During excavations undertaken by Canterbury Archaeological Trust, ahead of the rebuilding of the Townwall Street filling Station, Dover, a complex series of stratified archaeological deposits were revealed representing activity at the site between the early Medieval period and later post medieval periods. Period 1; 1175-1300 is the first time intensive colonisation of the site began (before had been only superficial activity within the area; Period 0). A series of building plots was established, each occupied by a succession of timber or stone structures, in all 8 individual building plots were identified and five of these were examined in detail. Buildings 18 and 5 were located in plot E at the southern end of the site, these are the fifth and sixth in the sequence, in a series of nine buildings located at this part of the site.

Building 18 consisted of a series of patchy heavily work floors of rammed chalk and chalky clay generally only preserved in the west corner, and interleaved with thin occupation layers. There were traces of low, rough, un-mortared chalk, flint and greensand rubble walling on the north west, south east and north east sides. The wall on the south west side had been removed and a later foundation for a boundary wall has been inserted in its location. A rammed chalk floor was also located on the north eastern side of the building and may represent an extension. The pottery associated with this building is from ceramic phase A, which gives it a date of c. 1175-1225.

Building 5 replaces building 18 in almost the same exact location, and was later abutted by building 34 to the north. It consists of a substantial floor layer of chalk rubble with a well-defined trodden surface. Part of an irregular, poorly defined beam slot was located on part of the north west side. The pottery associated with this building suggests a date of c. 1175-1225 but the stratigraphy suggests a date of c. 1225-1250/75. (1)

<1> Keith Parfitt, Barry Corke and John Cotter, 2006, Townwall Street, Dover: Excavations 1996 (Monograph). SKE31840.