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

Trench X was located east of Trench IX and was sited over the north end of Castle Street, on the site of the Roman Worth Gate. A small oven and a series of gravel and loam floors was found pre-dating the city wall and indicating occupation of the site prior to the construction of the defences.

Monument Types

• GATE (AD 270?, Undated)

Full description

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

In summer 1955 the Canterbury Excavation Committee dug two trenches near and on the site of Worthgate, adjacent to the Castle. The site was coded CXXVIII Castle, trenches IX and X.
Trench X was located east of Trench IX and was sited over the north end of Castle Street, on the site of the Roman Worth Gate. A small oven and a series of gravel and loam floors was found pre-dating the city wall and indicating occupation of the site prior to the construction of the defences. The footings trench for the city wall extended across the excavated area and masonry foundations of the Roman and Medieval defences were uncovered. Traces of loose flint chippings running north close to Castle Street may have represented the foundation for a guard chamber but had been partially destroyed by a 13th century pit and a more recent well so a positive interpretation was not possible. The remains fund seem to indicate that the Worth Gate was set at an angle to the main city wall, so that it was at right angles to the street.

During deep trenching for a new gas main along the SE side of Castle Street in May 1961 Frank Jenkins observed a cross section of the city defenses. Outside of 28 Castle Street the foundations of the city wall were revealed and were 4.57m wide. The foundations consisted of large flints well laid in courses of mortar. The three lowest of these were laid in a trench c. 0.46m deep cut into a deposit of dark loamy soil. To the rear of the structure was the gravel metalling of a Roman street. The street was 0.69m thick and rested on a band of greyish brown loam representing the earliest occupation soil. This extended under the foundations and in turn rested on natural brickearth.

The Roman Worthgate jambs were also revealed, constructed of blocks of Kentish ragstone, a guardhouse was found in conjunction with the jams. The gate was thought to have been a simple arched openingflush with the wall. <ref 340>

A watching brief was undertaken at the site of the Worthgate in 1995 (outside the west on No. 28 Castle Street). The site code was WGC95.
The work involved the monitoring the digging of gas service trenches across the site of the Roman Worth Gate. Removal of the modern pavement and soil from service trenches had exposed mortared flintwork. The mortared flint and greensand fragments were cleaned and recorded; the higher portions of masonry survived 20cm below the modern pavement, whilst other areas had been cut away by service trenches to a depth of c. 1m. In the deeper areas unmortared flints showed through the masonry, these possibly represent the equivalent of the "loose flint" foundation , there was no sign of any floor level. A thin strip of grey silty 'mud' was identified between two portions of masonry in the NW corner of the trench. No difference could be seen in the mortar of either portion of masonry; the 2cm deep silt band is regarded as 'tread' created during a break in work. The outside face of the town wall was not observed, being obscured by the soil within service trenches. The apparent NS wall extending into the town filed the whole 1.7m width of the area available for examination, neither face being observed.

The additional information gleaned from this watching brief has increased our knowledge of the Worth Gate in a number of ways. The masonry, for example, extended further to the north than the expected full width of the foundation. There is a suggestion that a wing wall existed forming a revetment to an earthen bank which had been constructed as part of the Roman defences. Such a revetment may have been necessary to prevent slippage of material onto the road; the walls may also have supported a tower above the Watling Street.

Jenkins, F. & Lyle, L., 1961, Appendix III (Unpublished document). SKE30765.

Jenkins, F, 1969, The Roman Worthgate at Canterbury (Serial). SKE30767.

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

Ward, A., 1995, A Watching Brief at the Roman Worth Gate, Canterbury (Excavation archive). SKE30759.

Ward, A., 1997, Worthgate (Article in serial). SKE30766.

Sources and further reading