Earth moving in the angle between the existing Limekiln Street and the main railway line revealed a 18th century pit cut into post medieval dump deposits. The pit was fairly large and could only be partially examined; its top had been destroyed by the machine. Of particular interest was the fact that the pit had been filled with large quantities of clay pipe debris including the actual pipes (both bowls and stems), heavily burnt bricks and fused pipe clay fragments. A large sample of clay pipes was salvaged from the pit together with a quantity of the domestic pottery and glass. Clearly a clay pipe works must have existed in the immediate area. The pipes are all of an 18th century type. The pit clearly predates the railway, which means that the dump layers which were cut by the pit must be earlier still. Thus, they are not make-up layers to carry Limekiln Street over the railway bridge (as was originally thought). The 1861 map shows the pit as being situated, under the metalling of Limekiln Street; the railway bridge was re-modelled in the 1920’s. (1-2)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1991-1992, Canterbury's Archaeology, Sites Outside Canterbury 1991-1992 (Article in serial). SKE31645.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1992, Archaeologia Cantiana: Interim Report on work carried out in 1992 by Canterbury Archaeological Trust Vol. 110 (Article in serial). SKE31776.