Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During an archaeological watching brief undertaken by Canterbury Archaeological Trust at The Grand Shaft Barracks in 2017 a number walls and foundations refelcting the former site of the Staff Sergeants' Quarters at the north eastern side of the site. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• WALL (Post Medieval to Modern - 1805 AD? to 1945 AD?)
• Wall Foundation (Post Medieval to Modern - 1805 AD? to 1945 AD?)

Full description

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During an archaeological watching brief undertaken by Canterbury Archaeological Trust at The Grand Shaft Barracks in 2017 a number walls and foundations refelcting the former site of the Staff Sergeants' Quarters at the north eastern side of the site.

The main outer north-west wall of the Staff Sergeants’ building was represented by wall a foundation aligned north-east by south-west and abutted on the outside (north-west side) by concrete steps and a ‘landing’ paved in York stone. The wall foundation was 0.48m wide and extended to a depth of at least 0.50m. It was constructed of frogged yellow stock bricks set in a hard, cream sandy mortar containing occasional chalk/lime grits. The corresponding south-east (front) wall of the building was not exposed, being hidden by the subsequent, twentieth century concrete floor/base. Some 5.22m to the south-east of the first wall, another set into a 1.60m deep chalk-cut terrace. This must be the internal longitudinal dividing wall relating to the recorded change in level within the building. The wall was 0.38m in width and survived to a height of 0.95m above the contemporary floor level. Laid in English bond (13 courses), it was again built from frogged yellow stock bricks set in a hard, cream sandy mortar containing moderate amounts of chalk/lime grits. Abutting the south-eastern side of this second wall was a carefully laid floor of York stone slabs, which would seem to represent the surviving floor of the half basement on the lower level of the building; no corresponding floors survived at the higher level, above a terrace-cut Running at a right angle between the first two walls were the remains of a narrower, shallow wall footing, somewhat damaged. This was 0.23m wide above offset level and 0.40m below. It abutted the first wall at the north-western end and extended for a distance of just over 3 metres southeastwards before being completely destroyed. Standing no more than 0.30m high (4 courses), this wall footing was of identical construction to the other walls recorded but it showed clear evidence of damage and distortion not seen in the other walls. This distortion did not appear to be the product of the 1960s demolition work; rather, the general impression gained was this was blastdamage cause by the Second World War explosions known to have occurred on this part of the site. (summarised from report) (1)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2018, Grand Shaft Barracks, Western Heights, Dover, Evaluation Report (Unpublished document). SKE51431.

Sources and further reading

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