Roman Cremations:
An evaluation was commissioned by ?Sloggetts Builders Limited in advance of the proposed redevelopment of a large plot of land opposite Canterbury East railway station. The evaluation was carried out in April, 1987 and the site code was ES87.

The evaluation consisted of four trenches, each measuring 1.5m by 5m. Evidence was found for post-Medieval clay quarrying and terracing during the construction of dwellings in the 19th century. Despite this intact stratigraphy was located on parts of site, including Roman levels. Significant quantities of Roman pottery, glass and human skeletal material were also recovered.

Between 1988 and 1990 The Canterbury Archaeological Trust undertook excavation on the an area of land on the north side of Station Road East, prior to the construction of new housing. The sitecode was ES89 and the work was funded Slogetts Builders.

The first set of excavations was on the area of the east half of the site and up to 3m of demolition and dump deposits was machine removed. This originated from the construction of the railway and station in the 1860s. After removal of this it was discovered that the area had been truncated by 19th century developments. Some archaeological levels did, however, survive. One of the lragest features seen on this half of the site was a V-shaped ditch, over 10m wide with a depth of 4m+. The ditch crossed the whole site and was aligned NNE/SSW. Pottery from the lower fill indicated a Norman date of construction and was related to the Norman motte and bailey (c. 1066 AD).
The ditch was gradually backfilled, but was certainly still evident as a hollow in the 18th century, when it was paved and used as a track or lane. A sequence of cobbled metallings within the ditch, relating to this trackway, has been excavated and several horseshoes were found. The rack is thought to have connected the Dane John Manor with an extra mural street outside and parallel to the city ditch. Later racks, heavily eroded by cart wheels, have also been located, their alignment and position shifting to the west.
Various other features, mainly pits, some possibly of Roman Date, were also located.
The second part of the excavation occurred between December 1989 and January 1990 and was located on the west half of the site. A number of features of post medieval and Medieval date were excavated. Also found were a number of residual human bones, probably originating from the Roman cemetery known to have existed in this area. The residual bones as well as even larger quantities of pottery and a few Roman metal finds strongly suggested that this was once part of the cemetery.
A small number of pits, most infilled with discoloured natural brickearth, appeared to be of Roman date. Some of these yielded domestic debris in association with 2nd century pottery. It is possible that domestic settlement extended well beyond the civic centre. The fragmentary nature of the Roman levels was as a result of sustained quarrying activity for brickearth spanning a considerable period. A large number of intercutting quarry pits were emptied, sample-excavated , or defined as soil stains by surface cleaning. Much of the central area of the site appeared to be disturbed by two or perhaps three very large quarries of late Medieval and post-Medieval date.

Anderson, I., 1990, Station Road East (Serial). SKE30509.

Bennett, P., 1991, Station Road East (Article in serial). SKE30807.