Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The possible site of a Roman villa dating to the 1st / 2nd century AD.In the late 1920's or early 1930's a considerable quantity of Roman roofing tiles were found scattered around the area centred at TQ 8565 7000. A portion of masonry was also visible on the seaward side of the strayway which was later washed away. Between 1948 and 1954 P.H.K. Gray found many complete or nearly complete pots in the cliff at the high water mark here. These included bead rim jars, carinated beakers, butt beakers and Samian ware. All are dated between the early 1st and 2nd century AD. There was no evidence of burials or pottery manufacture amongst these items which are now in the British Museum. The area has suffered considerable erosion since 1954 and there is now nothing to be seen. The site has been listed in Scott¿s Gazetteer of Roman villas as a possible villa site.

Monument Types

• BUILDING? (Late Iron Age to Roman - 1 AD to 200 AD)
• FINDSPOT? (building debris, pottery, Late Iron Age to Roman - 1 AD to 200 AD)

Associated Finds

• BEAKER (Late Iron Age to Roman - 1 AD to 200 AD)
• JAR (Late Iron Age to Roman - 1 AD to 200 AD)
• TILE (Late Iron Age to Roman - 1 AD to 200 AD)
• VESSEL (Late Iron Age to Roman - 1 AD to 200 AD)

Full description

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(TQ 86216742) Roman building debris, similar to that from the Roman building (TQ 86 NE 13) west of the church, is to be traced c. 200 yards east of Lower Halstow Church, confined to a small piece of ground (1). The whole of this general area is occupied by long established orchards. Additional index entries and relevant references from field report (2-5).

Description from record TQ 87 SE 30:
(TQ 86216742) Roman building debris, similar to that from the Roman building (TQ 86 NE 13) west of the church, is to be traced c. 200 yards east of Lower Halstow Church, confined to a small piece of ground (1). The whole of this general area is occupied by long established orchards. There is no local knowledge of this building but a 'Roman pot' is said to have been found c.1900 at approximately TQ 86216727 ('A') (a) the present whereabouts of this is not known (2). Additional references (3) and for other sites in context of the inter-tidal zone in Kent, see (4).

Additional bibliography (6-9)

<1> Arch vol 29 1842 226 (C Roach Smith) (OS Card Reference). SKE36939.

<2> Sgn Cdr P H Ker Gray 'Frankfield' Farnham Lane Haslemere Surrey (OS Card Reference). SKE49447.

<3> Oral: A.W. Hawkins, Stray Farm, Lower Halstow (OS Card Reference). SKE48019.

<4> F1 CFW 10-JUL-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42513.

<5> Field report for monument TQ 87 SE 30 - November, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4683.

<6> Field report for monument TQ 86 NE 15 - July, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4536.

<7> Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, 1994, Inter-tidal archaeology in Kent, p25 (Unpublished document). SWX9353.

<8> Philp, B. J., 1998, Roman Villas in the Swale Area (Article in serial). SWX7651.

<9> Eleanor Scott, 1993, A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain (Unspecified Type). SWX23549.

Sources and further reading