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 the south eastern edge of the original access road and flight of steps leading down towards the former site of the Officers Quarters was revealed. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• ROAD (Post Medieval to Modern - 1858 AD? to 1960 AD?)
• STEPS (Post Medieval to Modern - 1858 AD? to 1960 AD?)
• WALL (Post Medieval to Modern - 1858 AD? to 1960 AD?)

Full description

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During an archaeological watching brief undertaken by Canterbury Archaeological Trust at The Grand Shaft Barracks in 2017 revealed the south eastern edge of the original access road and flight of steps leading down towards the former site of the Officers Quarters.It was apparent that there had been some alterations to the top of the steps at their junction with the access road. In the earliest arrangement a broad concrete step 1.16m across was set between two mortared retaining walls built of red and yellow stock brick. These abutted the south-eastern edge of the original tarmac road. Sometime later, the access road was re-laid. The south-eastern edge of the new surface was moved some 1.60m further to the north-west. This led to the addition of two new shallow concrete steps to link the existing flight with the new road edge. These new steps were slightly broader than the original ones but were not set between any retaining walls. Instead, further sections of roughly laid supporting concrete were placed on either side. It seems likely that all these recorded features belong to the late nineteenth- and twentieth century use of the barracks complex, either removing or obscuring the original arrangements. (summarised from report) (1)

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 Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2018, Grand Shaft Barracks, Western Heights, Dover, Evaluation Report (Unpublished document).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

Sources and further reading

Related records