Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Excavation in trench 12 during an evaluation undertaken by Oxford Archaeological Unit in Dover town centre in 1988-91 revealed part of the rear of one of the external towers constructed almost flush with the outer face of the Saxon Shore fort wall (location accurate to the nearest 5m based on available information).

Monument Types

• BASTION (Roman - 270 AD? to 330 AD?)

Associated Finds

• DISC (Roman - 125 AD? to 330 AD?)

Full description

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Trench 12 revealed the rear of one of the external towers of the Saxon Shore fort, constructed almost flush to the outer face of the forts outer wall, with a narrow intervening space being filled with mortar. The mortar within this space, and in the fabric of the tower, was visually identical to that used in the wall, but a very faint line (visible only in section) down the line of the wall face indicated that it was built before the tower. The face of the tower was not seen, but the core was broadly similar to that of the wall. It differed in that the coursing seemed less regular, and a clear band was formed by three successive courses of flint. The tower investigated here is probably the same as that revealed by excavation in 1984, in which case it stands over 4m high, and the facing includes tile string courses.

Of the known towers of the Dover Shore fort some are of integral construction with the wall while others, like the one here described, are built flush. The towers on the south wall alternate between flush and integral. On the west wall, working northwards from the integral corner tower, the next tower is flush, the next two are uncertain while the one following is again flush. No date for the addition of these extra towers has been ascertained. However, there is no evidence for any intervening stratification between the construction of the two elements. The decision to add extra towers could therefore have been made during the construction period of the rest of the fort. (1)

<1> Wilkinson, D. R. P., 1995, Archaeologia Cantiana, Excavations on the White Cliffs Experience site, Dover, 1988-91. Vol. 114 (Article in serial). SKE31729.

Sources and further reading

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