Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Substantial Roman chalk block wall was found during an archaeological evaluation carried out in 2009 by Canterbury Archaeological Trust at the site of 1-7 Cowgate Hill, Dover. The wall was 0.48m wide and survived to a height of at least 0.35m. It is believed to be slightly later in date than the wall found a few metres to the south. It was sealed by a substantial destruction layer that included domestic rubbish. (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information)

Monument Types

• TERRACED GROUND (Roman - 138 AD? to 210 AD?)
• WALL (Roman - 138 AD? to 208 AD?)

Associated Finds

• ANIMAL REMAINS (Unknown date)
• ANIMAL REMAINS (Roman - 138 AD? to 208 AD?)
• POTTERY ASSEMBLAGE (Roman - 138 AD? to 208 AD?)
• TILE (Roman - 138 AD? to 208 AD?)
• POTTERY ASSEMBLAGE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

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Substantial Roman chalk block wall found during an archarological evaluation carried out in 2009 at the site of 1-7 Cowgate Hill, Dover. The wall was 0.48m wide and survived to a height of at least 0.35m. It is believed to be slightly later in date than the wall found a few metres to the south. It was sealed by a substantial destruction layer that included domestic rubbish.

From the report:
Wall 117 was located some 3.30 m. to the north of wall 115. It was again aligned roughly east-west but its top lay at about 1.30 m. below present ground level (at 15.40 m. O.D.), rather lower than 115, and it was also set on a slightly different axis. Wall 117 appeared to occupy a substantial terrace cut which extended away to the north and was at least 0.75 m. deep. Several pieces of evidence indicated that wall 117 on its terrace was of a later date than wall 115. The axes of the two walls differed by a few degrees and wall 117 was narrower. More conclusively, the terrace for wall 117 was cut through a general demolition/levelling deposit that abutted wall 115. This same layer was also cut through by the robber-trench of wall 115 and it seems quite possible that wall 115 had been partially robbed when wall 117 was erected. In detail, wall 117 was traced for a minimum distance of one metre and was 0.48 m. wide. It stood to a height of at least 0.35 m. (3 courses) and was constructed from neatly faced chalk blocks with a core of chalk rubble and flint, set in orange-brown clay containing frequent chalk pellets. The core of the wall also contained a large fragment of reused opus signinum (pink concrete). The foundation of the wall was not reached and no associated floor levels were identified. It seems possible that this wall stands on a fairly deep terrace and it could survive to a quite substantial height, as was found with CLBR buildings further to the north. Once the building associated with wall 117 had gone out of use, its upper levels were demolished. A substantial destruction layer sealed the wall and this contained significant quantities of squared chalk blocks which must be derived from the upper parts of the wall. A quantity of domestic rubbish had also been incorporated into this layer, including pottery (40 sherds), animal bone and marine shell. The upper part of the terrace was subsequently filled with further dumps of soil and domestic rubbish. Together, the three layers filling the upper part of the terrace produced the largest assemblages of Roman material from the present project, totalling just over 400 pot-sherds, associated with tile, animal bone and marine shell. The pottery recovered provides a useful new group from the CLBR fort in general, containing a range of coarse wares and fine wares including samian (21 sherds). It is worthy of more detailed study than has been undertaken here. Following the abandonment of the Roman fort, the Roman walls and their associated demolition deposits were sealed by an extensive layer of light grey-brown clay loam, perhaps partially representing hill-wash derived from further up-slope. This deposit included a quantity of domestic rubbish including pottery (221 sherds), animal bone and marine shell. The pottery is mostly Roman in date and must derive from the earlier fort, but there are also about 20 medieval pieces suggesting that the layer was accumulating between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries"

There was no indication of a postulated guard chamber relating to a west gate of the fort.(1)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2009, Report on Evaluation Trenching off Cowgate Hill, Dover (Unpublished document). SKE18028.

Sources and further reading

Related records