Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Excavations in 1992 at junction of Bench Street and Townwall Street revealed a short section of a large timber structure. It was identified as part of a massive timber box framed harbour wall of typical Romano-British construction, thought to be similar in build to the harbour wall off Dolphin Lane. The felling of the timbers has been dated to c. 28 AD (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information).

Monument Types

• BREAKWATER (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• QUAY (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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Excavations by the Canterbury Archaeological Trust at the junction of Bench Street and Townwall Street in 1992 revealed a short section of a large timber structure.(4) This apparently formed part of a massive timber box framed harbour wall of typical Roman construction. Two horizontal side timbers aligned roughly east-west formed the southern wall of the structure and horizontal cross-beams braced it laterally. The timbers were set within a construction trench 0.77m deep, but the upper parts of the structure had been subsequently removed, presumably by marine erosion. It was very similar in build to the harbour wall discovered off Dolphin Lane on the other side of the Dour. It clearly represents a separate harbour structure. (1-2)

Tree-ring analysis of timbers recovered during an excavation in 1992 at the site of the old Roman waterfront gave only limited results, indicating a terminus post quem of AD 28. This was due to the use of mature trees and the removal of the sapwood at the time of construction. (3)

Discussion of the Roman quay in relation to the Dover Western Docks Revival Scheme (4)

English Heritage, 2004, The Dover Bronze Age Boat (Monograph). SKE31841.

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1993, Canterbury's Archaeology 1992 - 1993 (Article in serial). SKE7909.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1995, Dover, Townwall Street Filling Station: Archaeological Implications Report (Unpublished document). SKE8339.

<3> Centre for Archaeology, 2001, Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers from Town Wall Street, Dover (Unpublished document). SKE12169.

<4> Maritime Archaeology, 2008, Dover Terminal 2 EIA: Historic Environment Baseline Report (Unpublished document). SKE31717.

Sources and further reading

Related records