Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During a series of extensive rescue excavations, ahead of development in Dover’s town centre undertaken by Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit, the remains of a large scale Roman structure were revealed and have been interpreted as being part of the eastern section of the south range of a mansio. Room 10, which was located in the eastern half of the building would have likely matched the size and layout of rooms 8 and 9 which were situated to the east, but more than half of it lay outside the limits of excavation. (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information)

Monument Types

• FLOOR (Opus Signinum floor, Roman - 200 AD to 260 AD)
• WALL (walls of room 10, Roman - 200 AD to 260 AD)

Full description

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(summarised from publication)

During a series of extensive rescue excavations, ahead of development in Dover’s town centre undertaken by Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit, the remains of a large scale Roman structure were revealed and have been interpreted as being part of the eastern section of the south range of a mansio. Room 10, which was located in the eastern half of the building would have likely matched the size and layout of rooms 8 and 9 which were situated to the east, but more than half of it lay outside the limits of excavation.

The floor was of opus signinum but had again been badly worn and cut by a large post Roman pit on the southern side which had also destroyed much of the south wall and revealed the underlying heating system and wall foundations. The west and north walls survived in part to a maximum height of 80cm (on the north side) while the eastern wall lay beyond the limits of excavation. Small traces of wall plaster survived in situ, this was painted dark red and was part of the lower dado. This room, like rooms 8 and 9 to the west, was also provided with a hypocaust with an associated stoke hole on the southern side. (1)

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

Sources and further reading

Related records