In April 1952 The Canterbury Excavation Committee dug a single trench on the site of the current 12 Rose Lane. The trench was coded CXXI EXV and revealed a portion of a Roman building (R11).
The remains consisted of the narrow flint footings of two EW timber walls. Within these were found Samian and London Ware pottery sherds. Traces of a hard gravel floor were found at the north end of the trench area; and at a slightly higher level at the south end there was a thick loam floor flecked with earth and containing fragments of plaster. This overlay a make-up layer beneath which was first a deposit of occupation-material which in turn overlay a layer of Belgic loam.

In 1980 The Canterbury Archaeological Trust excavated upon the site of the present 1-2 Marlowe Arcade prior to redevelopment. The sitecode was MIV and the work was undertaken prior to development.
The earliest features seen on the excavated area dated to the late first century BC to c. AD 70/80. They consisted of elements of two lengths of curved ditches, possibly enclosing a nucleus of Belgic settlement. A number of stakeholes and post holes were also uncovered suggesting the presence of structures (B2).
In the period c. AD 70/80-100/110 a large pit was dug within the area, probably as a quarry, and left open. Two gullies were also found and the backfill suggested they too had been left open and had refilled gradually with rubbish, they are thought to have functioned as boundary ditches.
At some time in the early second century a timber building was constructed on the site with a yard to the north west, it is not known how long this building remained in use, although it is thought to be relatively short. A further, masonry, building was constructed to the south east in the mid second century AD (R12), it was subsequently robbed for stone and then rebuilt in the latter part of the second century. Four further phases of occupation ensued unil abandonment by the end of the first quarter of the fourth century. A timber building, R13, was built on the north east part of the site in the late third century. Occupation is not thought to have continued long into the early fourth century.
The area then appears to have remained open, building R13 was demolished in the second half of the fourth century and a yard surface was laid down. A tile pedestal from this phase was uncovered and may have formed the base to an altar or sundial. Two pits were found as well as a large post hole at the western extent of the yard surface.

Blockley, K., Blockley, M., Blockley, P., Frere, S. and Stow, S., 1995, Excavations in the Marlowe Car Park and Surrounding Areas. Part 1: The Excavated Sites (Monograph). SKE29969.