Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

During a series of extensive rescue excavations, ahead of development in Dover’s town centre undertaken by Kent Archaeological Rescue unit a series of features relating to the late Roman Saxon Shore Fort were excavated and recorded. Long lengths of both the south and western defensive walls of the Shore fort were located at various sites during these excavations. This includes a 6m length of the southern wall which was located during excavations in area approximately 10m (E-W) by 12m (N-S), to the north of Queen Street, which had previously been occupied by a large warehouse (Warehouse South site) in 1973 after the main works associated with the road bypass had been completed. (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information)

Monument Types

• WALL (southern wall of the shore fort, Roman - 240 AD to 330 AD)

Associated Finds

• SPOON (Roman - 125 AD? to 240 AD?)

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

(Summarised from publication)

During a series of extensive rescue excavations, ahead of development in Dover’s town centre undertaken by Kent Archaeological Rescue unit a series of features relating to the late Roman Saxon Shore Fort were excavated and recorded. Long lengths of both the south and western defensive walls of the Shore fort were located at various sites during these excavations. This includes a 6m length of the southern wall which was located during excavations in area approximately 10m (E-W) by 12m (N-S), to the north of Queen Street, which had previously been occupied by a large warehouse (Warehouse South site) in 1973 after the main works associated with the road bypass had been completed.

The wall here had a width of 2.5m and survived to a maximum height of 2.2m. It had been constructed of cut tufa blocks on the external (southern) face, chalk blocks on the internal (northern) face and chalk rubble, flints and tufa at the core, all were bonded with a hard white mortar. It had modest rubble foundations set in the bottom of a foundations trench about 3m wide at its base. (1)

<1> Brian Philp, The Discovery and Excavation of the Roman Shore Fort at Dover, Kent (Monograph). SKE32061.

Sources and further reading

Related records