Monument record TR 15 NE 1685 - Medieval building foundations excavated at Northgate Car Park

Medieval building foundations.(1)
These medieval building foundations date from the 13th century to the late 14th/early 15th century when they were demolished. They comprise timber built buildings with stone footings, which were set within narrow property plots and fronting onto the north side of Northgate Street. The information on these features is recorded in background material as part of a desk-based assessment for land adjacent to 55 Northgate. (2)
The site demonstrated evidence for medieval road frontage occupation; at least three structures were identified, one/two of post-hole and ground-plate construction, one represented by an outbuilding at the rear of another structure at the site.
One of the buildings was represented by several wall trenches and a post-pad; this formed an extension to an original structure at the site, measuring 2m in width and represented by footings 0.75m in width and 0.24m in depth. The extension had been subdivided into two rooms.
Contemporary with this building was a metalled surface formed of gravel, which was overlain by agricultural soil.
Another metalled surface located in another area of the site and undated comprised three layers of rammed brick, loam, oyster shell, silt, and crushed chalk.
Remains of timber framed medieval building(s) were located in another area of the site, represented by post-holes. The structures were associated with occupation deposits comprising oyster and whelk shells, which capped floor surfaces beneath. Only part of a single room within one of the buildings was identified.
After demolition of the structures at the site, this area appears to have been resurfaced with a gravel deposit - potentially representing a street or path. This was again overlain by an agricultural deposit as seen in other areas of the site.
Anotehr area of the site yielded evidence for a possible association between a gravel filled trench and a possible clay floor.
Many of the buildings appear to have been demolished in the late 14th/15th century, with some areas of the site reoccupied in the 15th century - identified by the construction of dwarf walls for a timber building. The dwarf walls were constructed with flint and mortar and were on average 0.35m in width, and 5.8m in depth, forming at least 2 rooms with associated floors. A courtyard or path was present to the rear of this property, associated with domestic refuse within garden soils. This contained 17th century pottery and a fragment of a double sided ivory comb.
Other features present at the site included a 'v' shaped ditch and a series of rubbish pits containing medieval and some post-medieval artefacts, including pottery, peg tile, and burnt clay (the pit containing burnt clay may have been associated with an industrial/domestic structure). The ditch was aligned NE-SW. A large number of rubbish pits were excavated, one of which contained a sherds of pottery from a south Netherlands Maiolica flower vase (a type of pottery often associated with high-status occupation).
One of the properties at the site may have been owned by Robert Gardiner during the early 13th century as rentals of properties in this area are known from this period. (3)

<1> 1994-5, Canterbury Archaeological Trust Annual Report 19, 1994-5 (Article in serial). SKE54496.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust Ltd., 2016, Land adjacent to 55 Northgate, Canterbury, Kent, Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment Report (Unpublished document). SKE55581.

<3> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1993, Northgate Carpark Archaeological Evaluation (Unpublished document). SKE30798.