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, an extensive area of metalling was observed covering most of the site, and extended beyond the area of excavation in at least two directions. This metalling represents the forecourt located immediately outside the western gate of the fort. (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information).

Monument Types

• METALLED SURFACE (forecourt, Roman - 125 AD to 210 AD)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Roman - 75 AD? to 280 AD?)
• DISC (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
• SHERD (Roman - 125 AD to 180 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, an extensive area of metalling was observed covering most of the site, and extended beyond the area of excavation in at least two directions. This metalling represents the forecourt located immediately outside the western gate of the fort.

It was framed on the western side by the east wall of the fort and by a later boundary wall on its eastern side but neither its north nor its south limits are known. The minimum east-west width is 11m while the minimum north south length is at least 15m. Further to the north, the metalling was encountered again, under the chapel on the south side of the remains of the Church of St. Martin-Le-Grand, which increases the minimum extent of this metalling to at least 27m. The surface consisted of small pebbles set in a yellow mortar, which had been cut by various drains and re-covered on at least three separate occasions. (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