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 F which is situated at the junction of the path and Clarence Street and seems to be the largest plot. This plot appears to have been occupied intermittently, with at least two significant breaks in the sequence of buildings. Shaft 1256 was located near the west corner of the plot, it was probably used as a cess pit and can be dated to between c. 1250-1300.

Shaft 1256 cut through a rubble deposit sealing a wall of building 39. it is rectangular with internal measurements at the top of 1.1m (NE-SW) by 0.8m (NW-SE). It is lined with roughly squared chalk blocks set in a cream chalky clay extending to a maximum depth of 1.85m. The face of the blocks showed an iron coloured staining of a type often associated with cess pits. The base of the shaft sloped down to the north-east, probably caused by repeated cleaning out. On the base at the south west side, traces of a construction layer associated with the lining survived.(1)

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