Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Evidence of the last remnants of Dover’s inner harbour basin was located during works associated with the A20 road and sewer scheme at the northern end of Bench Street, Dover. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• TIDAL BASIN (Dovers inner harbour basin, Lower Palaeolithic to Medieval - 500000 BC? to 1175 AD)

Associated Finds

• FISH REMAINS (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon to Medieval - 1050 AD to 1175 AD)
• SHERD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon to Medieval - 1050 AD to 1175 AD)

Full description

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During work associated with the A20 road and sewer scheme, discoveries at the northern end of Bench Street were made where evidence for the former existence of estuarine deposits was recorded, thus separating south Bench Street from the Market Square area. The wet area must have stood just outside the as yet un-located south-east corner of the late Roman Shore fort and probably represents the last remnants of the fort's associated harbour basin. The organic sediments, of freshwater or tidal origin, filling this area contained pottery dateable to the period c. A.D. 1050 - 1175 and yielded considerable quantities of domestic rubbish, particularly fish remains, making it clear that the region was being used for rubbish dumping at the same time as the pits to the south were in use. These water-laid organic silts with their overlying consolidation deposits were traced eastwards down Fishmonger's Lane towards the present river. The dumping of rubbish within the wet area implies that there was occupation immediately adjacent and that attempts were being made to reclaim ground here. This in turn suggests that the area no longer had any usefulness as a basin and may indicate an easterly shift in the site of any harbour basin. (taken from source) (1)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2001, Dover Sewers/A20 Project 1991–3, Assessment Report and Updated Project Design (Unpublished document). SKE31815.

Sources and further reading