Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

This is an 80 foot long piece of Norman walling originally a part of the old north boundary wall of the interior Monk's Cemetery. It was later incorporated into chambers of the Meister Homer's Complex.

Monument Types

• WALL (Norman, Unknown date)

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

This is an 80 foot long piece of Norman walling originally a part of the old north boundary wall of the interior Monk's Cemetery. It was later incorporated into chambers of the Meister Homer's Complex.

Excavatuions by the Canterbury Archaeological Trust between 1978 and 1979 in the Linacre House Garden revealed evidence for a range of Chambers relating to late medieval additions to the Meister Omer's Complex to the east of the Infirmary.

The building was originally over two storeys, constructed of mortared flints and chalk with rendering to the interior and evidence for black and white painted plaster. The building being the south end of a range of chambers was rectangular shaped measuring some 28 feet in length N-S by 15 feet wide E-W. Its eastern wall being an original 12th century Priory wall. It had a large cellar below ground level which had at least two square-headed windows set below ground level in their own mortared light-wells cut into the east wall, and evidence of a timer stair access to the cellar in the south-west corner. It is certain that a a building stood above the cellar, evidence for its ground floor in the form of corbels being observed on the eastern side of the cellar wall. The precise date of the structures erection is not known but architecturally a later 15th century date seems likely. Sometime after its construction, another smaller cellar was created to the north of the original cellar by the insertion of an internal cross wall. The function of the cellar is not known. The Chamber above would seem to have connected and given access to the Chapel described in Level 2 Monument No. 1267 at first floor level.

Documentary evidence from the Distribution Document dated 1546 showed that the buildings here were allocated to various Prebendary Stalls. During the mid 17th century many of the buildings were demolished and the area became a garden.

Willis, R., 1868, 'The Architectural History of the Conventual Buildings of the Monastery of Christchurch in Canterbury' (Article in serial). SKE30206.

Blockley, K., Sparks, M. & Tatton-Brown, T., 1997, Canterbury Cathedral Nave, Archaeology, History and Architecture (Monograph). SKE29723.

Sources and further reading