Archaeologists have uncovered what they believe to be an ancient pub on the site of the multi-million pound Dover Beacon project in Dover, a coastal town in Kent in southeastern England.
The Canterbury Archaeological Trust, which led the work at the start of the project, said it expected to find Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and medieval eras.
The expected happened. Since April, the team has been excavating the former nightclub to develop a new creative and digital hub. They found a pit containing Bellarmine jugs, hundreds of kilos of clay pipes, and bottles of German wine.
They added their recent discoveries to a collection of treasures previously found near the site, including a Bronze Age boat found in 1992 and a Medieval spindle wheel, which Dover Museum will keep.
Ross Lane from the Canterbury Archaeological Trust, who is heading the dig at the site, told the BBC: “A pit contained lots of refuse material including the clay pipes.
“We think because it was associated with smoking and drinking that a lot of the Bellarmine ware was brought over from Germany containing wine, so perhaps it was the backyard of a public house that was fronting onto Bench Street.”
Deputy leader of the council Jamie Pout, said he was excited about the discoveries at the site.
He said: “Finding another Bronze Age boat would be something wouldn’t it?” adding he was standing “right by where it was found…To think about some really historic things that were going on right here is quite special, but we would love to get something quite attractive and iconic going here as soon as possible.”
Dover Beacon is the redevelopment of an area of Bench Street, Dover. The project is expected to generate more than £90 million in economic benefits. Dover District Council (DDC) has been awarded £3.2m from the government’s future high street fund and £18.1m from its levelling-up fund for the project.
Cover Image: Dover District Council
