Monument record TR 34 SW 1771 - Post Medieval cellar walls, floors and infill located beneath the Bench Street Car Park, Dover

In February and March 2015 an archaeological observations were undertaken during the excavation of drain trenching and tree pits prior to the creation of a new car park on the eastern side of Bench Street, Dover.

The first deep machine excavated trench (petrol interceptor trench) produced a chalk block wall and floor. The removal of the modern made ground uncovered a 0.2m thick deposit of orange-brown clay, which may have been created as a floor. Below this, at a depth of 1.1m below the ground level, was the chalk block floor, constructed of shaped blocks 0.3m x 0.4m in size. Over this floor was a thin occupation deposit, 4cm thick, containing one fragment of thin flaky slate. Beneath the floor there was more fragmented grey slate, possibly this was inserted as a damp course. To the west of the floor was an associated chalk block wall, this was 0.85m wide and 1m high. It had a foundation of large water worn pebbles, ragstone and chalk rubble, 0.3m deep. The top of the walling was located just 0.4m below the ground surface, it is therefore unlikely to be the same as that discovered by B. Philp during the KARU excavations here in 1974, as that was described as being deeply buried. It was seen that the outer face of the wall had cut through earlier deposits and hence the room had to be a cellar.

The 25m long drain trench which was cut across the site, 1m deep and 0.85m wide produced more evidence to show that this area had seen much construction in the 18th and 19th centuries, but there was no evidence to show earlier occupation at this site, this presumably lies at a lower level. A series of chalk block walls representing at least 3 cellared buildings were seen in this drain trench, some of these included 18/19th century brick. The chalk blocks and bricks were bonded in a hard grey mortar. the fill of these cellars may be dated to their demolition after the WWII and subsequent levelling. During the excavation of the 9 tree pits across the site, more post medieval walling was uncovered in pits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Again these represent the former site of cellared buildings.

The only available dating evidence was the fragment of slate uncovered from the occupation deposit above the chalk block floor; this type of slate was not brought into Kent (from Devon or Cornwall) until the late 12th or 13th centuries. At this time it was cut thick and the process was only refined to produce slate to the thickness of that uncovered here in the 18th century. (1)

<1> A. Ward, 2015, An Archaeological Watching Brief at the new Bench Street car park, Dover, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE32140.