Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During the excavation twelve major phases were defined, the earliest of which was a number of Roman rubbish pits and post holes cut into deposits that were probably river lain. A Roman timber-lined well and three post holes also cut these deposits, the latter may be from scaffolding erected during the construction of the city wall in the late third century AD.

Monument Types

• POST HOLE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• WALL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• WELL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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During 1976-1977 members of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust excavated an area at the junction of Church Lane and St Radigund's Street in adavance of the creation of a public garden. The sitecode was STR76/77.

During the excavation twelve major phases were defined, the earliest of which was a number of Roman rubbish pits and post holes cut into deposits that were probably river lain.

A Roman timber-lined well and three post holes also cut these deposits, the latter may be from scaffolding erected during the construction of the city wall in the late third century AD. All these early features were then sealed by rampart deposits and building debris associated with this construction. The wall consisted of flints and faced with large, water rounded flints, sandstone boulders and re-used Roman building material. The north wall of St Mary Northgate was found to be almost entirely of Roman build to a height of 5.85. In front of the city wall no trace of a Roman ditch remained, having been cut away by the Medieval ditch.

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

Sources and further reading