Taken from source: 'No. 149 Snargate Street is recorded in Pigots London and Provincial Commercial Directory of 1832 as occupied by Frederick Henry Prall, a baker, suggesting an early use of the property as a small commercial baker shop. This use appears to have been short-lived, as there is no record Mr Prall or a commercial use for no.149 in Pigots Directory of 1839, and an ‘engraver’ is recorded in Bagshaws directory of 1847. Kellys Directory for Kent dated 1855 is the first to record the tenancy of Benjamin Barton, a boot and shoe maker. This business is further recorded at this property in the 1859 and 1867 trade directories, but by 1874 Barton is no longer trading at this address. Mr William Clarke, a hosier, is recorded in the 1874 and 1878 Kellys directories. It is not clear how long William Clarke was in occupancy, and by 1891, no.149, was in use as haberdashery under the hand of Edward Lawrence. From 1905 to 1927, no.149 and the adjoining property no.150 were both in use as a confectioners shop under the same management of Richard Morgan. The latest directory of 1938 simply records no.149 as a shop’. (1)

During an archaeological excavation undertaken at the site by PCA in 2016 a number of 19th and 20th century features were located and were interpreted as belonging to (the now demolished) 149-150 Snargate Street. Features dating to the earlier post medieval period are discussed elsewhere (TR 34 SW 986) but the earliest feature dating to the 19th and 20th century occupation of the site was the remnants of a party wall which separated the basements of both of the properties. This wall was truncated by two buttress type structures; these were probably supports for a fireplace on the floor above. Another wall was located in the northwest corner of the basement area; this was encountered at 5.03m OD and formed a stairwell measuring 1.7m by 1.7m. This stairwell appeared to truncate the chalk walls associated with the earliest phase of occupation at this site. Two brick floors located within the basement represent the last phase of masonry encountered and were seen across both properties; similar brick and mortar types were noted suggesting this was a single floor. (2)

<1> Pre-Construct Archaeology, 2016, BUILT HERITAGE RECORDING AT NOS 149-156 SNARGATE STREET, DOVER, KENT, CT17 9BZ (Unpublished document). SKE31673.

<2> PCA - Shane Maher, 2016, 149-156 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent - An Archaeological Assessment (Unpublished document). SKE32330.