Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The Cattle Market was in medieval times known as Rithercheap centred on modern day Dover Street and the city wall, it was first documented in AD 923. By c. 1580 the Cattle Market was kept in the streets without St. George's, from the Nunnery Gate of St. Sepulchres through Ritherscheap (now Dover Street) to St. Michaels Gate, or Burgate, Bridge Street area.

Monument Types

• LIVESTOCK MARKET (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon to Post Medieval - 932 AD? to 1580 AD?)

Full description

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The Cattle Market was in medieval times known as Rithercheap centred on modern day Dover Street and the city wall, it was first documented in AD 923.

By c. 1580 the Cattle Market was kept in the streets without St. George's, from the Nunnery Gate of St. Sepulchres through Ritherscheap (now Dover Street) to St. Michaels Gate, or Burgate, Bridge Street area. The market for live cattle was held every Saturday.

In 1801 the city sponsored an Act of Parliament for 'enlarging the Cattle Market, within the city and county of Canterbury. Most of the city ditch between St. george's Gate and the Ridingate was levelled and stones from the newly demolished St. George's Gate used as paving. Market buildings were erected and the city walls were refaced in brick. The scheme proved to be expensive and the city fell into considerable debt as a result.

From Nunnery Gate, St Sepulcres through Rotherschepe to St Michaels Gate; that is near present locality of Bridge Street' in 22nd of Elizabeth 1(1580).

Gostling, W., 1796, A Walk in and About the Ancient City of Canterbury (Monograph). SKE29741.

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

Elder, J. & Duncan, M., 2002, Canterbury City Wall Trail (Monograph). SKE29730.

Sources and further reading