Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Structure 'S5' which overlaid Structure 'S1', consisted of many post-holes around perimeter of the sunken feature, with some 204 stake-holes in the base of the structure. It appears to be later than Structure 'S1' and is dated c. 550-650.

Monument Types

• PIT (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 550 AD? to 650 AD?)
• POST HOLE (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 550 AD? to 650 AD?)

Full description

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In 1978 the first of a series of excavations was undertaken by the Canterbury Archaeological Trust in advance of the redevelopment of the Marlowe Car Park and the site of the Marlowe Theatre. The first excavation was initally coded 16WS and later recoded MI. Excavation was total and lasted six months.

Evidence for early Anglo-Saxon occupation was also prevalent with seven sunken featured buildings and two surface-built structures dating to c.450-700 AD found at the western end of the site. A few asscociated rubbish pits were also identified, as was a well. Structure 'S1' a sunken featured structure dated to c. AD 450--500, had 5 post-holes, one outside the sunken area of the hut. Structure 'S5' which overlaid Structure 'S1', consisted of many post-holes around perimeter of the sunken feature, with some 204 stake-holes in the base of the structure. It appears to be later than Structure 'S1' and is dated c. 550-650.

Structure S8 contained evidence of metal working. During the period c.700-850 a final sunken floored hut was built on the site, this was well preserved and on a different alignment to all previous Saxon Structures. It also appeared to be more sophisticated in design and construction. Finds within the building included many spindlewhorls, pin-beaters and loomweights, all items associated with spinning and weaving.
After 850 AD there is gap in evidence for occupation of the site for c. 100 years until a timber structure was erected with a phase of later alteration. Slags and hammer-scale recovered from contemporary pits adjacent to the building provide ample evidence for smithing on or near the site and the building is likely to have been a workshop. The structure was possibly constructed c.875-900 and remained in use for about fifty.
During the period 1100-1400 a narrow metalled lane ran east-west across the site, north of which a substantial masonry building was built on the site of an earlier timber structure.

Frere, SS, Stow, S, and Bennett, P, 1982, Excavations on the Roman and Medieval Defences of Canterbury. (Monograph). SKE28530.

Blockley, K., Blockley, M., Blockley, P., Frere, S. and Stow, S., 1995, Excavations in the Marlowe Car Park and Surrounding Areas. Part 1: The Excavated Sites (Monograph). SKE29969.

Sources and further reading