Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During test pitting at the site of the Grand Shaft Entrance Courtyard in 1994, a hard burnt mortar floor was located in test pit 1. This clearly relates to a cellar of Chapel Court. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• CELLAR (Post Medieval - 1800 AD? to 1899 AD?)

Full description

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During test pitting at the site of the Grand Shaft Entrance Courtyard off Snargate Street test pit one was excavated on the outside of the southwest boundary wall of the grand shaft complex on the site of the now demolished tenement structures of Chapel Court. The purpose of this pit was to examine the nature and construction of the boundary wall footings in relation to the former Chapel court buildings.

A very hard burnt mortar floor was revealed at a depth of 0.5m below ground level, sealed by a layer of loosely compacted soil and rubble. The floor itself was 0.1m in thickness and rested upon a bedding layer of loose sandstone chippings which in turn sealed a mortared red-brick wall running north west by south east, parallel to the shafts boundary wall but offset by 0.26m. This clearly related to a cellar of Chapel Court. The base of the shaft boundary wall was at the same level as the base of the burnt concrete floor. (taken from source) (1)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1994, The Dover Grand Shaft Project Snargate Street Entrance Report on Second Phase Ground Works (Unpublished document). SKE8368.

Sources and further reading