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 3 (c. 1550-1780) represents an increase in activity across the site, a series of buildings was constructed along Clarence Street (B47-51 and B53) with a cellared structure further to the south-east (B46). Building 50 was erected on the site of the demolished building 47 and 48, between the Medieval plots F and H.

The full extent of the structure did not survive but its minimum dimensions were 10.25m (NE-SW) by 2.35m (NW-SE). Five successive chalk and clay floors and occupation layers abutted earlier boundary walls running along Clarence Street. A short length of clay bonded, chalk and flint rubble walling surviving on top of boundary wall 140 might also have been related.

Immediately after the abandonment of building 50, the surface of its final floor was used as a base for a new chalk block boundary wall, probably associated with Clarence House (period 4). There was very little dating evidence associated with this structure, but what is available, taken in conjunction with the dating evidence for the underlying structures, it seems unlikely that building 50 was erected before the second half of the 18th century. (1)

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