DOVER RESCUE.
 

DOVER - FORTY YEARS OF NON-STOP RESCUE!

In July, 2010 the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit celebrated its 40th year of non-stop rescue archaeology in the ancient town and port of Dover. It was way back in July, 1970, that Brian Philp cancelled his major excavation at Reculver, then in its 12th year, to take the whole CIB team to Dover. That was to be just an eight weeks operation of rapid rescue on the York Street Bypass cutting through the west side of the ancient town. Several sites were selected along the site of the proposed road which was planned to be cut four metres deep into the hillside to offset the slope.

Within two days of starting the team located the long-lost Roman shore- fort of DUBRIS, predicted by Sir Mortimer Wheeler in 1929, but later deleted from the record by others. As a result of this discovery Sir Mortimer rushed to the site and remained a firm supporter and friend thereafter. Beneath and totally unpredicted was a substantially complete fort of the Classis Britannica, the Roman fleet in British waters and its headquarters on this side of the channel. Some ten barracks, two granaries, a latrine block, three of the outer defensive walls, a major gatehouse and many internal roads lined with chalk block gutters and drains were revealed. Built in AD 130, the fort underwent two major rebuilds before being abandoned in AD 208 when the fleet sailed north and never returned to Dover. More than 1,000 stamped tiles marked CLBR were found within the fort. With some walls standing three metres high the spectacular survival demanded decisive action. So began the "Battle of the Bypass" which after 140 days of non-stop operations resulted in total victory and the lifting of the road (actually the A20) by nearly two metres and all was saved.

Predictably, fresh threats emerged as demolition alongside the road took place and as more years passed more excavations resulted in further dramatic discoveries. The famous Painted House was soon discovered and saved from being a multi-storey carpark, a large military bath-house, two more Classis Britannica gatehouses and dozens of other Roman structures. Then much of the Saxon town of wooden buildings, including the 7th century church of St Martin's, replaced by St Martin le Grand in the 11th century on almost the same site. Later, substantial evidence of the medieval town.

More years rolled by, with the team constructing the cover-building over the Painted House and then managing it unpaid for the next 33 years. With over 600,000 visitors from 140 countries and including the Queen Mother, the project is still a major Kent tourist attraction which has won four national awards. During this same period the Unit produced three major volumes on the Dover excavations, one on the Classis Britannica, another on the Painted House and a third on the Saxon town.

Edna Mynott, secretary of KARU from the start said "We now realise that the Kent Unit was the first county Unit to be created in the UK, or indeed in Western Europe. Although we have had to deal with over 700 sites in Kent and South-East London in the 40 years, the greatest effort has been in Dover. This huge effort has transformed knowledge of Dover from Neolithic times onwards".

Brian Philp, founder and still director of the Unit, who continues to live 75 miles from Dover, added "Had I known that the project would over-run by 39 years and 44 weeks, I might have bought a house in Dover to save over 300,000 miles in weekly travel. But it has been a great pleasure to lead the team in this long journey of discovery.

In order to celebrate the 40 years of non-stop work, the Unit held a special open week-end in July, 2010. Many of the original team attended, plus many members of Kent groups and societies and over 200 people enjoyed special guided tours. The mayor of Dover joined the celebrations and presented the Trust with the special town badge. Gerald Clewley, who started with the team in 1967 and who still works with the Unit said "The Unit's record in Kent and Dover, with its huge voluntary input, is the perfect example of the Big Society now being advocated by the new coalition Government".

Contact Details: West Kent: 020 8460 1442, East Kent: 01304 203279

(This article first appeared in Issue 182 (Winter 2010) of the Kent Archaeological Review.)