In April 1955 a further trench was excavated in the Westgate Gardens by the Canterbury Excavation Committee who had dug three trenches in 1952. This trench was coded CXXVII WG IV.
The purpose of this dig was to determine if the Roman bank (located in 1952) overlay Watling Street whose true course had been meanwhile traced on the NW side of the river. A gateway, The London Gate, was also found during the excavation and became the focus for investigation. The city wall had been badly robbed at this point, but a drain which ran through the wall just north of the gate was well preserved. Several road-surfaces were uncovered, contemporary with and earlier than the gateway. (1)

An excavation in 1955 revealed evidence for two metallings pre-dating the gate's construction which contained pottery dating to 150-180 AD. "The heavily robbed gate was flanked by two wing-walls which probably revetted the bank and may possibly have supported a tower. The foundations of these walls, which were of coursed flint, cut through a road silt containing a fragment of mortarium dated to c.200-260 and a coin of Heliogabalus (218-222).
The footings of the northern wall rested on a course of ragstone blocks which formed one side of a drain running alongside the street. Three street metallings contemporary with the gate's life were also found: the second of these held a coin of Caracalla (198-217) and the third a coin of Tetricus II (270-273)" (from the original report, 2).

<1> Frere, SS, Stow, S, and Bennett, P, 1982, Excavations on the Roman and Medieval Defences of Canterbury. (Monograph). SKE28530.

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<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2001, St Mildred's Tannery Stour Street, Archaeological Desk Assessment (Unpublished document). SKE30412.