Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A small area iof wooded ground, off Channel View Road in Dover, Kent, is recorded as the 17th century burial ground for plague victims. An archaeological watching brief undertaken here in 1991-1992 revealed evidence for this grave yard in the form of two brick lines graves, a fragmentary headstone and two cuts representing the possible location of further graves. (location accurate to the nearest 10m based on available information).

Monument Types

• TERRACED GROUND (Post Medieval - 1540 AD? to 1900 AD?)
• CEMETERY (Post Medieval - 1665 AD to 1900 AD?)

Full description

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The Graves is recorded as the 17th century burial ground for plague victims. A walkover survey in 1991 found two brick burial vaults and a smashed headstone from the 18th and 19th centuries. The gravestone records members of the Becker family who died between 1796 and 1842 and this has been salvaged for storage at Dover Museum. A sewer trench crossed the site in 1992. A small fragment of human rib was found, along with two possible grave cuts, but no trace was found of the putative plague pits. These may have been removed by the 18th and 19th century terracing of the area. (1-3)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1992, 'The Graves' Level III Archive Report (Unpublished document). SKE17988.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1992, Archaeologia Cantiana: Interim Report on work carried out in 1992 by Canterbury Archaeological Trust Vol. 110 (Article in serial). SKE31776.

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 Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2001, Dover Sewers/A20 Project 1991–3, Assessment Report and Updated Project Design (Unpublished document).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

Sources and further reading

Related records