Between October 1983 and January 1984 The Canterbury Archaeological Trust excavated on the site of a public car park, in adavance of new housing being built on the site. The work was funded by an emergency grant from D.O.E. and the sitecode was CL83.
Due to the nature of the proposed development the excavations did not exceed a depth of 1m meaning that not much early stratigraphy was recorded. The excavation concentrated on the Church Lane frontage of the site. The earliest feature was a possible Roman road surface, consisting of flints and gravel and mortar. The Roman city wall lay c. 12m to the north of the excavation, along the north side of St Radigund's Street. Substantial deposits of a clayey loam overlying the possible street were interpreted as the remains of the levelled rampart. However, no in situ rampart levels were noted.

The clayey loam was cut by a number of 12th century pits, some containing building debris, possibly associated with work on the city wall. An oven and a hearth base dating to this period were also found and were possibly assocaietd with a number of glass fragments and crucibles also found. The earliest timber buildings on the street frontage were constructed in 13th century and appear to have been of an industrial nature. These structures survived into the late 14th century when they were replaced by a row of slightly more substantial timber-framed dwellings. A contemporary structure to these second phase of building still exists to the east of the site (Simple Simon's). Pottery from the destruction and levelling layers within these buildings suggests that their occupation continued into the late 16th century.

During the early 17th century two new structures were built on the west end of the street frontage whilst the Medieval structures to the east were rebuilt. By the early 18th century these new structures, brick and timber framed, had been refloored and they were eventually demolished in the late 19th century. A brief period of abandonment was followed by the construction of terraced housing, some of which still stood into the 1960s.
At the close of the excavation, work by the developers revealed the stone foundation of one range of Achbishop's Stables at the south end of the area to be redeveloped. A brief rescue excavation was mounted so that a plan and sections of the stable block could be drawn but little excavation was possible.

Blockley, P., 1984, Church Lane (Article in serial). SKE30853.