R E S O U R C E S

I A N C O U L S O N & A N D Y H A R M S W O R T H

Canterbury City Walls

Using urban remains & the KentHistoric Environment Record as clues about the past

Contents of this pack 1a. Synopsis

1b. Teaching Ideas

2. Introduction

3. Canterbury’s Walls and Castles

The city wall trail for pupils

4. Background Information about Canterbury Town Walls and the Castles

• Canterbury Castle

• Canterbury City Walls

• Dane John Mound

• Queningate

• The City Walls

• Burgate

• Zoar Chapel

• St George’s Gate

• Cattle Market Tower

• Riding Gate

5. Canterbury City Walls Photographs

6. Reconstruction drawings of Canterbury

6a. Teacher guide notes for PowerPoint images

6b. Using Images with an Interactive Whiteboard

7. Further information and links

8. Canterbury Walls HER Info

Acknowledgements

Andy Harmsworth for a core of materials that provided the basis of the trail. Canterbury Archaeological Trust for their generosity in providing text and images. Ed Salter and the Kent Historic Environment Record team.

Ian Coulson

Synopsis Canterbury is one of two historic cities in Kent with an historic core and evidence of its historic growth in the form its fortifications, buildings and archaeological remains. The project uses a variety of historic records, including the Kent Historic Environment Record (HER) and investigates the history of the fortifications and other remains along a short accessible length of the city walls. In advance of the fieldwork Year 7 pupils from a local school were introduced to the history of Canterbury that allowed them to analyse the growth of the city and understand something of what life was like living in Medieval Canterbury. In this project, on their visit to the city they collected evidence by taking photographs, researching the SMR and investigating the buildings and archaeological remains. Although specific to Canterbury the approach is transferable to other similar urban environments. The project included introductory work on the history of the city as part of a course on British Medieval history. The fieldwork on and around the city walls was part of a single day of activities. The pupils collected evidence and investigated some of the clues which still survive of the medieval city. They discovered that a lot has changed and many of the old buildings have gone, but some important medieval buildings have survived. They understood that together with other clues they can piece together a picture of what it was like to live in the city during the Middle Ages.

Teacher Ideas Exploring Kent’s Past Getting started

• Why investigate the hidden history of the city? The fun and excitement of doing history… and finding out more about the city we live in.

• Where does this fit into the National Curriculum? o Y7&8 o GCSE History Around Us module for the Schools History Project

• Cross curricular and project possibilities • What you need to know, the pack includes the basics for the teacher with

little or no previous knowledge • The historical background, very brief, with some mention of regional

differences for those in rural areas • What do you need to get started? The fieldwork resources for the pupils

will provide an ‘easy’ way into the research, recognition of old and new, leading to recognition of styles, architectural features and the pattern of change in the buildings and locality. Additional resources could include visiting the local Museum of Canterbury and using historical sources such as Historic Environment Record data.

• Where to find your sources Historic Environment data can be provided through the Heritage Conservation Group at Kent County Council. Addition information can be found on the Canterbury Archaeological Trusts website http://www.canterburytrust.co.uk/home.html

• Using your locality, individual building and fortifications. • Finding out about the story within, who lived in the city and what was it

like living in Canterbury in the past. For an interesting selection of stories for young children, about the city see: M.Lyle Seven Stories of Canterbury.

• Taking students out of school, plan and do your risk assessment. • Resources, resources for teachers, resources for children, websites, local

museum and Canterbury Archaeological Trust. The planning stuff… What were the fortifications of Canterbury like a long time ago? This fieldwork looks at how the fortifications of Canterbury have survived and what they tell us about the city in the Middle Ages. Setting a single key question at the outset can help focus the study. Making it clear how the investigation will progress and what the expectations are both in terms of understanding and specific product is important. For example, explain that the purpose of the fieldwork is to find out more about the city and its fortifications but that one objective is to produce an interpretation board or guidance materials. This unit should build on some previous work on castles and the Middle Ages. Children should be provided with a range of sources of information including

Ian Coulson Page 1 30/05/2008

upstanding evidence, HER data and buildings to answer questions about the fortifying of the city and life in castles. It also introduces them to the idea that the past is represented in different ways. Expectations for Y7 At the end of this unit most children will: identify features of city walls and of castles; identify different features of castles and know how they were used and what they tell us about life in the city in the past; use appropriate language when talking, writing and recording; begin to develop an awareness that the past is represented in different ways. some children will not have made so much progress and will: identify some characteristics of castles and fortifications; talk about their observations; recognise many features of castles and begin to describe what it was like to live in a castle. some children will have progressed further and will: make comparisons across the time periods; identify and describe a range of different features of fortifications and castles; understand how things have changed and developed; explain why people from different societies contributed to the historic record; talk about how the past is represented in different ways. Follow-up The resources for use on the walk are self explanatory and some planned follow-up is essential. Pupils could be directed towards producing their own interpretation boards or a gatefold leaflet on the walk or aspects to the area they have investigated.

Ian Coulson Page 2 30/05/2008

Introduction

This pack offers a trail around the most interesting and accessible parts of Canterbury City Walls. The resources have been used with Y7 pupils but could, and have, been adapted for younger children and adults.

The pack is based on the wealth of data that is currently available for the upstanding remains in Canterbury, from the Kent HER database and a variety of other sources. Also included in the pack are resources provided by the Canterbury Archaeological Trust, which as a community archaeology unit, has been very supportive and allowed the use of its extensive visual archive. Teachers will find these resources especially useful for classroom teaching and could be adapted for use on a whiteboard. The main aim of this pack is to get children outside the classroom. In association with the use of the documentary sources children will be able to discover for themselves the story of the city through its ruins and monuments.

The resource pack can be used in association with various web sites, both the data bases of the Kent HER and the online resources of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust. Additional local history resources can be found on the Here’s History Kent website. Schools should also take advantage of additional resources such as the Museum of Canterbury, the CAT BOXES (Canterbury Archaeological Trust museum loans service) and the great body of publications that tell the evolving story of the city. The pack also includes enormous potential for those schools that are looking for cross curricular themes and research projects.

This pack is one of three resource packs linked to the needs of schools and the National Curriculum. With increasing flexibility schools are able to take time over a local study and extend the pupils interest where there such a wealth of resources.

Ian Coulson

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CCaanntteerrbbuurryy CCiittyy WWaallllss

At the time of Domesday Book in 1086, Canterbury was a flourishing city of about 6,000 people. The Normans rebuilt Canterbury Cathedral and St Augustine’s Abbey. They also built several new parish churches, two castles, hospitals and a palace for the Archbishop. New areas of settlement (or suburbs) began to grow outside the old Roman city walls. Then, in 1170, Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral. Over the next 350 years thousands of pilgrims flocked into Canterbury to visit his shrine. They came to pray or be cured of illness. Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, written in about 1400, is about one group of pilgrims and the stories they told each other during their journey from London.

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BUILDING CLUES

Timber defences : 11th century

Square towers : 12th century

Round t owers : 13th century

Today you will be investigating some of the clues which still survive of the medieval city: Canterbury between 1066 and about 1500. A lot has changed and many of the old buildings have gone, but some important medieval buildings have survived. Together with other clues they can help us to piece together a picture of what it was like to live in the city. Use the numbers 1 - 12 on the map on the front page to follow the trail around the city walls. Whilst you are investigating the buildings and the town walls please remember to:

11 && 22.. CCaanntteerrbbuurryy CCaassttllee The Normans built a stone castle in Canterbury. When it was finished it was one of the largest castles in England! Today, however, only the ruined keep of the castle survives. 1. What different types of materials were used to build the keep?

..........................................................................................................................................................................

2. This picture shows what archaeologists

think the castle looked like during the Middle Ages.

Colour in the parts of the castle which can still be seen today.

3. In which century do you think the Keep was built? Century: …………………………………………………………

Your reasons:

……………………………………………………………………………...

look at things closely

listen to instructions

try to work things out for yourselves

record your findings

search for clues

stay with your group

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33.. TThhee RRoommaann FFoorrtt BBeenneeaatthh tthhee ccaarr ppaarrkk rreemmaaiinnss wweerree ffoouunndd ooff aa RRoommaann FFoorrtt tthhaatt wwaass bbuuiilltt iinn tthhee 22nndd cceennttuurryy ttoo pprrootteecctt tthhee ccrroossssiinngg ppooiinntt oonn tthhee RRiivveerr SSttoouurr.. NNootthhiinngg ccaann bbee sseeeenn ooff tthhee ffoorrtt ttooddaayy aalltthhoouugghh ssoommee rreemmaaiinnss wweerree ffoouunndd wwhheenn tthhee ccaarr ppaarrkk wwaass bbeeiinngg bbuuiilltt..

How many floors were there?

How can you tell?

List the different rooms you can identify :

How can you tell?

4. When you go inside the keep, look for clues to work out how many floors there were and what the different rooms were used for. Then complete the table below :

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44.. TThhee WWoorrtthh GGaattee TThhiiss ggaattee wwaass bblloocckkeedd iinn 11554488 aanndd tthhee WWiinncchheeaapp GGaattee ccrreeaatteedd ffuurrtthheerr eeaasstt.. IInn 11779911 tthhee rreemmaaiinnss ooff tthhee WWoorrtthh GGaattee wweerree ddeessttrrooyyeedd..

55.. TThhee CCiittyy WWaallllss The Romans built the first wall around Canterbury between AD 270 and 290. The walls we can see today were built during the Middle Ages on the foundations of the old Roman walls. Originally they surrounded the whole city and had 8 gates. Today only parts of the city wall survive and only one gate: the Westgate. 1. Which building materials were used to build the city wall?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. Most other medieval towns in this country were also surrounded by strong stone walls. What does this tell us about England during the Middle Ages? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Granite Chalk Limestone Flint Brick Slate Sandstone

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3. The city wall was built to defend the city from attack. It included four defensive features to make it even more difficult to attack the city. Label them on the drawing below:

4. In which century do you think was this part of the city wall built ? Century:………………………………………………............................................

Your reasons:

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

5. Archaeologists think that the Normans built a Motte and Bailey castle near here in 1066. Can you see any evidence to support their theory? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

BUILDING CLUES

Timber defences : 11th century

Square towers : 12th century

Round towers : 13th century

Gun-loops : 14th century

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66.. TThhee RRiiddiinngg GGaattee TThhee rrooaadd ffrroomm DDoovveerr eenntteerreedd tthhee cciittyy tthhrroouugghh tthhee RRiiddiinngg GGaattee.. TThhiiss wwaass tthhee llaarrggeesstt ooff tthhee ttoowwnn ggaatteess wwiitthh ttwwoo ccaarrrriiaaggee wwaayyss.. YYoouu ccaann sseeee tthhee ppllaann ooff tthhee ggaattee mmaarrkkeedd oonn tthhee ppaavveemmeenntt..

7. Overlooking Whitefriars The next section of the wall was rebuilt in the 1950’s after the bomb damage during the air raids of 1942. If you look towards the city you can see the recent development that was built over the foundations of the Whitefriars Friary that Henry VIII closed in the 1530’s.

8. St George’s Gate St George's Gate is the only main gate of non-Roman origin on the walls. In the late 9th or early 10th century a main street was made across the city from West Gate to a new gate called Newingate and these two gates became the most important in the city. In 1483 the gate was rebuilt to mirror the West Gate, though on a smaller scale. Excavations in 1988 revealed a narrow carriageway flanked by massive drum towers. The plan is now marked out in the road.

9. Across the road, follow the walls to Burgate, passing a medieval tower, now converted to a chapel.

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10. Leaving Burgate walk towards Queningate. This long stretch of well-preserved city wall following the line of the Roman defences was erected in the late 3rd century. Roman fabric can be seen at the southern end of the car park close to Burgate. High in the wall water-rounded flints, some set in herringbone fashion, is Roman work and a little further along, at the base of the wall, water-rounded boulders and large flints are also of Roman date.

11. Between the present entrance to the Cathedral precincts, formed by Prior Selling in 1493, and the first square tower, the outline of the blocked Roman Queningate (built c. AD 270-90) can just be discerned embedded in the wall. Large lower greensand blocks flank the former carriageway and a few brick courses mark the turn of an arch. Queningate was blocked in 1492-3. Label the different parts of the gate.

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12. Prior Chillenden repaired the wall from Queningate to North Gate between 1390-96. He erected the four square towers which we can see today. Add labels to the photographs

Background Information about Canterbury Town Walls and the Castles

• Canterbury Castle • Canterbury City Walls • Dane John Mound • Queningate • The City Walls • Burgate • Zoar Chapel • St George’s Gate • Cattle Market Tower • Riding Gate

Canterbury Castle A square, ruined, late 11th century tower is all that remains of the former Canterbury Castle which has been rescued from the ambience of the town's gasworks. Canterbury possessed a royal castle in 1086 which stood in the south-west quarter of the city having moved from the Dane John. The walls of its outer bailey were demolished in the late 18th century and since 1826, when the gas and water works first moved into the area, the medieval topography has been gradually destroyed apart from the tower itself which served as a coal store. Virtually the sole surviving and visible portion of the castle is the great tower or 'keep'. Indirect evidence suggests that the stone tower was designed between 1085 and 1125. Its architectural history is well documented from the reign of Henry II onwards. In 1173-4 over £100 was spent on the 'work of the castle', chiefly on the tower. It is likely that this large sum was for alterations to an existing keep rather than for its original construction. The castle was repaired between 1190 and 1193 when preparations were made to resist King Philip's threatened invasion but the castle was surrendered to Louis of France in 1216. Generally during the middle ages the castle provided for the administration of the sheriff and served as a prison. By 1335 it was largely ruinous. The rectangular great tower was larger than that at Rochester and similar in size to Dover and Norwich. Its ruined remains have clasping buttresses at the angles and intermediate buttresses, two on each of the longer sides and just one on the short sides. The tower was faced externally with Kentish rag rubble with bands of flint and predominantly flint in the core. Caen ashlar is used for dressings. The battered plinth was very substantial. The fore-building on the western side has been removed. A later towered entrance was built opposite on the east. Internally the tower is divided into three unequal aisles as at Norwich Castle and there were at least three floors marked by substantial beam-holes. The basement of the tower was used separately from the first floor, perhaps as a prison. The upper floors communicate by means of several stairs in two of the angles and another adjacent to the site of the fore-building. There are large but simple windows and domed fireplaces. Paul Bennett, SS Frere and Sally Stow, Excavations at Canterbury Castle (1982) H M Colvin, The History of the King's Works, Vol.II, The Middle Ages (1963) pp.588-90.

Canterbury City Walls The City walls are of Roman origin and more than half the medieval circuit survives. They were remodelled in the late 14th century to enable the use of gunpowder weapons in their defence and in this respect are among the earliest examples in the country. The Roman town wall of Durovernum was built towards the end of the 3rd century AD and had at least one internal tower. Traces of Roman gates are recorded at Queningate, Riding Gate and Worth Gate and recent archaeological excavations have increased knowledge of the Roman fabric. The medieval wall followed the same alignment, a roughly oval circuit c.3000 yards in circumference. The ditch is mentioned in the Domesday Book and the walls were said to be in reasonable repair in c.1140. Repairs were carried out by the Crown later in the 12th century and again c.1290-1320. In 1363 a commission of enquiry described the walls as mostly fallen through age and the ditches obstructed. Work of renewal began by 1378. Archbishop Sudbury had begun the entire rebuilding of the West Gate in 1380 and in the 1390’s work commenced on the towers flanking the River Stour. The master mason/ 'architect', Henry Yevele, is recorded as having a role in the construction of the defences and it may be to him that the use of 'keyhole' gun-ports can be attributed. Newingate/St George's Gate was built in c.1470 and may have imitated the West Gate since it had two circular towers. Many of the wall towers were repaired in the 15th and 16th centuries. Most of the west side of the circuit, however, was demolished in 1648. The River Stour towers and parts of Burgate and St. George's Gate were demolished in 1769-92. A section of Roman city wall survives to a height of c.16 feet and is capped by a continuous row of intact crenellations. This can be seen in the north wall of the Church of St Mary, Northgate. Standing medieval walling, often to parapet level now exists on the north-east, east and south sides but the ditch has been almost entirely filled in and in parts given over to car parking. There were, according to Hasted (1797-1801), twenty-one mural towers and seventeen of these remain. The towers are predominantly square on the north-east, and half-round to the east and south-east with a battered plinth. They are principally built in flint with ashlar quoins. Most contain key-hole gun-ports, one in each face. The wall-walk passed through the towers at first floor level. The West Gate has twin ashlar-faced drum towers with eighteen 'key-hole' gun-ports on three levels in addition to the traditional defensive measures in the gate passage. The gatehouse remains to full height. Canterbury City walls are among the best preserved in England even though about one third of the circuit has been demolished. Of particular importance is the survival of a stretch of the Roman city wall to full height. The West Gate has considerable historic value being among the first documented defensive structures in the country to have been designed with the deployment of gunpowder artillery in mind. The 'keyhole' gun-ports are well designed and coordinated. They are of a textbook quality. The surviving lengths of city wall are generally in good condition. In the 1950’s there was a programme of rebuilding a long stretch of wall on the east side which favoured visual effect rather than accuracy. A number of gun-ports were also restored clumsily. The West Gate appears to be in good condition. East of the site of North Gate in St. Radegunds Street there has been a recent exposure of early walling. Some of the towers on this side of the city are also in an un-restored state. Hilary L Turner, Town Defences in England and Wales (1971) pp.148-54

Dane John Mound The mound was first created in the first or second century as one of several burial mounds south-east of the early Roman town. By the time the Roman town walls were constructed (A.D. 270-90) it was still of sufficient size to be incorporated into the southern corner of the defences. Soon after the Battle of Hastings in October 1066, Canterbury surrendered to William the Conqueror who established a fortification here. The first keeper of the motte-and-bailey castle was Hamo, son of Vitalis a Norman knight who appears on the Bayeux Tapestry. Traditionally the site for this first castle was considered to be the 'Dane John' mound, the name being a corruption of the Norman word for a motte, 'donjon', and archaeological excavations have uncovered sections of the bailey ditch both inside and outside the walls. The castle probably lasted for less than twenty years as in 1086 Domesday Book mentions the construction of a new royal castle. By the time its massive stone keep was complete (by 1120) the motte-and-bailey fortification had probably been long redundant. The mound then formed part of the Manor of the Dungeon whose extensive lands included the remains of three other Roman burial mounds known then as the Dungeon Hills. The area was let as pasture and later used by the citizens of Canterbury for recreation, games and sports. Clothes were put to dry and bleach on the mound. The mound was put to military use again during the Civil War (1642-64) when a gun-emplacement was created on it and in 1643 the Dungeon was watched day and night. The firing of the guns broke glass windows in Wincheap and a resident of a wall turret received compensation because the shooting of the brass gun made his dwelling shake. In the early eighteenth century a windmill stood on the mound. In 1790 Alderman James Simmons began his improvements of the Dane John Gardens. As part of that work the mound was heightened, probably by about 5 metres and a spiral pathway was created to its summit. The monument was added in 1803. The Dane John mound has been the central feature of this historic garden for two hundred years and an important Canterbury landmark for almost two millennia. Its significance lies in its survival as a residual Romano-British burial mound, part of a former cemetery of mounds in the area. Secondly as the motte of the first Norman castle in Canterbury. Thirdly as a picturesque garden feature. Queningate Adjacent to this tower can be seen the blocked archway of one of the Roman entrances into Durovernum Cantiacorum. Queningate was one of seven gates in the Roman wall, built to defend the town between c. A.D. 270-90. Large blocks of Kentish ragstone, once the jambs of a 2.5 metre wide carriageway and a few brick courses marking the turn of an arch, are encased in the medieval wall. In Roman times it was the practice to bury the dead in cemeteries outside the town. One such cemetery existed just outside Queningate in the area of Lady Wootton’s Green. In the 1920’s a fragment of Roman tombstone was found just outside the gateway to St

Augustine’s Abbey and in 1992 several inhumations were uncovered in excavations on the site of the new extension to Diocesan House opposite. The Roman gateway would have provided access to and from this cemetery area. A charter of A.D. 792 records an early Anglo-Saxon market just inside the walls at Queningate. Also just inside the walls here, was the tiny parish church of St Mary Queningate. The church is known to have been in existence by 1166 but was probably gone by 1400 when the area was incorporated within Christ Church Priory. A stone marking the western wall of the church is set in the south wall of the memorial garden. A new postern at Queningate was made c.1448-9 and a bridge was built from it across the ditch (later known as the ‘Dean’s Bridge’). The former postern at Roman Queningate was blocked in 1468, probably when there were new fears of attack from France. The City Walls The town walls of Canterbury were first built by the Romans between c. A.D. 270-90. The Roman wall was over 6 metres high and surmounted by battlements or crenellations. Behind the curtain wall was a 5 metre high bank which carried a parapet walkway. In front of the wall there was a substantial defensive ditch. The 2.7 kilometre circuit was provided with a number of wall towers and seven gateways. The Roman wall was 2.5 metres thick and built of locally-quarried flints bonded with mortar. The wall was largely faced with water-rounded greensand boulders and flint cobbles from the coast, together with a mixture of re-used stones from demolished local buildings. Roman wall fabric can be seen in a few places near here. The smooth, round stones visible high up in the present wall near Burgate are Roman work and closer to here, but set low down, are water-rounded boulders and re-used stones which also form part of the Roman wall face. Glimpses of the Roman wall can also be seen by Canterbury Castle at Worthgate and, more notably, in the wall of St. Mary’s Church, Northgate viewed from St. Radigund’s Garden. The walls survived beyond the Roman period. They are mentioned in documents of the seventh and eighth centuries. Though there is no indication of the state of repair of the walls in these documents, they clearly still offered some defence during the Viking invasions of Kent in the ninth, tenth and eleventh centuries. As late as 1011 the walls are reported to have held back a besieging Viking army for twenty days. Although repairs to the ancient walls may have occurred following the Norman Conquest in 1066, little documentary evidence survives to suggest this. In 1363 a commission of enquiry found ‘the walls of Canterbury are for the most part fallen because of age, and the stones thereof carried away, and the ditches under the walls are obstructed’. Five murage grants are recorded between 1363 and 1402, giving details of how money was raised to pay for the work. Westgate was rebuilt and its adjacent walls refurbished. Prior Chillenden organised the rebuilding of the city walls belonging to Christ Church Priory between Queningate and Northgate. Four square towers were erected. One of these is next to Queningate, the three others can be glimpsed behind houses along Broad Street. A survey of 1402 shows that by then the entire city was defended by walls except for a part by the River Stour beyond Northgate. At the end of the fifteenth century work began again.

St. George’s Gate was rebuilt between 1452 and 1495. Burgate was rebuilt c.1475. The present postern and a bridge leading over the ditch (later known as the ‘Dean’s Bridge) was made c.1448-9. The Queningate was probably blocked between 1468-9. Prior Selling rebuilt the section of wall between Burgate and Queningate probably in the 1480s. In the summer of 1492 the priory was awarded ownership of the wall between Burgate and Queningate by a commission. The two round bastions standing here were probably erected before 1494 as part of Prior Selling’s work on the wall. Since the First World War the bastion adjoining the memorial gardens has been used as a memorial chapel. The present car park occupies part of the former city ditch. Excavations elsewhere on the circuit have indicated that the original Roman ditch might have been up to 25 metres wide and 5.5 metres deep. It is possible that a branch of the River Stour filled part of the Roman ditch north and west of the town. In medieval times the river was certainly used for defensive purposes in the St. Radigund’s area beyond Northgate and westwards to just beyond Westgate. There is little archaeological evidence for the depth or extent of the medieval ditch, but it survived as a feature of the landscape for centuries and is often mentioned in early documents. From the early medieval period some houses stood in the ditch in Broad Street, close to Northgate, despite the fact that the sewer of the priory flowed into an open drain running outside the walls at that time. Later maps show more buildings in Broad Street, but the ditch here remained mainly open ground with the occasional building against the wall. The Star Brewery was situated at the Burgate end during the nineteenth century until it was demolished during clearance of this area prior to the creation of the city’s first municipal car park in 1931. Burgate Burgate, one of the seven Roman gates of Durovernum Cantiacorum, was probably constructed around A.D. 270-90. As the point of entry of the Roman road from Richborough (Rutupiae), Burgate would have been one of the principal Roman gates and was probably similar in size and style to Roman Ridingate, with two carriageways. During roadworks in 1988 the metallings of the Roman road, which predated the construction of the defences, were uncovered, but insufficient Roman material survived later remodelling to provide any more information about the form of the Roman gate. The gate remained an important one in Anglo-Saxon times when it became the main gate leading into the Inner Burgh of the town. Shortly after the arrival of St. Augustine in A.D. 597, the first cathedral was established inside the gate and St. Augustine’s Abbey outside it. The abbey became the burial place for all the first archbishops and the early Christian kings of Kent. By the twelfth century documentary evidence suggests that, as at Northgate and Westgate, a church was associated with the gate. The earliest chapel, dedicated to St. Michael, may have occupied a chamber above the carriageway, but from later in the Anglo-Saxon period the church was located on the north side of the gate against the inside of the city wall. Fifteenth and sixteenth century wills record various bequests to the church, but in 1516 the parish was united with that of St. George’s. Most of the church was then dismantled, but a tower remained until 1684.

Some building work, probably refurbishment and alterations to the church, took place at ‘St. Michael’s Gate’ in 1475. In 1502 plans were being made to completely rebuild the gate and the master mason Robert Vertue was consulted about this. He died in 1506, but it is thought likely that the new Burgate, completed in 1525, was built to plans submitted by him. The design of the gate, depicted on various maps and drawings, appears to have been more decorative than defensive. Brick was used in semi-octagonal towers. Over the centre arch, three larger windows were decorated with trefoil heads and were surrounded by plaques bearing the arms of citizens who had contributed towards the building work. (Two shields survive today rebuilt in the wall immediately to the north.) Some defensive features were included in the design of Burgate. There were gun-loops on each of its three floors and the towers were surmounted by crenellations. A portcullis is depicted on a seventeenth-century map. Shortly after the Dissolution of the St Augustine’s by Henry VIII in 1538 the gate was repaired using stone taken from demolished buildings at the abbey. In 1648, during the Civil War, the wooden doors in the gate were burnt by the Puritans. They were replaced in 1660 by Archbishop Juxon who also paid for new doors at Westgate, St. George’s Gate and Christ Church Gate. By the seventeenth century the gate had been converted into a dwelling. More windows were inserted and the central chamber and towers roofed with tile. This dwelling was in bad repair by 1781 and the middle part of the gateway was removed. The wooden doors were finally removed in 1785. In 1809 the south tower was taken down and in 1822 the north tower was demolished so that the street could be widened. The outline of the foundations of the 1525 gate is marked out in brick in the road. A map of c.1640 shows houses built over one side of the ditch outside Burgate. Later in the seventeenth century a large timber-framed building, was erected on the other side. This inn, known as the ‘Saracen’s Head’ since the 1690s, survived until 1969 when it was demolished to make way for the city’s ring road. Zoar Chapel This tower is one of approximately twenty-four built as part of the medieval defences of Canterbury in the late fourteenth century. Excavation nearby in 1954 suggested that by the fourteenth century the earlier Roman wall had all but disappeared and early medieval buildings had been built over the surviving rampart. A new wall and tower was therefore formed at that time to infill a gap in the defences. The present lane preserves the line of the Roman and medieval rampart. In 1801 a cistern for the city’s water supply was housed in the bastion after being moved from St. George’s Gate. The present building probably predates the arrival of the Zoar Baptists and its conversion into a chapel in 1845. St. George’s Gate St. George’s Gate (or Newingate) is the only Anglo-Saxon gate in the city walls. In the tenth century a main street was made across the town from Westgate to a new opening in the city wall which came to be called Newingate. The name is a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon ‘aet thaem neowan gate’ (at the new gate). This gate was probably a simple arched opening, providing access to a market outside the walls. This large cattle market

(Rithercheap) is first documented in A.D. 923 and the gate was almost certainly in existence at that time. The first documented reference to the gate is in a charter of c.1100. The gate may have been strengthened or rebuilt at this time. Excavations in 1988 revealed remnants of early stonework fossilised within later fabric. This early gate may have remained in reasonable condition for some time. In the later fourteenth century when the western and northern city walls were refurbished and Westgate was built, there is no documentation for any work taking place at Newingate. It was not until a century later that repairs were planned for Newingate and work finally began on its rebuilding in 1483. By this time the gate was more generally known as St. George’s Gate, taking its name from the nearby church. Eighteenth-century engravings and descriptions suggest that the design of St. George’s Gate was based on that of Westgate. There were two circular drum towers with battered ashlar plinths which projected into the ditch. Each of the towers contained a series of gun ports (upside down keyholes). Between the towers was the gateway itself which had a portcullis. Outside there was a drawbridge and above the gateway were machicolations. There were also three niches which may have held religious statues and three plaques which perhaps contained coats-of-arms. In the mid sixteenth century the upper part of St. George’s Gate was used sometimes as a prison. It was also used as a common storehouse and as a military store for arms and ammunition until the Civil War. In 1648 the wooden doors were burnt by Parliamentary troops. They were replaced in about 1660 by Archbishop Juxon, who also paid for new doors at Burgate, Westgate and Christ Church gate. They may therefore have looked similar to those still in place at the cathedral. The doors were finally removed in 1785. In 1754 the drum towers held the reservoirs for the city’s water supply. Pipes ran from the towers to public taps in each of the city’s markets and to the town hall. In 1801, when the gate was demolished, the reservoir was moved to the nearby bastion on the city wall which now houses the Zoar Chapel. In 1790 a new road was built from outside the gate to create a more direct link with the main road to Dover. St. George’s Place and the New Dover Road brought traffic directly to St. George’s Gate and its narrow entrance became a dangerous bottleneck. Neighbouring farmers and citizens petitioned the Burghmote for its removal and in 1801 the gate was taken down ‘not without due consideration or deep regret’. The stones from the demolished gate were used in the paving of a new cattle market. The creation of this market was an expensive undertaking involving the levelling of almost the whole ditch area between St. George’s Gate and Ridingate. Parts of the city wall were refaced in brick and various market buildings were erected. By the later nineteenth century the Cattle Market was an important part of city life. The market was held every Saturday for lean stock and on alternate Mondays for fat stock. On 1st June 1942 the whole area around the market was destroyed by bombing and in 1955, after almost a millennium at St. George’s, the market moved to a new site on the other side of the city. A few years later the ring road with its roundabout and pedestrian subway was constructed. During road improvements in 1988 the foundations of the gate were exposed and these are now marked out in coloured bricks on the road.

Cattle Market Tower This tower is one of a pair rebuilt in the late 1950’s when the city wall between Ridingate and St. George’s Gate was reconstructed. Though both were rebuilt in their medieval form, archaeological excavation in the 1950’s found that the tower closer to St. George’s roundabout had a Roman predecessor and was one of two known external ‘angle’ towers. The other was found next to the medieval Dane John tower. This part of the Roman defences was also provided with two internal towers. One was discovered when the Bus Station was being built in the 1950’s and lies roughly equidistant between the two round bastions on the modern wall. A second was discovered closer to the St. George’s roundabout in 2000. These two towers were attached to the inner face of the Roman wall and would have been incorporated into the earth rampart which formed part of the defences. They may have served as platforms for projectile throwing machines (ballista or onager). The Roman defences survived for some centuries and the medieval walls were largely built upon Roman foundations. This part of the wall was probably repaired in the late fourteenth century. A cattle market was held outside the walls here since medieval times. During improvements to the market in the early nineteenth century the medieval bastions were removed and the wall was refaced with red brick. Most of the ditch between St. George’s Gate and Ridingate was levelled and stones from the recently demolished St. George’s Gate were used in the repaving. By the later nineteenth century the market was an important part of city life. The market was held every Saturday for lean stock and on alternate Mondays for fat stock. In 1955 the market was moved to a new site. The city ring road was constructed in 1968. On 1st June 1942 a large part of St. George’s parish was destroyed by bombing. The elegant houses that had stood here on St. George’s Terrace were badly damaged by fire and subsequently demolished. St. George’s Church suffered the same fate, but the tower was saved and can be seen today. Part of the Simon Langton Grammar Schools, which occupied the former site of the Whitefriars monastery, now the Whitefriars shopping area, was also badly damaged. Both the boys and girls grammar schools have now moved to sites outside the city centre. Riding Gate (upper) You are now standing over the site of Riding Gate. The defences of the Roman town, including six principal gates, were built in c. A.D. 270-90. Until its destruction in 1782 Riding Gate was not only the finest surviving Roman entrance into Canterbury, but the only gate provided with two carriageways. The name Riding Gate means 'the Red Gate' in Old English and probably refers to the Roman brick used in its construction. Extensive excavations during roadworks in 1986 exposed the gate foundations and the north and south guard chambers. The Roman gate survived relatively untouched until early in the fifteenth century when it was walled up and a semicircular tower was built against the front of the northern guard chamber. Shortly after this in 1430 a new single opening was formed. The foundations of the Roman gate and medieval tower have been marked out on the street below. By the late eighteenth century the tower was covered by a pantile roof and was used as a dwelling and

facing it on the opposite side of the gateway was a timber-framed public house. This building was probably demolished in 1883. The present bridge was built in 1970. Riding Gate (lower) Originally built in c. A.D. 270-90, Riding Gate was one of seven gates giving access to Roman Canterbury (Durovernum Cantiacorum) and one of nine gates including posterns in the medieval defences. Mentioned by antiquaries, William Somner in 1640 and William Stukeley in 1722, the gate is exceptional in that it is the only known Roman gate in the circuit to have two carriageways. Archaeological excavations in 1954, 1970 and 1986 provided evidence for guard chambers flanking either side of the gate, an elaborate wall with gate fittings separating the carriageways and the remains of a timber bridge crossing the defensive moat outside the wall. There was evidence to suggest that the southern carriageway went into disuse in the early tenth century. In the late eleventh century, the church of St. Edmund (King and Martyr) was established in the southern carriageway of the Roman gate; the southern guard chamber was possibly used as the chancel. The church was probably removed after Black Death depopulation of the area shortly after 1349. Early in the fifteenth century threat of invasion by the French led to the gate being walled up and the construction of a semi-circular tower to the north of the blocked gateway. In 1430 a new opening was formed and it is this gate with tower that is shown on R. Godfrey’s drawing of Riding Gate dated 1777. Considerable sums were spent restoring the bridge crossing the moat in front of Riding Gate and on adjoining walls in 1497-8. In 1553 the gate was blocked during the rebellion of Sir Thomas Wyatt and reopened the following year. By 1560 Riding Gate was reported to be ruinous and no longer large enough to allow 'the passing in and out there all carriages to convey out of the city the compost'. From this time until the mid seventeenth century Riding Gate appears to have been the gate through which rubbish was taken for disposal outside the city. Although expenditure on the gate is recorded in 1640, 1669 and 1775-6, by 1782 the gate was in a neglected state and in that year the whole gateway and tower were demolished as a prelude to the opening up of the city streets to larger vehicles and carriages. In 1791 as part of his improvements to the Dane John Gardens, Alderman Simmons re-established a gateway by building a spacious new brick arch with a terrace walk above. In 1802 an extra foot passage was constructed on the north side of this new opening. All of this work was replaced in 1883 by an iron footbridge. The present bridge was constructed in 1970. The carriageways and south guard chamber of the Roman gate, together with the shape of the medieval semi-circular tower were marked in the street in 1986. The well-preserved remains of the north guard chamber lie entombed in the present gate abutment. Text edited by Ian Coulson and reproduced with permission by Kent County Council, from Kent’s Defence Heritage, and Canterbury Archaeological Trust.

Canterbury City Walls Photographs

Ian Coulson

Reconstruction drawings of Canterbury

Canterbury Archaeological Trust

Teacher guide notes for PowerPoint Images Canterbury City Walls Photographs 1. The line of the City Walls 2. The Westgate 3. Tower number 11 near the Quenin Gate 4. Tower number 10 near the Quenin Gate 5. Tower number 11 near the Quenin Gate 6. Zoar Chapel Tower 7. Details of tower number 10 with key hole gun loop 8. Falstaff Inn and Westgate in the 1930s Reconstruction Drawings of Canterbury 1. A sketch of the castle keep a reconstruction based on archaeological evidence. Drawn by John Atherton Bowen. 2. A sketch of the castle keep a reconstruction based on archaeological evidence. Drawn by John Atherton Bowen. 3. The building of the castle keep c.1120’s. 4. Roman Canterbury c. AD 300: a reconstruction based on archaeological evidence. Drawn by John Atherton Bowen. 5. St Thomas Becket's Canterbury: a reconstruction based on the evidence of archaeological remains, medieval documents and standing buildings. Drawn by John Atherton Bowen. 6. Roman Ridingate c. AD 300: a reconstruction based on archaeological evidence. Drawn by John Atherton Bowen. 7. Ridingate in the 18th century: a reconstruction based on 18th and 19th century pictorial evidence and archaeological remains. Drawn by John Atherton Bowen.

Using Images with an Interactive Whiteboard

There are two sets of images included in this pack. These are available in various formats, including as PowerPoint presentations. The high quality photographs can be used in a variety of ways, either as clipart or as the focus for detailed investigation.

The images can be used to introduce the city walls and their features before the visit and certainly they should be used in any follow-up work. During the visit pupils should be encouraged or assigned the task of recording the monuments using a digital camera.

The images in the pupil trail sheet can also be used, for example placing different images of the city walls on the maps in the pack.

Throughout the investigations the pupils should be encouraged to ask questions, not just about the walls and the castle but also the development of the city that is reflected in the construction of these monuments.

If you would like a copy of the PowerPoint then contact the Heritage Conservation group at Kent County Council (heritageconservation@kent.gov.uk).

Ian Coulson

Further Information and Links The best of the recent volumes on medieval town walls is:

Medieval Town Walls: An Archaeology and Social History of Defence (Paperback) by O.H. Creighton, Robert Higham

• Publisher: The History Press LTD (18 Mar 2005)

• ISBN-10: 0752414453

• ISBN-13: 978-0752414454

Synopsis Britain's town walls have been neglected. For the first time the authors draw together a variety of evidence to reveal the chronologies, functions, structures and social significance of urban defences. They show that the walls and their related structures are a mixture of military pragmatism, commercial logic and symbolism.

Resources from Canterbury Archaeological Trust

Freedom to copy! “Individual teachers may photocopy the Canterbury Archaeological Trust Education Service (AES) resources and publication extracts for their personal teaching requirements without written permission from the copyright holders. Please note that we are a charitable organisation and all revenue from AES publications is ploughed back into the service.”

• Ordnance Survey Historical Map & Guide, Roman and Medieval Canterbury. Scale 1:2500. RCHM (England) and CAT pub., Valuable resource showing evidence for the street plans and major features of both the Roman and medieval town. Both periods clearly indicated and set against the modern street grid. Text summaries and selected colour images representing Canterbury in Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Medieval times. £3.95 (50p extra p&p per copy). Available by mail order from CAT. Also useful for schools.

• Roman Canterbury, a journey into the past. Andy Harmsworth and CAT, CAT pub., 1995. All Key Stages and an excellent introduction for adults. A4 format, 36 pp, black and white throughout. £3.95 (50p extra p&p per copy). Available from local bookshops, Canterbury Museums and mail order from CAT.

• Roman and Anglo-Saxon Canterbury Reconstructed. Marion Green, CAT pub., 1998. Teachers pack for all Key Stages and beyond. A4 format, 70 pp. 2 laminated coloured reconstruction images, black and white illustrations, bound background notes, ideas for use, all in plastic wallet. £5.00 (£1.00 extra p&p per copy). Available from Canterbury Museums and mail order from CAT.

• Tudor Canterbury Reconstructed. CAT pub., 1997. A4 laminated coloured reconstruction image of the city centre in the early 16th century based on evidence of standing buildings and excavated archaeology. Teachers notes, 4 pp. £1.50 Key Stage 2 and beyond. Available mail order from CAT.

Ian Coulson

• A Journey to Medieval Canterbury. Andy Harmsworth and CAT, CAT pub., 2001. Key Stage 2 and in particular Key Stage 3. Excellent introduction for adults. A4 format., 52 pp, 90 illustrations and photos. Black and white throughout. £4.95 (50p extra p&p per copy). Available from local bookshops, VIC, Canterbury Museums, mail order from CAT.

• Reconstructions of Canterbury, various periods. CAT has produced coloured reconstruction images of Canterbury based on standing buildings and excavated evidence. Six of these were originally printed (with summary descriptions) onto 2 large sheets, to be bound into calendar format. Excellent visual resources to cut up and use in the classroom.

• Other recommended reading for teachers and students Archaeology

• Suitable for broadly 7 to 14 year olds (National Curriculum Key Stage 2 and 3) While the following are found in the children's section of bookshops, they are also excellent introductions to Archaeology for adults.

• Young Oxford Book of Archaeology, N. Moloney, OUP, 1995. Hardback, large format, full colour. An excellent book including the processes of Archaeology on land and under water and some of the most significant events in history and prehistory. An additional section deals with Ethno-archaeology looking at what we can learn about the past by observing present day societies who still use ancient technologies. The author is both an archaeologist and a teacher. Highly recommended.

• An Introduction to Archaeology, L. and R. Adkins, Quintet Publishing Ltd., 1992. Hardback, large format, full colour. This is sadly out of print but you many find it remaindered. Similar to the Oxford book above with emphasis on excavation processes and finds analysis. Includes a background to the early days of Archaeology, how sites are formed and later discovered, and all siting actual examples.

• Archaeology, ed. J. Justice, New Horizon Library, Sampson Low, 1976. Hardback. One of the very few books for children, before the introduction of the National Curriculum, on the subject of Archaeology. Slimmer version of the Moloney and Adkins books here. Good background to the subject with examples of some of the most famous excavations of the ancient world.

• Archaeology, C. Goff, Macdonald Educational, 1974. Hardback. Similar to the above. Additional sections on the threat of modern building developments to buried sites and the place of 'Rescue' Archaeology.

• Young Scientist Book of Archaeology, B. Cork and S. Reid, Usborne, 1984. Paperback, full colour. Very good inexpensive introduction to the scientific aspects of Archaeology. Plenty of diagrams, reconstructions etc.

• Search for the Past, R. Place, Ginn, 1987. Set of 6 booklets with additional Teachers Notes. Full colour. Themes include 'Digging up the Past', 'Great Finds', 'Finding Ancient Things' amongst others. The author highlights the place of Archaeology in historical investigation. Notes provide a wealth of suggestions for associated activities.

• Digging up the Past series, Wayland. Includes Bodies from the Past and Clues from the Past.

• Roman Archaeology, Miranda Green, Longman, 1988. Aspects of Roman Life Series. Small paperback, black and white. Summaries of processes, some of the famous sites and suggestions for activities and further involvement.

Ian Coulson

Fiction Seven Buried Canterbury Tales, Marjorie Lyle, M. Lyle pub., 1996. A unique collection of children's stories where each tale is inspired by an archaeological discovery made in Canterbury. Written with young readers in mind (8 to 11 year olds), the stories create credible snapshots of the past, from Roman times to the Middle Ages. Paperback, illustrated in black and white. Available from local bookshops or direct from Marjorie. E.mail: marjorielyle@care4free.net

Becket's Bones to the Blitz, Marjorie Lyle, Chough Press, 1998. Seven more Canterbury tales for children, aimed at 9 to 12 year olds. With a similar format to the above, these stories take the reader from the times of King Henry VIII and his affect on the city to Canterbury's Blitz in 1942. The collection draws on documentary sources, the evidence of surviving historic buildings and real-life experiences for its inspiration. Paperback, illustrated in black and white. Available from local bookshops or direct from Marjorie. E.mail: marjorielyle@care4free.net

Suitable for older students and teachers • Current Archaeology. Well established inexpensive periodical appealing to both

academics and general reader. Published 6 times a year. By subscription only. Articles about recent digs in Britain, developments in Archaeology, reviews etc. Write to Andrew and Wendy Selkirk, Current Archaeology, 9 Nassington Road, London, NW3 2TX.

• Shire Archaeology series. A wide range of excellent small books covering a variety of themes. Each includes suggested reading for the general reader and more academic.

• The Practical Archaeologist, J. McIntosh, Thames and Hudson, 1999. Very well presented sections on the processes of excavation and what happens to the material (artefacts, human remains etc.) siting examples of well known excavations. Extensively illustrated in colour and black and white.

• Archaeology: An Introduction, K. Greene, Batsford, 1995. A clearly written, comprehensive introduction to the subject.

• Teaching Archaeology: A United Kingdom Directory of Resources, ed. D. Henson, Council for British Archaeology, 1996. An extremely useful catalogue for anyone involved in teaching the subject, at all levels. Sections cover 'Archaeology in education' (schools, further, higher, adult, careers), 'People, organisations and sites' (contacts for national organisations, re-enactment societies, resources by region in England, plus those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

• Teacher's Guide series, English Heritage Education Service. Clearly presented inexpensive A4 paperbacks. Series includes individual Guides to working with Maths, Geography and Science and the Historic Environment and Learning from Objects.

• Canterbury, Marjorie Lyle, English Heritage/Batsford, 1994. Marjorie has had a long and intimate association with CAT since its inception and is an honorary education officer. This is reflected in Canterbury, a comprehensive overview of the development of the city from its prehistoric origins to the 20th century. The book

Ian Coulson

draws heavily on archaeological evidence excavated by CAT, together with numerous historical references. Fully illustrated, both in colour and black and white. A valuable resource. Available at local bookshops or direct from Marjorie. Email: marjorielyle@care4free.net The second edition of Canterbury is to be launched in the spring, 2002.

• Canterbury: History and Guide, Tim Tatton-Brown, Alan Sutton, 1994. Another very comprehensive introduction to the city. Written by the former Director of Canterbury Archaeological Trust, archaeologist and historian Tim Tatton-Brown includes numerous references to the work of his excavation unit. This guide also has a set of useful Canterbury city trails.

Canterbury Museum

Canterbury's history - from Pre-Roman to Rupert and beyond!

Housed in the medieval Poor Priests' Hospital and now extended into two adjoining buildings, the new museum has an increased range of exhibits from pre-Roman times to the present.

With archaeological finds and historical collections on display with the theme of the City itself and its often turbulent history. Major topics covered within the museum include:

• Prehistoric and Anglo-Saxon displays

• Medieval Discovery Gallery

• Marlowe "whodunnit" display

• Wartime Blitz experience

• Joseph Conrad Gallery

• Bagpuss and Clangers display

• Rupert Bear Museum

• Exhibitions gallery

Hands-on activities have been specially designed to appeal to family groups -you can look at gold thread and medieval poo under the microscope, open the Elizabethan treasure chest to help you decide on Marlowe's death or do some 'friend or foe' wartime plane-spotting.

Ian Coulson

For schools and colleges there will be a new education wing, featuring the 1900s house Victorian collection. A well-stocked shop for souvenirs, presents and a host of publications on the Museum's themes complete the new facilities.

The Museum of Canterbury is in the medieval Poor Priests' Hospital on the riverbank in Stour Street in the centre of historic Canterbury.

Open all year, Monday - Saturday, 10.30 - 17.00 (last admission 16.00). Also open from June to the end of September on Sunday 13.30 - 17.00 (last admission 16.00).

Admission prices from 1st April 2007 until 31 March 2008: Adults: £3.40, Concessions: £2.25, Family: £8.95 (2 adults and up to 3 children) Groups of 10+: 10% discount, Teachers free.

Web Sites Canterbury Archaeological Trust www.canterburytrust.co.uk/ Website of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust, which carries out archaeological excavations in Canterbury, its district and the county of Kent. The site contains news from the trust, updates on finds, annual reports and links into other sites. The Canterbury Tour www.hillside.co.uk/tour/tour.html Peter Collinson's virtual tour of Canterbury, set out so that you can take different routes to explore the city. Includes archaeological reports from the Canterbury Archaeological Trust. Kent Archaeological Society http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ai_moffat/ The KAS aims to promote the study and publication of archaeology and history in the ancient county of Kent. The site provides news from the society, annual reports and links to other sites. Kent Resources: Canterbury Cathedral www.digiserve.com/peter/becket.htm Website for genealogists and family historians, which gives a brief history of Canterbury, a

Ian Coulson

look at its current attractions, including a detailed guide to Canterbury Cathedral with full colour images. Visualising Roman Canterbury: Computer graphics in archaeology www.cs.ukc.ac.uk/people/staff/nsr/arch/visrcant/visrcant.html Computer-generated models of buildings in Roman Canterbury, based on the available evidence from excavations and the interpretation of it by archaeologists and architectural historians. Includes full-colour thumbnail images of the Canterbury temple and the Longmarket bath house.

Ian Coulson

Historic Environment Record info about the Canterbury Walls The following printout shows information gathered for a tower on the Canterbury City walls, known as Riding Gate. This data was obtained from the Kent Historic Environment Record. The present form is suitable for use by teachers, and an adapted version of this information can be given to the children.

Riding Gate in the Kent HER SMR Number TR 15 NW 141 - Site Name Riding Gate

Monument Types and Dates GATE (Roman to Medieval - 43 AD to 1539 AD)

Description and Sources Description (TR 14985747) Riding Gate, (Site of) (1) Excavations prove Riding Gate or Road Gate to have Roman origins. (2) Roman structural remains are known of the Riding Gate. It had 1 carriageway, a foot-passage and two flanking rectangular towers (see plan). Excavated 1953, 1954 and 1970. (3) Riding Gate was found to be of Roman origin during observations of drainage works in 1868 by James Pilbrow. It had two arches of typical Roman form. The Book of Murage records frequent expenditure on the Gate in the 16th century. In 1560/1 a sum was paid for the "making of Redyngate" which had been ruinous. The Gate was strengthened in 1624-5, Removed in 1790(4)

Sources (1) Bibliographic reference: OS Card / NAR index entry. OS 1/2500 (2) Bibliographic reference: OS Card / NAR index entry. F1 WCW 01-SEP-54 (3) Bibliographic reference: OS Card / NAR index entry. Arch of Canterbury 2 1982 19 43-51 plan (SS Frere S Stowe and P Bennett) (4) Bibliographic reference: OS Card / NAR index entry. Arch J 86 1929 270 - 278 (G Home)

Location National Grid Reference TR 1498 5747 (point) TR15NW Point Administrative Areas Civil Parish CANTERBURY, CANTERBURY, KENT District CANTERBURY, KENT

Other Statuses and Cross-References National Monuments Record - TR 15 NW 141

Related Monuments TR 15 NW 116 City Wall Geographical

Associated Events/Activities

EKE4764 RIDING GATE(SOUTH OF) (Event - Intervention. Ref: EI 15414) EKE4277 RIDING GATE (Event - Intervention. Ref: EI 15415) EKE4585 RIDINGATE (Event - Intervention. Ref: EI 36396)

Associated Individuals/Organisations PRENTICE, MARY - RCHME Southampton Compiler SMITH, NICKY - RCHME Swindon (HQ) Compiler WARDALE, CYRIL FRANCIS - Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Compiler WOODHOUSE, WILLIAM C. - Canterbury Archaeological Trust Compiler