In 1991 The Canterbury Archaeological Trust excavated on two sites near to the clock tower on St George's Street in advance of retail development. The sitecode was STG91 and the work was funded by Land Securities.
The first trench was located alongside St George's Street whilst the second was located against Canterbury Lane. The earliest archaeological feature found was a large ditch, dating to the Late Iron Age/Early Roman period, and running beneath the site of the former St George's Church. It was sealed by an agricultural loam and the ditch was probably a field boundary. A large clay quarry, dating to the turn of the 1st/2nd centuries, was found against Canterbury Lane. This may imply that agricultural landuse degenerated into quarrying and rubbish disposal at this time, consistent with the margins of an expanding urban area.
Crossing the northern end of the Canterbury Lane trench was found a Roman road, dating to the mid 2nd century, possibly giving access to open ground as its continuence has not been found to the east in previous excavations. Unusually for a Roman street there was no side drain despite clear evidence for multiple metallings. Traces of a timber structure, post dating the construction of the road, were found against the SW side of the street and an unassociated courtyard was seen in the bases of deep cuttings under St George's Church indicating urban expansion.
A major phase of redevelopment appears to have taken place in mid 3rd century. At this time a major courtyard was established in the area of the Canterbury Lane and was remetalled on many occasions. Traces of repair and building of nearby buildings were also seen. The courtyard covered earlier timber buildings and merged with the sreet metallings to the NE with no apparent division. Substantial occupation deposits were found at the point of junction. A rectangular masonry building dating to the mid 3rd century with walls still standing to a height of c. 1m overlying gravel foundations and seeming to mark the boundary of the metalled courtyard. It seemed that the building had had a raised timber floor, a number of other wall footings located at this time may also have formed part of this structure or an adjacent building. These may have been part of a prestigious town house located towards the edge of town and apparently went out of during the 4th century.
The Roman levels were overlain by a dark earth indicating a period of abandonment and yielding much residual Roman pottery. In the Canterbury Lane trench a loose courtyard metalling sealed this soil.

Bennett, P., Houliston, M. & Ward, A., 1993, Excavations at St George's Clocktower (Article in serial). SKE30183.