Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During the abbacy of Abbot Ralph Bourne 1309-1334 all the major building work was completed and a large new outer wall was erected around the newly extended Abbey's outer precinct (enclosing an area of 2.058 hectares). It was certainly needed as relations between the Abbey and town were very bad at this time.

Monument Types

• BOUNDARY DITCH (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1200 AD? to 1650 AD?)
• PIT (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1200 AD? to 1650 AD?)
• MONASTIC PRECINCT (Medieval - 1309 AD? to 1538 AD?)

Associated Finds

• POTTERY ASSEMBLAGE (Medieval - 1200 AD? to 1300 AD?)
• POTTERY ASSEMBLAGE (Post Medieval to Unknown - 1650 AD?)

Full description

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During the abbacy of Abbot Ralph Bourne 1309-1334 all the major building work was completed and a large new outer wall was erected around the newly extended Abbey's outer precinct. It was certainly needed as relations between the Abbey and town were very bad at this time.

Description from record TR 15 NE 1399:
The area of St. Augustine's Abbey eventually expanded to enclose an area of 2.058 hectares, by the early 14th century. This large area, which was eventually walled and access was via several gateways, was enclosed during the abbacy of Abbot Ralph Bourne in between c. 1309 and 1334. The enclosed area was bounded by North Holmes Road to the north; Monastery Street to the west; Longport to the south and St. Martin's Terrace/North Holmes Road to the east.

The line of the wall was discovered during the evaluation ahead of the construction of the new Welcome Centre in 1996-7. (1) It was also confirmed during a 2013 watching brief carried out during construction of a new boiler house and related pipework. A small assemblage of pottery suggested a 13th century date for the ditch although these may be residual. It was suggested that this may have been a boundary ditch associated with enclosing the abbey grounds, perhaps at the time of the 14th century expansion. The final fill of the ditch contained a 16th or 17th century pottery sherd suggesting the area was levelled during the post-medieval period. Adjacent to the ditch to the north was a pit that produced flint waste from wall knapping. The pit was cut by one of a number of linear features that coud be horticultural in origin. (2)

Additional bibliography (3-5)

A mediaeval wall about 15 ft high of flint, ashlar and brick with brick coping. No 1, wall adjoining No 1 to right, water pump opposite No 1, No 2, Nos 4 to 18 (even), St Augustine's College, Hall, Chapel, The Cemetery Gateway, The Great Gateway, wall in front of St Augustinne's form a group. Listing NGR: TR1540057690 (6)

<1> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1997, An Archaeological Watching Brief at St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE51504.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2013, Canterbury Christ Church University, North Holmes Road Campus, Canterbury, Kent, Archaeological Watching-Brief Report (Unpublished document). SKE51730.

<3> Gem, R., 1997, St. Augustine's Abbey Canterbury, English Heritage (Monograph). SKE30335.

<4> Roebuck, J., 2002, St. Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury (Monograph). SKE30293.

<5> Boggis, R. J. E. (Rev.), 1901, A History of St. Augustine's Monastery, Canterbury (Monograph). SKE30288.

<6> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading

Related records