Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A Roman bathhouse was discovered in 1872 forming part of possible villa complex (TQ 65 SE 19).

In 1991 emergency work on sewers uncovered Roman building debris. A 1.5m trench was dug and excavations revealed a Roman building consisting of 4 wall lines. Three of the walls were robbed out but the fourth was built of local ragstone . It had been rendered with brown mortar and finished with a thin skin of painted plaster. It appeared to be the main outer wall adjoining a well-preserved opus signinum floor, which was overlain with tiles in a loose mortar matrix.

A possible courtyard area was also uncovered which had been constructed with small ragstone chippings set in clay.

Finds included imbrex, tegulae, pottery sherds, animal bones, shells and painted plaster. The evidence suggests a fairly large building with in situ walls, floors, a courtyard and robbed walls along a 40m length. It is possibly part of the buildings found in 1872 which suggested an attached bathroom complex.

Monument Types

• BATH HOUSE (Roman - 100 AD? to 409 AD?)
• HYPOCAUST (Roman - 100 AD? to 409 AD?)

Associated Finds

• WINDOW GLASS (Undated)
• COIN (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
• IMBREX (Roman - 100 AD? to 409 AD?)
• POT (Roman - 100 AD? to 409 AD?)

Full description

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Part excavated in 1872 the remains of a Roman villa bathhouse can be traced in the hop-gardens of Arthur Fremling of Teston. The villa was situated on the crest of a gently sloping valley looking over the river. The foundations of the baths have been discovered and comprise a furnace with stoke-hole, two hypocaust rooms, a semi-circular bath and other rooms. Potsherds found include Upchurch and Caistor ware, and a few Roman. coins and a quantity of stags' horns and animal bones have been found. Finds exhibited included a bone pin and fragments of window-glass. (1-2)

At a meeting of the Assoc. on May 22nd, 1872, the Rev. J M Mayhew, exhibited Roman tiles with impressions of animal feet found "on the banks of the Medway near Fairleigh . Excavations have already laid bare the remains of an extensive tile work." Further infm. would be given to the Assoc. On June 12th the Rev. Mayhew reported that there was "... excavation in progress on the Medway near Telson [prob. an error for Teston] and two chambers of a Roman dwelling had been cleared.." A rough sketch-plan was exhibited. On Nov. 27th Mr. J W Grover read a paper on "A Roman villa at Teston."[Authy 1 above] (5)

Add. ref. to Authy 4, p.273 ref. placing it under East Farleigh in schedule. [Authy not realising it to be the Teston villa suggests "another villa site or perhaps a kiln"] (6)

[TQ 69785316] This Roman villa is situated on the crest of a gentle slope on the N. bank of the River Medway at the height of 90 ft. O.D. Its site, which falls within an orchard, is indicated by a scatter of brick, tile and much stone. No evidence of a tilery was seen. Site surveyed on 25" A.M. (7)

No further evidence was gained on the exact find-spot of the denarius of Trajan. It is thought to have been found by a Mr. Worsley of Teston some 30 years ago (b) but Worsley has been dead many years and his family have moved away: the present farmer has only been in occupation for 3 years. The Maidstone Museum. Acc. No. is 123:54. (8)

In 1991 emergency work on a sewer uncovered Roman building debris. A 1.5m trench was excavated revealing four wall lines, three of which represented by robber trenches. The remaining wall was made up of local ragstone rendered with brown mortar and faced with a thin skin of painted plaster. Next to this wall, which seems to be the main outer wall of a structure was a well preserved opus signinum floor immediately overlain by tiles in a loose mortar matrix. A possible courtyard area was also found made up of small ragstone chippings set in clay.

Finds recovered included imbrex and tegula, pottery shreds, animal bone and shells along with painted plaster. The evidence suggests a fairly large building with in situ walls, floors, courtyards and robbed walls along a length of 40m. It is not clear if the building is part of the one located in 1872, but seems likely. The remains discovered in 1872 appear to comprise an attached bathhouse complex which, with the 1991 structure, formed part of a larger complex. (TQ 65 SE 19) (14)

For other references see TQ 65 SE 19

<2> Page, W. (ed), 1932, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Kent Volume III, VCH Kent Vol.3 p.125 126 (plan) (Monograph). SKE7810.

<6> Page, W. (ed), 1932, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Kent Volume III, VCH Kent Vol.3 p.154 (Monograph). SKE7810.

<8> Mr F Latter, Oral Mr F Latter "The Cabin" Malling Road Teston (Unpublished document). SKE7906.

<11> Clarke, Arthur., 1959, Field report for monument TQ 65 SE 19 - July, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3431.

<12> Field report for monument TQ 65 SE 19 - February, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3432.

<14> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1992, Archaeological Evaluation at Teston, Maidstone, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE7905.

Sources and further reading

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