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Monument details

HER Number:TR 34 SW 1626
Type of record:Monument
Name:Barrack block (B19) of the CLBR fort II, located at the Cause is Altered site, Dover

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 an area which was originally occupied by the Cause Is Altered Public House near Princes Street (Cause Is Altered Site) in 1971, revealed the remains of an interesting (possible barrack) building which had been modified once and substantially re-built twice. (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information)


Grid Reference:TR 31846 41376
Map Sheet:TR34SW
Parish:DOVER, DOVER, KENT

Monument Types

Associated Finds

  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD? to 299 AD?)
  • SHERD (Roman - 70 AD? to 240 AD?)
  • DIE (Roman - 100 AD? to 150 AD?)
  • INTAGLIO (Roman - 100 AD? to 150 AD?)
  • VESSEL (Roman - 100 AD to 180 AD)
  • BRACELET (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
  • COSMETIC SPOON (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
  • DISC (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
  • LID (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
  • NEEDLE (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
  • PIN (Roman - 125 AD to 150 AD)
  • SHERD (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
  • SPOON (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
  • STUD (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
  • MORTARIUM (Roman - 130 AD? to 180 AD?)
  • COIN (Roman - 138 AD to 161 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 161 AD to 180 AD)
  • COIN (Roman to Unknown - 200 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 an area which was originally occupied by the Cause Is Altered Public House near Princes Street (Cause Is Altered Site) in 1971, revealed the remains of an interesting (possible barrack) building which had been modified once and substantially re-built twice.

It was located on the east side of the main north-south road through the fort and formed a close pair with a similar building located just over 1m to the south (B20). The available evidence gives an approximate overall width of 9m and length of 22.5m but it may have originally been closer to 35-37m in length. The evidence for the first period of this building is the most complete (in plan) of the three periods represented, though the south end was not seen, and a total of 12 rooms are suggested, though the internal arrangements do appear to have changed during this period. Its walls were finely constructed of well-cut chalk and tufa blocks set in an orange clay. The first period building appears to have been at least in part demolished and superseded by a new period two structure which was of a broadly similar size but radically different internal layout. It contained at least three large rooms and a fourth is suggested but was not located. The new period two walls were built of larger, coarser chalk blocks which survived to a maximum height of five courses. The corresponding floor consisted of a hard layer of rammed chalk. In the period three modifications, the structure was, like others within the fort, rebuilt on much the same site on top of the period two demolition deposit, but with a changed internal plan. Of the two period two walls which were uncovered, one was re-built and the other was retained and further two walls were added in the third period giving a total of five rooms evidenced under the period three arrangement, and a possible original total of seven. There were also alteration made to the exterior western wall which resulted in a reduction of the internal width of the building to 3.7m. The new walls were again of chalk blocks set in clay, surviving to a maximum height of three courses. (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

Cross-ref. Source description
---Monograph: Philp, B. J.. 1981. The Excavation of the Roman Forts of the Classis Britannica at Dover 1970-1977.

Related records

TR 34 SW 2Part of: Classis Britannica Fort I and II, Roman 2nd century Fort, Dover (Monument)