Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

During undated land works 100 yards (91.44m) ESE of Barming Church, foundation walls of a Roman structure were uncovered.These showed many small rooms of a possible villa, not large in size but with hypocausting. Quantities of brick and pottery were also found.

By 1848 all evidence had been cleared away as a result of stone quarrying.

In 1797 Reverend Mark Nobel discovered coins of Faustina, Carinus and of the Constantine family on the site.

A planning application in 2007 for a westerly extension to the churchyard and extra car parking at the south, marked a villa as being in the SE corner of the existing graveyard.

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Finds

• BRICK (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• SHERD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

[TQ 72065418] Roman Villa [R] (Site of) [NAT] (1) Workmen in trenching the field adjoining Barming Ch. came to the foundations of a Ro. structure. The walls were of stone and lime and the rooms many but small. There were very many remains of Rom. bricks and pottery. The quantity of stones was prodigious but some might have come from the 'out-offices' of the old mansion house [Kent 42 NW 7] The coins found include Faustina, ?Carinus, Constantine family and one illegible. Beale Post, commenting on this account, states that foundations can be seen in the bank of a streamlet and a few pieces of Roman tile were found in the field. 'All buildings whether Roman or otherwise, are now cleared away from this spot'. The site of the villa is marked by a hollow, enlarged by stone quarrying, c 100 yds ESE from the Ch. The building does not appear to have been large and there seem to have been hypocausts. It faced SSW.] (2) Add. ref. 'accidentally discovered in 1797' Coins given as Faustina, ?Carus, Constantinian. (3) Add. ref. (4) The site falls on the edge of a small quarry and a patch of cultivated ground and fragments of roofing tile and brick are to be seen. Mr. Manser of East Barming who works the land, knew nothing of the site, and has come across nothing unusual. (5) Checked and correct. (6) Additional bibliography. (7) KE 8 Listed as the site of a Roman villa. (8-11)

<1> OS 6" 1931-47 (OS Card Reference). SKE48329.

<2> Unpub MSS by the Rev Mark Noble (OS Card Reference). SKE50699.

<3> Collentanea Antiqua 1 1848 193 (Beale Post) (OS Card Reference). SKE39230.

<4> VCH Kent 3 1932 104 (M V Taylor) (OS Card Reference). SKE50978.

<5> Arch Cant 13 1880 168 (G Payne) (OS Card Reference). SKE34675.

<6> F1 ASP 28.05.59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42324.

<7> F2 CFW 11.02.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE43219.

<8> Arch Cant 86 243 (G S Price) (OS Card Reference). SKE35878.

<9> Field report for monument TQ 75 SW 22 - May, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4010.

<10> Field report for monument TQ 75 SW 22 - February, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4011.

<11> Eleanor Scott, 1993, A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain (Unspecified Type). SWX23549.

Sources and further reading