Between September and November 1981 The Canterbury Archaeological Trust excavated on open ground located between 2 and 3 Marlowe Avenue prior to redevelopment. The sitecode was MAV181.
The excavation located a major Roman Street, running NE/SWn the NW side of the excavated area. The road appeared to have had six phases of metalling and had a life span running from the the first to the fourth, or even, fifth century. The earliest deposits on the site have been tentatively dated to pre- 75 AD. A road ditch and a number of adjacent post holes were also found in association with the road.
The final phase of road metalling had been much disturbed by Medieval activity which had truncated many features. Despite this it is likely the last road surface was contemporary with a possible courtyard surface uncovered on the SE side of the site, probably fronting onto the road. This was probably the forecourt of a late Roman bulding, as yet undiscovered.
Sealing the courtyard was a 15cm thick deposit of black loam, possibly representing an abandonment deposit post-dating the Roman occupation and pre-dating the Saxon resettlement.

Ordnance Survey, 1873, 1st edition map of Canterbury 1873 (Map). SKE30447.

Rady, J., 1982, 2-3a Marlowe Arcade (Article in serial). SKE30707.