Between October 1978 and July 1980 The Canterbury Archaeological Trust excavated four trenches around St Gabriels Chapel, located on the south side of Canterbury Cathedral. The work was undertaken prior to damp proofing work and was funded by the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral. The sitecode was STG79, trenches A-D.
The small trenches excavated proved to contain a notable and very deep sequence of archaeological deposits, including several entirely unsuspected features. The earliest features were of the Roman date. The evidence for Saxon occupation was non-existent, the main activity during this period being a resumption of refuse disposal in the area and no conclusive evidence of the first Saxon cathedral, known to have been built c. 597, was found (it was probably located to the west of this site).
Excavations revealed the remains of an 11th century charnel pit, thought to have been used to rebury skeletons exhumed during the building of Lanfranc's cathedral c. 1070. It also probably predates a large wall foundation uncovered running E/W across the site. Two other pits from this period yielded valuable ceramic groups. At the east of the exavated area was discovered evidence of the enlarged Trinity Chapel, dating to the late 12th century.
From the 12th to 15th century this entire area was used as the Cathedral cemetery.

Driver, J. C., Rady, J., Sparks, M., 1990, Excavations in the Cathedral Precincts, 2 Linacre Garden, 'Meister Omers' and St Gabriel's Chapel. (Monograph). SKE29781.