Prior to the construction of Lullingstone House an excavation was undertaken in St John's Lane. The work was carried out in Autumn 1986, funded by Canterbury City Council, English Heritage, Kent County Council and the Friends of Canterbury Archaeological Trust, and the site code was SJ86

17th century garden deposits were the latest levels encountered and these overlay poorly preserved post-Medieval and late Medieval structures against the lane frontage. Underlying stratigraphy was cut by seven Medieval cess and rubbish pits and a late 14th/15th century cess-tank.

Late Roman/Anglo-Saxon oven bases survived and sat directly over the destruction deposits of a large Roman timber-framed building, only part of which was uncovered during this excavation. It is thought to have been constructed in the early 2nd century AD and extensively alteerd during the span in which it stood. Two infant burials were also uncovered from beneath the floor of the building.

The Roman structure overlay early Roman/Belgic rubbish pits and stake-hole scatters. Iron-Age features consisted of a shallow gully and part of a larger ditch which may be part of the ditch located by Jenkins and Boyle in 1948-50.

Andrews, G., 1985, The Archaeology of Canterbury: An Assessment (Unpublished document). SKE30429.

Blockley, P., 1988, St John's Lane (Article in serial). SKE30492.