Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During extensive rescue excavations undertaken across Dover's Town centre by Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit, Substantial remains of the Classis Britannica fort were uncovered and recorded. The extreme north west corner of the western granary were located during a small excavation at Durham Hill (Durham Hill south). It was a substantial masonry structure, similar in form to the eastern granary (B17). (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information)

Monument Types

• GRANARY (Western granary, Roman - 125 AD to 210 AD)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Roman - 100 AD to 200 AD)
• SHERD (Roman - 100 AD to 250 AD?)
• BROOCH (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
• BUCKLE (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
• RING (Roman - 125 AD to 225 AD?)
• STUD (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
• UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD)
• FIGURINE (Roman - 150 AD to 225 AD)
• PIN (Roman - 150 AD? to 250 AD?)
• COIN (Roman - 192 AD to 225 AD)

Full description

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(Summarised from publication)

During extensive rescue excavations undertaken across Dover’s Town centre by Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit, substantial remains of the Classis Britannica fort were uncovered and recorded. The extreme North West corner of the western granary was located during a small excavation at Durham Hill (Durham Hill south). It was a substantial masonry structure, similar in form to the eastern granary (B17).

A total of 3.05m of the granary walls was located, they consisted of squared chalk blocks and tufa in alternate courses between 14-18cm high, set in a pebbly white mortar. The external face survived to a maximum height of 1.05m (7 courses) while the internal face to a height of 2.86m (16 courses). The building is situated upon a terrace which had cut into the hillside by 3m and provided a chalk surface for this building. A horizontal slot was apparent on the inside face of the walling, 1m for its base, this implies the presence of a raised timber floor. A splayed opening 2m from the base of the west wall represents a ventilator.

It is likely that this granary was part of the original period one structures within the fort and reamined unchanged through the forts occupation. The overlying soils formed after the granary fell out of use and contained a quantity of domestic rubbish, suggesting that it was used as a dump in the later Roman period. (1)

<1> Philp, B. J., 1981, The Excavation of the Roman Forts of the Classis Britannica at Dover 1970-1977 (Monograph). SKE7863.

Sources and further reading

Related records