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

Excavations in advance of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link in 2002-3 identified a number of Romano-British property boundaries west of the Ebbsfleet. Within property two a series of ditches were uncovered which may represent boundaries within the property. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• DITCH (Roman - 75 AD? to 200 AD?)

Full description

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

Excavations in advance of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link in 2002-3 identified a number of Romano-British property boundaries west of the Ebbsfleet. Within property two a series of ditches were uncovered which may represent boundaries within the property. The first was located towards the south eastern end of property 2, it consisted of a shallow, rather irregular ditch which may have marked the boundary between properties 1 and 2, with pottery indicating a mid–late 1st century date for this feature. Approximately 10 m to the north-east and parallel with the projected line of the roadside ditch was a second ditch. This was approximately 1.5 m wide, 1.1 m deep and was traced for a distance of at least 12 m. This ditch has been assigned a mid-1st century date and may have been an early boundary feature or a marking-out ditch for Watling Street. A third shallow ditch ran parallel to and 3 m north-east of the second ditch, though only a relatively short length was seen. This ditch has been assigned an early Roman date, but whether it was contemporary with 300347 is unclear and its function is unknown. (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 The Late Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, and Medieval Landscape (Unpublished document).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