Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Only random traces have been found of the Roman Forum and Basilica at Canterbury. Pilbrow discovered foundations in 1868 and more recently work along the sewer system has revealed further evidence of the Forum complex. These mostly consist of large expanses of courtyard gravel, a stone-paved portico and blocks of masonry lie below the County hotel, Museum environs and in cellars below the High Street.

Monument Types

• ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• COURTYARD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FORUM? (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• MOSAIC (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• PAVEMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• WALL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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Only random traces have been found of the Roman Forum and Basilica at Canterbury. Pilbrow discovered foundations in 1868 and more recently work along the sewer system has revealed further evidence of the Forum complex. These mostly consist of large expanses of courtyard gravel, a stone-paved portico and blocks of masonry lie below the County hotel, Museum environs and in cellars below the High Street. Frere suggested that the Roman Forum and Basilica lay in this area, in the insular north of the Temple Precinct and west of the public baths. Frere postulated that a normal principia-type building did not exist here, since such a building does not conform with the various elements so far discovered and that an irregular plan for the overall complex should therefore be suspected.

Jenkins, F., Jenkins Archive Material (Unpublished document). SKE30008.

Unknown, Unpublished map of Roman Canterbury (Cartographic materials). SKE30650.

Brent, J., 1861, Roman cemeteries in Canterbury, with some conjectures concerning its earliest inhabitants (Article in serial). SKE17548.

Pilbrow, J., 1871, Discoveries made during excavations at Canterbury in 1868 (Serial). SKE30226.

Ordnance Survey, 1874, 1st Edition Map of Canterbury 1874 (Map). SKE30106.

Roach Smith, C., 1883, On Roman Tessellated Pavements (Serial). SKE29798.

Robertson, S., 1883, Roman Canterbury (Durovernum) (Serial). SKE29799.

Bennett, P., 1984, 9 High Street (Article in serial). SKE30651.

Andrews, G., 1985, An Assessment. Gazetteer of Excavations. Prehistoric, Belgic and Roman Excavations (Monograph). SKE30006.

Frere, S., Bennett, P., Rady, J., Stow, S., 1987, Excavations Intra- and Extra-mural Sites 1949-55 and 1980-84 (Monograph). SKE29800.

Anon, 1992, Excavations at No. 11 The High Street, Canterbury (Excavation archive). SKE30011.

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