANIMAL REMAINS (Roman - 100 AD? to 299 AD?)
• COLUMN (Roman - 100 AD? to 299 AD?)
• MILLSTONE (Roman - 100 AD? to 299 AD?)
• PIN (Roman - 100 AD? to 299 AD?)
• SHERD (Roman - 100 AD? to 299 AD?)
• SHERD (Roman - 100 AD? to 299 AD?)
• TILE (Roman - 100 AD? to 299 AD?)
• WALL PLASTER (Roman - 100 AD? to 299 AD?)

Full description

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A number of features of a Roman date have been uncovered during non-archaeological works undertaken on Castle Street in the first half of the 20th century. The first was recorded during drainage work undertaken at the south end of Church Street in 1908; a massive wall, about 3.5m thick, built of flint and greensand, and resting on top of the natural clay at a depth of approximately 2.5m. A pit containing material of a Roman date was also located during this work, it was situated close to the wall, in an area opposite the back entrance of the Lloyds Bank, and has been interpreted as a rubbish pit. Within its fill sherds of roman pottery, glass, animal remains, pieces of iron work and charcoal. To the north of the wall and pit was a spread of Roman material which included Roman rubble consisting on squared chalk, sandstone, concrete and tufa, pieces of wall plaster, part of an oolite column, tile (three of which bore the CLBR stamp), a large millstone and numerous sherds of pottery, this spread of material appears to extend northwards towards St. Marys Church. During the same scheme of works but on the eastern side of Church Street more walling was located of a possible Roman Date. It was constructed of tufa and greensand and was on a north-south alignment. Many of the finds from this site, including worked flints and a piece of Roman Breccia, are now located in Dover Museum (1-2)

Later work on the northern side of Castle Street in 1945-47 on the eastern side of Church Street, consisting of two trenches cut through the shallow basement of a bombed house, approximately 35m to the north of the 1908 work, also revealed Roman material. A continuation of the spread of Roman debris previously encountered was also uncovered in these trenches. Here the material uncovered included several pieces of Roman tile (one stamped CLBR), the base of a Samian mortarium, a scrap of Samian form 33, and the rim of a 2nd-century coarse mortarium, together with a good deal of miscellaneous refuse, including bones, tiles, mussel-shells, as well as some waterlogged remains including the branches of wild cherry. Another wall of Roman date was also encountered within the southern trench, it was 0.8m wide built of flints and chalk lay across the trench, with a square hole for an upright timber post showing in the top of it. Sherds of 2nd century samian pottery were found in the layers associated with this wall and a broken piece of tile stamped CLBR came from the mortar of the wall itself. (3)

<1> E. G. J. Amos and R. E. M. Wheeler, 1929, Archaeological journal: The Saxon Shore fortress at Dover Vol. 86, Arch J 86 1929 50-52 (EGJ Amos and REM Wheeler) (Article in serial). SKE31895.

<2> Dover Museum, 2017, Dover Museum Accession Books (Collection). SKE32383.

<3> Leslie Murray Threipland and K. A. Steer., 1951, Archaeologia Cantiana: Excavations at Dover 1945-47. Vol. 64, Arch Cant 64 1951 130-133 (LM Threipland and KA Steer) (Article in serial). SKE31830.

Sources and further reading