Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Site of a complex of at least 7 Romano-British pagan temples found at Springhead dating from 90 AD to the 4th century. Coins, pottery and burials dated throughout the Roman period were found. Possibly the largest and most important pagan religious centre in Britain. The site has now been destroyed.

Monument Types

• TEMPLE (TEMPLE, Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Finds

• COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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A complex of five Roman Temples at Springhead was excavated by Penn - sited individually from plans as follows:- TQ 61767246 Temple I TQ 61777245 Temple II TQ 61757248 Temple III TQ 61747249 Temple IV Temple V is adjacent on the south to Temple II and extends under the railway embankment. The complex developed as follows:- Temple I - AD 90 The pedestal in front of it - AD 90-100. Temples III and Iv - c. AD 140-60 Temple II - late 2nd/early 3rd C. Temple V - late 3rd/early 4th c. "There may, or course, yet be other temples". Finds of coins pottery, burials etc., dated throughout the Roman period. "The work carried out on ... [Temples II and V] has indicated, without doubt, that the temple complex at Springhead was a very important pagan religious centre and possibly the most important in Britain. The finds still continue to reflect, in no uncertain way, the close relationship to the complex to similar features in Gaul....". See plans AO/LP/64/61-64. (1-3) These temple excavations have been mainly filled in and there are no visible remains. Some 450.0m to the SE of this main complex (at TQ 62057210) the temenos of a further temple was exposed briefly during road excavations in August 1964; it was extremely large measuring some 133.5m by 119.0m with 3' thick walls of flint rubble faced with Kentish rag. The temple which was centrally placed was identified by W.S. Penn in a brief excavation, Nov. 1964. Nothing of this site remains visible but it was surveyed at 1:1250 before being destroyed or covered in. (4) A seventh Roman Temple was found north-west of the twin temples, which were the first to be excavated. The plan appears to be without elaborations, with a cella measuring 3.8 by 4.4m and the ambulatory c.7.9 by 8.8m. The date of construction is probably the late first or early second century. (5) Additional bibliography (6-26) Additional bibliography - not consulted. (27) A draft report by Victor Smith traces the route of the Roman road of Watling Street through the field containing the temple complex. (29)

Smith, V., 1997, The Roman road and Springhead Nurseries (Unpublished document). SWX6993.

Smith, V., 1997, The Roman road and Springhead Nurseries (Unpublished document). SWX6993.

<1> Arch Cant 73 1959 1-61 (W S Penn) [Temple I] (OS Card Reference). SKE35529.

<2> Arch Cant 74 1960 113-40 [Temples III and IV] (OS Card Reference). SKE35553.

<3> Arch Cant 77 1962 110-32 [Temples II and V] (OS Card Reference). SKE35610.

<4> Oral P Connolly Gravesend Hist Soc (OS Card Reference). SKE47979.

<5> F1 CFW 16-DEC-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42599.

<6> Brit 1 1970 304 (D R Wilson) (OS Card Reference). SKE38288.

<7> JRS 48 1958 149 (OS Card Reference). SKE45108.

<8> JRS 50 1960 234-233 (OS Card Reference). SKE45113.

<9> JRS 51 1961 190-191 (OS Card Reference). SKE45120.

<10> JRS 57 1967 200-202 (OS Card Reference). SKE45132.

<11> JRS 47 1957 224-225 (OS Card Reference). SKE45104.

<12> Brit 2 1971 288 (D R Wilson) (OS Card Reference). SKE38319.

<13> Brit 10 1979 338 (R Goodburn) (OS Card Reference). SKE38298.

<14> Arch Cant 85 1970 189-190 (S R Harker) (OS Card Reference). SKE35811.

<15> Arch Cant 86 1971 236-237 (S R Harker) (OS Card Reference). SKE35861.

<16> Arch Cant 71 1957 239 (W S Penn) (OS Card Reference). SKE35496.

<17> Arch Cant 72 1958 lxv (W S Penn) 60-70 (F Jenkins) (OS Card Reference). SKE35525.

<18> Arch Cant 82 1967 105-123 (W S Penn) (OS Card Reference). SKE35736.

<19> JRS 49 1959 133-135 (OS Card Reference). SKE45110.

<20> JRS 58 1968 205 (OS Card Reference). SKE45136.

<21> Kent Arch Rev 30 1972-3 291-2 (S Harker) (OS Card Reference). SKE45759.

<22> Kent Arch Rev 69 1982 202 (S Harker) (OS Card Reference). SKE45810.

<23> Brit 3 1972 351 (D R Wilson) (OS Card Reference). SKE38320.

<24> Temples in Roman Britain 1966 3 12 13 14 20 24 25 26 28 24 35 36 37-8 43 44 45 46 47 48 50 51 54 84 (OS Card Reference). SKE49827.

<25> Religion in Roman Britain 1984 42 154 (M Hening) (OS Card Reference). SKE49140.

<26> BAR 24 The Religions of Civilian Roman Brit 1976 228 (M J Green) (OS Card Reference). SKE37519.

<27> Arch J 132 1975 54-70 (M J Green) (OS Card Reference). SKE36580.

<28> Welsh Antiq 1976 171 (G Boon) (OS Card Reference). SKE51307.

<29> Field report for monument TQ 67 SW 85 - December, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3694.

<30> Untitled Source, Victor Smith 1997 (Unpublished document). SKE6451.

Sources and further reading