Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During a watching brief undertaken at Archcliffe Fort a series of post medieval make-up layers, which included a number of earlier surfacings to the parade ground, were uncovered. At the North end the remains of a nineteenth-century cellared building were revealed. (location accurate to the nearest 50m based on available information).

Monument Types

• BUILDING (Officers Barracks, Post Medieval - 1540 AD? to 1900 AD?)
• BURIED LAND SURFACE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD? to 1900 AD?)
• CELLAR (Post Medieval - 1550 AD? to 1900 AD?)

Full description

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Work undertaken by Canterbury Archaeological Trust, in connection with the conversion of buildings at Archcliffe Fort for use by St. Martin's Emmaus Community. A drainage trench was dug in June 1996 and consisted of a single, machine excavated trench, cut roughly north-south across the parade ground of the fort for a distance of about 40m, realigning at the central manhole, it was between 50cm and 60cm wide and 75cm to 1.75m deep, with a fall to the north. The central manhole was about 2m square. The only significant structure observed in the trench was the remains of a substantial 19th century basemented building located at the north end. This consisted of a series of brick built cellar walls standing to at least 80cm high and of two phases of construction. Further adjacent sections of this demolished building had been cut through by sewer trenching in 1992. According to a detailed plan of the fort dating to 1884, this building was then the quarters of the commanding officer for the South Front Barracks.(1)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1996, Archaeological Observations at Archcliffe Fort, Dover 1996 (Unpublished document). SKE7829.

Sources and further reading