The ancient and present state of the city
THE CITY OF CANTERBURY is situated in a pleasant valley about two miles wide, surrounded by hills
of a moderate height, and easy ascent, with several
springs of fine water rising from them. Besides which
the river Stour runs through it, the streams of which,
by often dividing and meeting again, water it still
more plentifully, and forming islands of various sizes,
in one of which the western part of the city stands,
contribute to purify the air, and make the soil fertile.
Such a situation could hardly be destitute of inhabitants, nor was any spot more likely to unite numbers
together to form a city, than one so well prepared by
nature as well for defence as cultivation.
That the present city stands in great measure on the
same spot that the antient one did, may be plainly
proved by the druid beads and celts, and the many
remains of Roman antiquity, as coins and vessels in
great plenty, which have been dug up in it; (fn. 1) by their
several buildings still remaining, and by the tesselated
pavements, of curious workmanship, which have been
at times found at the depth of eight or ten feet in the
very centre of it, the certain work of that nation. A
fine Roman vase, of red earth, of elegant shape and
pattern, with the inscription, TARAGET DE TEVE,
was found near this city in 1730, and a brass lacrymatory with it, and a gold pendant with a stone, and
two small pearls, were likewise found near it. (fn. 2)
Whoever would search for the Roman antiquities
of this city, must seek for them, says Mr. Somner,
from six to nine feet under ground, where their discoveries will probably abundantly satisfy their labour.
Among several other instances of Roman works found
under ground within the city, was a strong and well
couched arched piece of Roman tile or brick, five or
six feet below the floor of a house in Castle-street,
which stopped the progress of the workmen in sinking
a cellar about the year 1630.
Mr. Somner mentions some pits discovered about
the place where the market is now kept, which probably were Roman cisterns. At the beginning of this
century, in digging a cellar in St. Alphage parish, the
workmen came to an old foundation of Roman bricks,
so strongly cemented, that they could not break it
without much difficulty. It was indent wife, broad four
feet four inches, deep about four feet, and about
eight feet under ground. Several of the bricks were
taken up whole, seventeen inches and an half long,
and eleven inches and three-quarters broad; and a
Roman pavement of mosaic work was discovered in
digging a cellar in St. Margaret's parish. Several
other remains have been found, as far as the depth of
nine or ten feet under ground; but as they cannot
be ascertained to be Roman, the further mention of
them is deferred till I come to treat of the river
Stour. However, I shall add to the above, a still later
discovery made in 1739, near Jewry-lane; where, in
digging a cellar, there was found, not more than three
or four feet below the level of the street, a fair mosaic
pavement of a carpet pattern, the tessela of burnt
earth, red, yellow, black, and white; their shape and
sizes different, some near an inch over, others very
small, laid on a bed of mortar, of such hardness, and
so thick, that with care it might have been preserved
entire, but for want of that, it was broken into three
or four pieces, some of which were afterwards carried
away and joined; what was saved of it was perhaps
three feet broad and five long; but party walls prevented the size of the whole from being ascertained.