Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Romano-British road, first discovered at the former site of Fox's Bakery near Queen Street, Dover, during the investigation of a number of war damaged sites in 1945-47. A better understanding of this feature was later acquired in 1973 when it was re-discovered in association with two barrack blocks (B22 and B23) of the Classis Britannica Fort, during excavations undertaken by Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit. (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information)

Monument Types

• ROAD (Metalled road between barrack blocks (B22 and B23), Roman - 125 AD to 210 AD)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Roman - 100 AD? to 190 AD?)
• BROOCH (Roman - 117 AD? to 138 AD?)
• BEAD (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
• PLATE (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
• UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
• VESSEL (Roman - 125 AD to 210 AD)
• VOTIVE MODEL (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
• SHERD (Roman - 140 AD? to 150 AD?)

Full description

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Romano-British road, located at the former site of Fox's Bakery near Queen Street, Dover, during the investigation of a number of war damaged sites in 1945-47. A better understanding of this feature was later acquired in 1973 when it was re-discovered in association with two barrack blocks (B22 and B23) of the Classis Britannica Fort, during excavations undertaken by Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit.

The excavation in 1945-6 revealed an area of Roman metalling which was interpreted as a road running north-south, with several periods of metalling. It is approximately 5.5m across and consists of three possible lanes separated by chalk gutters. (1) The site is still waste and undeveloped. Nothing further has been found. Some Roman pottery found here in 1945-6 is in store in Dover Museum, presented by Mrs Threipland. (2)

During the 1973 excavations more of the road was revealed, in fact it was established that the whole of the area between the two barrack blocks, 6.5m in total, had been metalled as part of this road. The evidence represents at least nine layers of metalling with intermediate dumps giving a total depth of 1.2m. Each of the layers consisted of pebble metalling which had been cut by a series of drains of various sizes but which were mostly running north-south, in the same direction as the road. (3)

It was also noted that Excavations at the Fox's bakery site alsro revealed a length of Roman walling, c. 2ft wide by 3ft high, though it is not known whether this relates to the barracks or to another structure. (4)

<1> Leslie Murray Threipland and K. A. Steer., 1951, Archaeologia Cantiana: Excavations at Dover 1945-47. Vol. 64 (Article in serial). SKE31830.

<2> Field report for monument TR 34 SW 64 - May, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6008.

<3> Philp, B. J., 1981, The Excavation of the Roman Forts of the Classis Britannica at Dover 1970-1977 (Monograph). SKE7863.

<4> 1946, The journal of Roman studies (Article in serial). SKE55370.

Sources and further reading

Related records