A watching brief was undertaken in June, 1992 at no 8, Whitehall Road. Two foundation trenches for an extension at the rear of the property were examined.

The northern trench followed the line of the rear of the property, which had itself followed the outer wall of one of the farm buildings. Towards the east, modern disturbance cut well into the subsoil. Elsewhere, the natural brickearth was covered by some 0.10-0.15m of loamy clay. This was interpreted as typical of early Roman topsoil or levelling in Canterbury. Several fairly large flints had been pressed into the surface of the clay, providing the basis for a compact metalling of flint pebbles and gravel. The surface of the metalling had been disturbed by a foundation trench for the farm building, removing all susequent stratification. The same general sequence was seen in the western trench, where a post-medieval track was also noted, whilst post-medieval disturbance had removed all early deposits in the eastern trench.

It was noted that the location of the road metalling lay midway between Roman Watling Street and the Roman predecessor of St Dunstan's Street. It was suggested that this road was the axial road that, to the south-east of the river Stour, had separated the insula containing the public baths from that holding the theatre. The presence of the early metalling also suggested that this road continued NW from the junction of the forum and temple precincts and into the industrial suburb that occupied this part of Roman Canterbury.

Pratt, S., 1993, Whitehall Road (Article in serial). SKE30826.