visible. At the time of its partial uncovering in
1861, it was thought to be hexagonal on plan, with a side 12 ft. to 14
ft. in length. This description needs confirmation, which, it may be
hoped, will be forthcoming now that the redoubt is obsolete. Unlike the
eastern pharos, the western was built in part of re-used materials, and
contained tiles stamped CL. BR.
Besides the sea, two roads gave access to Dover. The one,
coming from Canterbury, climbed the high downs near Barham, descended
into the valley of the Dour and reached Dover by way of Buckland,
Chariton and Biggin Street. The other, coming from Richborough, ran due
south from Each End across the hills, and appears to have finally wound
its way down by Charlton Cemetery and Bridge Street into the main Dover
valley, thus joining the Canterbury road 700—800 yards north of the
Roman settlement. It must have served purely military or local uses.
Even the Canterbury road, with its steep gradients and high ascents,
cannot have been so easy for commerce or travellers as the more level
route from Canterbury to Richborough.
It remains to note the smaller, portable objects belonging
to Dover. The list is surprisingly scanty, and most of the items have
been already mentioned. For inscriptions we have many tiles marked CL
BR, Classis Britannica ; another marked MD probably AND (?Anderida);
a ring from St. Martin’s church engraved with a horse and the name
Heraclides ; Samian ware stamped HABI?lSF, FRONTINI, CNNTOS (?),
C.IN.T.V.SS.A and OSIN (?); a black saucer with IVI?OF and a pelvis with
SAV. For pottery, there are Samian, Up-church, and commoner wares,
nearly all found in burials and containing nothing earlier than the
second century.80 Other objects are two or three
fibulae, an intaglio of ‘Maecenas’ on a cornelian, and the oolite
statue and head, already mentioned.81 Few coins have
been noted, though many must have come to light. Some were found about
1899 or 1900 at the market-place end of Cannon Street, a Second Brass of
Nerva, a First Brass of Trajan, and several of A.D. 250—400, including
1 Valerian, some Tetricus, 2 Carausius, 1 Valens, and a few minims. The
Priory Hill burials yielded a few coins of Severus, Postumus, and
Constantine, and a bronze coin of Licinius was found in 1904 at Tower
Hamlets, not far off. From the Castle Hill Stukeley notes a Diocletian;
and 7 coins, which I understand were found on the spot in 1862, are
preserved in the Castle church—1 each of Hadrian, Commodus, Elagabalus,
Valerian (?), Gallienus, Tetricus, and Constantine.
To these surviving or recorded remains of Roman Dover we
can add its Roman name and a detail from the ‘Notitia.’ The name was
Dubrae—or perhaps rather Dubra—as the Antonine Itinerary, the
Peutinger Map (P1. VI), and the similarity of ancient and modern
name-forms adequately prove.82 At Dubrae the ‘Notitia’
places a fort of the Saxon Shore, garrisoned by an auxiliary regiment of
milites Tungrecani, levied in Northern Gaul. But no
80 Camden (ed. 1607), p.
243; Stukeley, Itin. (ed. 1, 1724), p. 122; Clayton, Arch.
Journ. xix, 87; Puckle, Hist, of Dover (1864), p. 7; Tate, Arch.Ael.
vi (1865), 183; Knocker, Grand Court of Shepway, 28
August, 1861 (London, 1862), p. 47. For the inscribed tiles see Vaillant,
Classis Britannica (Arras, 1888), p. 353. He says one is
in the museum at Cambridge, but inquiry there has not confirmed his
statement.
81 Fibulae, Arch. Cant. v, p. xli, Num.
Chron. 2nd Ser. x, Proceedings, p. 9 intaglio, Soc. Ant. Minutes, 24
March, 1752; statue and head, see pp 43 and 44, above.
82 Itin. Ant. 473 ;, Duroverno
ad portum Dubris mpm xiiii. Dubris is the only case of the name that
occurs (Itin. Ant.; Peutinger Map; Ravennas, 428, 3; Notitia, 0cc.
xxviii); it is dative or ablative, as usual in these lists. The name
was apparently a neuter plural, and is connected with the Welsh dwfr and
Irish dobor. |