Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Excavation at Springhead Nursery in 2002-2003 found clear evidence of Roman Watling Street. The road entered the site from the south-east after zigzagging around the nead of the Ebbsfleet and then divided with Watling Street running to the west and a branch road to the north-west. The road was up to 7.5m wide with gravel metalling. Roadside ditches flanked both Watling Street and the branch road. The ditches were dug in the later 1st century and the latest finds from the road dated to c. AD 350-360. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• METALLED SURFACE (Roman - 50 AD? to 360 AD?)
• ROAD (Roman - 50 AD? to 360 AD?)

Associated Finds

• COIN (Unknown to Roman)

Full description

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Excavation at Springhead Nursery in 2002-2003 (ARC SHN02) found clear evidence of Roman Watling Street. The road entered the site from the south-east after zigzagging around the nead of the Ebbsfleet and then divided with Watling Street running to the west and a branch road to the north-west. The road was up to 7.5m wide with gravel metalling. Roadside ditches flanked both Watling Street and the branch road. These were some distance from the road though - in places up to 8.5m. The ditches were mostly dug in the later 1st century although one section may have dated to just after the Conquest. Most went out of use after a few decades. The latest finds from the road dated to c. AD 350-360. (1)

<1> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2010, Settling the Ebbsfleet Valley. CTRL Excavations at Springhead and Northfleet, Kent. The Late Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, and Medieval Landscape (Unpublished document). SKE31245.

Sources and further reading

Related records