Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The Roman wall continued for a further 0.38m above the offset, weher it was capped with yellow-brown mortar unlike that in the wall beow. On this rested first three poorly-built courses of flint-work, presumably Medieval in date, and then the flint-work of the modern parapet.

Monument Types

• TOWN WALL (Medieval to Unknown - 1380 AD?)

Full description

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Frank Jenkins made observations on the city wall in 1960 between the Whitecross and Dane John Towers. Between 6.4m and 23.1m east of the Whitecross tower the two lowest courses of the Roman wall were visible above the modern surface; they consisted of large flints, and excavation showed that they rested on an offset two courses high. Beneath this was the foundation-trench, Which had been dug into stony soil to a depth of 0.45m.

This wall was ruinous but still standing, and was rebuilt c.1380. A house was demolished on site and the bank was heaped upon its remains.

Also between these two towers in 1960 much of the 19th century facing of knapped flints collapsed during a storm. Jenkins observed the rebuilding which exposed a cross section of the Roman wall. This was located at 26.8m east of the Whitecross tower and still stood to a height of 3m on a basal plinth of at least five courses of large flints. Above this the surviving outer face of the wall had a pronounced batter, narrowing from a width of 1.5m just above the linth to c. 1m at a height of 2.1m; it seems probable that this batter was the result of weathering a neglect and that the outer face had originally been vertical here as elsewhere. On the inner face of the wall, 2.6m above the plinth, there was a 0.17m offset covered with mortar which also spread over the bank. The Roman wall continued for a further 0.38m above the offset, weher it was capped with yellow-brown mortar unlike that in the wall beow. On this rested first three poorly-built courses of flint-work, presumably Medieval in date, and then the flint-work of the modern parapet.

Brent, J., 1879, Canterbury in Olden Time. (Article in monograph). SKE29965.

Millard, L. & Jenkins, F., 1968, Excavations in Canterbury City Ditch (Unpublished document). SKE30758.

Millard, L., 1970, Canterbury City Ditch (Serial). SKE30757.

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

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

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

Andrew Linklater, 2001, Wincheap Gate, Worthgate Place (Verbal communication). SKE30107.

Sources and further reading