Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Medieval finds and remains of buildings, located near Queen Street and the former site of Last Lane, have been located during numerous archaeological investigations undertaken in the area in the 1970's, 80's and 90's. The earliest of these buildings had chalk-block walls and earth floors and were probably mostly of twelfth or thirteenth century date (location accurate to the nearest 5m based on available information).

Monument Types

• BUILDING (BUILDING, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

• COIN (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1527 AD? to 1603 AD?)

Full description

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Medieval finds and remains of buildings, located near Queen Street and the former site of Last Lane, have been located during numerous archaeological investigations undertaken in the area in the 1970's, 80's and 90's. The earliest of these buildings had chalk-block walls and earth floors and were probably mostly of twelfth or thirteenth century date.

At the former site of the Zion Chapel, excavation work by the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit revealed a series of Medieval buildings framed between the present-day Queen Street, Last Lane and Chapel Lane. The Medieval stratified deposits survived to a remarkable depth of more than 2m and revealed the detailed development of this area of the town in the post-Conquest period. The primary structures on the site had chalk-block walls and earth floors and were probably mostly of twelfth or thirteenth century date. These had been rebuilt progressively, in either chalk blocks or stone, through the next three centuries and adjacent areas infilled with smaller structures or boundary walls. Four separate stone-lined shafts had been inserted in different buildings and these had subsequently been filled with domestic rubbish and rubble. Two produced fine groups of fourteenth century jugs, probably Tyler Hill ware. Little of post-medieval date had survived on the site and it seems likely that there was a large-scale clearance of the area when the Zion Chapel was built in about 1705. After a variety of subsequent secular uses the chapel was demolished in 1973 and the site became available for excavation in 1980. (1-2)

Wall of Greensand Blocks recorded in 1996 trenching for Dover water pipeline probably relates to structure(s) uncovered by KARU in 1980-81. (3-4)

Three metres of Medieval deposits at Queen Street (centred TR 319413) were unearthed during excavations directed by B Philp and J Willson for Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit and the Department of the Environment. Here successive masonry buildings represented the development of the whole area from the twelfth to sixteenth centuries. An extensive stone-lined cellar at the west end of the site had been filled in the late sixteenth century. (The Medieval buildings overlay a series of dumps of chalk rubble, consolidated sand dunes and Roman deposits). (5)

Re-building of Queen Street on a new alignment was undertaken as part of the A20 road and sewer scheme. Scope for archaeological work was limited but fragmentary traces of Medieval floors, walls and other deposits and were recorded, adding to our knowledge of the extent of Medieval occupation in this part of Dover. (6)

A group of 11 Medieval silver coins were located during excavations at the Zion Chapel site on Queen Street, Dover, 1981. Examination of the find spot revealed that these coins had not been placed in a specifically dug pit or hole to conceal them, but traces of organic material strongly suggests that they had been in a purse. This conclusion is also supported by a small number of coins, their narrow date-range and low values, mostly groats, sixpences and shillings. It is thus almost certain that the coins had been in a purse that was simply dropped by its owner in a disused cellar that was being filled with soil in the late 16th century. The coins include 6 of Elizabeth I, four more were of Philip II of the Spanish Netherlands and the last one of Charles V, also from the Spanish Netherlands. The presence of coins from England and the Netherlands suggests that the owner travelled between the two places. A Naval officer or Merchant seem the best candidates and clearly Dover is an obvious place for such a discovery, though elsewhere in Britain such joint occurrences are rare. (7)

<1> Archaeologia Cantiana, 1981, Archaeologia Cantiana: Researches and Discoveries in Kent; Zion Chapel Site, Queen Street, Dover, Kent. Excavations 1980-81. Vol. 97 (Article in serial). SKE31643.

<2> E. Mynott, 1981, Kent Archaeological Review: Zion Chapel Site, Dover Vol. 66, KAR 66 1981 131 (E Mynett) (Article in serial). SKE31868.

<3> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1997, The Dover Spine Main: A Watching Brief (Unpublished document). SKE7159.

<4> RPS Clouston, 1997, Dover Western Docks Trunk Main Archaeological Report 1997 (Unpublished document). SKE7233.

<5> John Clark, 1982, Medieval Archaeology: Medieval Britain in 1981 Vol. 26, Med Arch 26 182 188-189 (S M Youngs and J Clark) (Article in serial). SKE31970.

<6> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2001, Dover Sewers/A20 Project 1991–3, Assessment Report and Updated Project Design (Unpublished document). SKE31815.

<7> Council for Kentish Archaeology, 1982, Kent Archaeological Review; Treasure Trove Found at Dover. Vol. 67 (Article in serial). SKE31755.

Sources and further reading