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). Alongside the buildings, 4 wells were located to the south of Clarence Street and can be broadly dated to between c. 1500 and 1799.

The wells were all chalked lined, about 1m in diameter, none were full excavated. They were presumably dug in the yards and gardens of adjacent dwellings for which they provided water. One of the wells was positioned on the south-western side of plot H, cutting into the Medieval boundary walls which delimited the area, and may be associated with building 46. Another well lay in the western corner of plot F and had certainly been infilled prior to the construction of the malt kiln. The third example lay nearby and may have provided a replacement of the one underlying the malt kiln. The last lay outside the area of the main excavation, below the 19th century houses of Clarence Place. (1)

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