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 a number of small, early Roman ditches were recorded running beneath the walls of the ‘Painted House’. They were the earliest features recorded at the site and none could be examined in any great detail due to the presence of overlying Roman masonry. A 3.45m length of ditch was located extending southwards from the southern wall of the ‘Painted House’. (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information)

Monument Types

• DITCH (Roman - 90 AD? to 120 AD?)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Roman - 69 AD to 117 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 a number of small, early Roman ditches were recorded running beneath the walls of the ‘Painted House’. They were the earliest features recorded at the site and none could be examined in any great detail due to the presence of overlying Roman masonry. A 3.45m length of ditch was located extending southwards from the southern wall of the ‘Painted House’.


The ditch had a U shaped profile and was 0.6mwide by 0.45m deep with a fill of mottled orange brown clay containing chalk specks and two pot sherds. It cut the natural brick earth and the prehistoric topsoil, and was cut by later Roman features. (1)

<1> Philp, B, 1989, The Roman House with Bacchic Murals at Dover (Monograph). SKE24004.

Sources and further reading