Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Excavation of a Roman building - possible mansio, which lay on the side of a cropmark of a rectangular enclosure.

Monument Types

• MANSIO? (MANSIO, Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE (RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE, Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)

Associated Finds

• COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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In 1949-1950 consequent to marks noticed on an AP which has since been mislaid, excavations by the late Mr. M. C. W. Thomas, Bursar of Sutton Valence School, and Mr. V. J. Newbury revealed the ragstone foundations of a Roman building measuring 60 ft. x 27 ft. (long axis NW-SE) which contained a corridor and three small rooms, two with hearths. Finds from the site include 4 coins ranging from Hadrian to Constantine, a large quantity of iron slag and a pipe clay figurine of Venus. The last is now on exhibition in Maidstone Museum and the remainder are in Mr. Newbury's possession. Amongst the pottery found was a piece of Samian of c. 130-160 AD date, and a storage jar of Patch Grove ware. The A.P. marks suggested the building lay on the S. side of a rectangular enclosure which covered many acres but the area is now an orchard and this cannot be recognised; the form and its proximity to RR 130 have suggested that it may be the site of a mansio and its position, 12 Roman miles from Rochester, is significant. The site of the building at TQ 8047 4965, was pointed out on the ground by Mr. Newbury. There is now nothing visible on the surface to indicate it. It is Mr. Newbury's intention to publish the report on this excavation in Arch. Cant. (1)

OS APs and RAF APs (now with NMR) show the area as being covered by orchard which obscures any clear view of the site. Nothing of archaeological significance is visible. (2) Additional bibliography. (3-10)

KE 17 Listed as the possible site of a Roman villa. (11)

<1> Oral Mr V J Newbury, Forge House, Hollingbourne (OS Card Reference). SKE47967.

<2> Oral LRA Grove (Curator Maidstone Museum) 6" & notebook (OS Card Reference). SKE47941.

<3> Archaeol Cantiana 63 1950 p155 (W N Terry) (OS Card Reference). SKE37271.

<4> F1 CFW 29.01.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42803.

<5> AP (OS 62 98 166-7) (OS Card Reference). SKE34033.

<6> Telephone Conversation with Mr G Soffe NMR (OS Card Reference). SKE49822.

<7> R1 JB 13.08.74 (OS Card Reference). SKE48933.

<8> BAR 24 A Corpus of Relig Material from the Civilian Areas of Roman Brit 1976 229 (M J Green) (OS Card Reference). SKE37508.

<9> Archaeol Cantiana 72 1958 60 71 (F Jenkins) (OS Card Reference). SKE37272.

<10> Field report for monument TQ 84 NW 6 - January, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4360.

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

Sources and further reading