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 were 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. Plot H, which was situated on the north eastern side of the excavated area, contained two groups of successive buildings. Buildings 4, 9, 10, 11 and 16 are located at the southern end of plot H and represent successive replacements of a single building which occupied the exact same site for several decades and can be dated to between c. 1125 and c. 1250.

Building 4 which was the earliest excavated in this area but is unlikely to be the primary structure. It consists of a series of rammed chalk floors, with one clay, separated by a series of thin occupation layers and occasional sand and shingle levelling deposits. Much of the building, and the later buildings on this plot have been destroyed by a large post medieval pit and well.

Building 9 was laid directly over building 4 and was separated from it by layers of soil beach shingle. It consists of a rammed chalk floor, with an area along the south west side of un-trodden chalk which represents the location of the outside wall.

Building 10 was a replacement of building 9, it consisted of a series of rammed chalk floors interleaved with thin occupation layers. It is bounded on the south west and north west sides by low walls of shaped chalk blocks set in a cream white mortar. A patch of mortar situated near the north east corner probably relates to the missing north east wall. During the later phases of this building an extension was added to the north east end.

Building 11 is again, an almost exact replacement of the building situated at this location before it (building 10) it consists of three successive rammed chalk floors, with a fragmentary clay floor, all separated by thin occupation layers, the south west wall of building 10 was probably used here but there is no evidence for further walls associated with this building. A hearth pit was located towards the south west end with a dense concentration of stake holes immediately to the south east.

Building 16 was the latest building in the south east sequence at plot H, it is probably contemporary with building 17 in the adjacent plot. It consist of a patchy clay and chalk floor which had been laid directly upon a substantial chalk rubble platform. (1)

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