Beneath the cellar of No.54 High Street two layers of gravel metalling were found belonging to the Roman Watling Street bounded by a small side-ditch which had apparently been stone-lined. A vertical section of the road showed seven superimposed re-makes of the carriage-way. Two of these were of chalk, presumably, to raise the level. To the south of the side-ditch was a layer of burnt wattle and daub on top of which were two layers of gravel metalling, originally interpeted by the excavation director as the road forming a dual carriageway, but later writers believing it to possibly be part of a courtyard.(1)

A timber and daub Roman building, demolished when Watling Street was extended south-west (TQ 76 NW 362).

Four trenches were dug in 1976 with the objective of completing the 1961-62 excavation. All of the north of the site had been destroyed by resent building work and the rest very disturbed by later cellars and cess pits.(4)

A number of Iron Age coin pellet moulds were found during the excavation. These were subsequently analysed (5)

<1> Harrison, A. C., 1992, Excavation of a Belgic & Roman site 50 - 54 High St, Rochester, Excavation of a Belgic & Roman Site at 50 - 54 Hight, Rochester p41-50 (Harrison, A. C.) (Article in serial). SKE7959.

<2> Chaplin, R.E., 1963, Report for 1962, Arch Cant 77 1962 L-Li (RE Chaplin) (Article in serial). SKE7958.

<3> JRS 53 1963 158 (OS Card Reference). SKE45125.

<4> Harriosn, A. C., 1977, Archaeologia Cantiana 1976, Investigations & Excavations during the Year 1976 p252 - 253 (Harrison, A. C.) (Article in serial). SKE7960.

<5> 1985, Correspondance relating to the analysis of coin moulds from 50-54 High St, Rochester (Unpublished document). SKE52249.