Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A Roman pottery kiln was excavated in 1965 by R F Hutchings with pottery of probable 3rd century date. Mounds in the area, some of which have been removed indicate the sites of other possible pottery kilns. These eight small oval mounds are probably 19th century or earlier stock refuge mounds, many of which were constructed on low-lying pasture within the marshlands of the Hoo Peninsula and the margins of the Thames Estuary. All were mapped from 1953 RAF aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project. Each mound has now been recorded separately in individual NMR Monument records.

Monument Types

• MOUND (Unknown date)
• KILN? (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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Quantities of burnt brick and potsherds were exposed when
a low mound of black earth was removed about 1956 on Wharf Farm,
Cliffe, at TQ 74217698 ('A') The site is now a shallow depression, but a slight scatter of burnt clay was visible in 1959. None of the
pottery was retained.
A number of similar mounds in the vicinity (B-H centred TQ 744771)
average about 15. 0m.by 10.0m and 1.0 m in height.
Evans was informed that the field to the NE, centred TQ 744772, was
strewn with 'Roman potsherds' but none have been preserved, and
none were found during field investigation.
The presence, nearby, of a Roman cremation group (see TQ 77 NW 4),
and the finds of supposed Roman sherds, suggests that this was
probably the site of a Roman Kiln; The association of kilns with
burials is fairly common in this region. (1)

[TQ 74297702]. A Roman pottery kiln, 15ft. long, was excavated
by R.F.Hutchings in July 1965. Pottery from the site was identified
by Maidstone Museum as being of prob. 3rd cent. date. (2)

The site of the kiln was indicated by Mr. Hutchings at
TQ 74287715.
He was encouraged to investigate this spot by a patch of nettles
and rye grass growing upon a slight mound above a dyke and by the
finding of small sherds of pottery in the bank of the dyke.
(To be published later in Arch. Cant.) (3)

Additional bibliography. (4-6)

These seven small oval mounds described above are probably 19th century or earlier stock refuge mounds, many of which were constructed on low-lying pasture within the marshlands of the Hoo Peninsula and the margins of the Thames Estuary. such mounds have been referred to and identified in contemporary writings (Spurrell, 1885). All were mapped from 1953 RAF aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project. These mounds have been recorded separately in individual NMR Monument records: 1532795,1532816,1532823,1532829,1532831,1532833,1532836 and 1532843. (7-8)

<1c> E Geary (FI) 25-JUN-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE41520.

<1> F1 FGA 10-NOV-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42911.

<1a> Mr L C Batchelor Wharf Farm Cliffe (OS Card Reference). SKE47397.

<2b> Cant 6' (JH Evans July 1951) (OS Card Reference). SKE38485.

<2> Inf:RF Hutchings Schoolmaster Courtsole Farm Cliffe (OS Card Reference). SKE44442.

<3> F2 ASP 15-AUG-66 (OS Card Reference). SKE43114.

<3d> Oral: RF Hutchings (OS Card Reference). SKE48089.

<7> National Monuments Record, 1953, Vertical aerial photograph reference number NMR RAF/82/713 01 0506 06-FEB-1953 (Photograph). SKE53798.

<8> Spurrell FCJ,, 1885, Early Sites and Embankments on the Margins of the Thames Estuary (Article in serial). SKE53799.

<9> Field report for monument TQ 77 NW 5 - November, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4217.

<10> Field report for monument TQ 77 NW 5 - August, 1966 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4218.

<11> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9443.

<12> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9448.

<13> 1947, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9863.

Sources and further reading