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. Excavations in 1973-74, at the former site of the substantial Warren and Reynolds store, to the north of Queen Street, and on the Warehouse South site, revealed sections of a barrack block (B23). Remains of the same building were also located in 1945-46, during excavation of some war damaged site in Dover, where it was thought to represent a shop or warehouse flanking the Roman road between Dover and Canterbury. The 73-74 excavation revealed evidence of three phases of construction of this building which had been heavily truncated by the Shore fort remains and later activity across the site. (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information).

Monument Types

• BARRACKS (Barrack block (B23), Roman - 125 AD to 210 AD)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Roman - 75 AD? to 150 AD)
• SHERD (Roman - 100 AD? to 175 AD?)
• COIN (Roman - 125 AD to 128 AD)
• MORTARIUM (Roman - 160 AD? to 230 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. Excavations in 1973-74, at the former site of the substantial Warren and Reynolds store, to the north of Queen Street, and on the Warehouse South site, revealed sections of a barrack block (B23). Remains of the same building were also located in 1945-46, during excavation of some war damaged site in Dover, where it was thought to represent a shop or warehouse flanking the Roman road between Dover and Canterbury. The 73-74 excavation revealed evidence of three phases of construction of this building which had been heavily truncated by the Shore fort remains and later activity across the site. (1)

During the Foxes Bakery excavation in 1945-46 two phases of Roman walling were identified, to the east of the road. The largest and most extant wall, constructed of squared chalk blocks and standing to a height of approximately 1.2m, runs north-south and abuts the eastern side of the road. Smaller (possibly interior dividing walls) run from this wall at right angles, possibly forming a row of small rooms with clay and rubble floors. In a later period some tiles and stones had been laid down on top of this clay floor in a scatter of mortar. (2-3)

From the 1973-74 excavations it was clear that the building lay on a north-south axis and had a minimum length of about 18m and probable overall length of c. 35m based on other buildings at the fort. The first period construction consisted of courses of well cut chalk blocks set in a brown clay which survived to a maximum height of 71cm (5 courses) and was 62cm wide. These were substantially rebuilt in the period two construction, though the main lines of the walls were retained. Two internal walls of chalk block set in a yellow clay, each 48cm wide, may be attributed to this period; they are situated 5m apart and abutted the external west wall. The period two structure appears, again, to have been partially re built in period three; new south and east walls of chalk blocks set in orange clay were constructed overlying their earlier counterparts. Two additional features were located and attributed to this phase; one chalk block wall, located 1.05m south of the central cross wall, and another clay and tile feature, which may represent a hearth was located against the south face of the central cross wall.

All of these features overly an earlier un-associated structure which may be attributed to the very first (and unfinished) phase of the CLBR fort. (4)

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

<2> Leslie Murray Threipland and K. A. Steer., 1951, Archaeologia Cantiana: Excavations at Dover 1945-47. Vol. 64 (Article in serial). SKE31830.

<3> R. P. Wright, 1945, Journal of Roman Studies: Roman Britian in 1945 Vol. 36 (Article in serial). SKE31922.

<4> Philp, B. J., 1981, The Excavation of the Roman Forts of the Classis Britannica at Dover 1970-1977 (Monograph). SKE7863.

Sources and further reading

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