Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Three Roman linears were identified during fieldwork in the south west of the Ingress Abbey Development Area. They were interpreted as being part of an early Roman military encampment, of probable Neronian/early Flavian date.

Monument Types

• DITCH (Roman - 43 AD to 150 AD? (at some time))
• ENCLOSURE? (Roman - 43 AD to 150 AD? (at some time))
• GULLY (Roman - 43 AD to 150 AD? (at some time))

Associated Finds

• ANIMAL REMAINS (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
• BRICK (Roman - 43 AD to 300 AD?)
• NAIL (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
• POTTERY ASSEMBLAGE (Roman - 43 AD to 300 AD?)
• ROOF TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 300 AD?)
• COIN (Roman - 98 AD to 117 AD)
• COIN (Roman - 330 AD to 335 AD)

Full description

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During the evaluation of the south western area of the Ingress Abbey site, a large south east to north-west to running ditch was recorded in three trenches. A small assemblage of pottery and tile provisionally dated the ditch to the late 1st to early 2nd century. The ditch had a wide steep upper profile and a narrower U to V shaped lower profile. The ditch appeared to have been deliberately backfilled, by the levelling of a possible bank of upcast material on its eastern side. One segment of the ditch contained distinctive burnt deposits in this backfill sequence, possibly burnt in-situ. In addition to the pot and tile, animal bone, daub and iron objects were recovered from the ditch. The pot and tile were recovered from the final fills, leading the evaluation report to suggest that the ditch may date to the early Roman period. It also states that it could be of military origin [1].
An open area excavation, prompted by the evaluation results, revealed two further long linear ditches running in parallel with the ditch recorded in the evaluation. Together, the three ditches were interpreted as the truncated remains of an enclosure for an early Roman military encampment of probable Neronian/early Flavian date. The lack of any occupation debris or structural remains were interpreted as the result of truncation. The south east-north west linears ran for 100m and did not turn within the excavation area. To the south east they ran outside the excavation area and to the north west any remains had been truncated by later terracing and landscaping. The western most ditch was slightly smaller than its parallel neighbour, 3m wide and 1m deep, the sw side much steeper than the ne. It contained a possible shelf on its ne side and there was some evidence that it was maintained before being abandoned and latterly backfilled with fill containing Late Iron Age/Early Roman pottery.
The eastern ditch seen in the evaluation was larger than the western, 4.8m wide by 1.60m deep. Stepped on its sw side, it was much steeper on its ne side. It contained fills that may have been from a levelled bank to the ne and a mound to the sw. Finds suggested a first to early second century date, including sherds of samian dated to AD 50-80. The profiles of these two ditches suggest that if they did serve a defensive function, they defended an area to the east. The area they defended was presumably of a temporary nature.
A narrow linear gully ran parallel to the eastern ditch for 35m. It contained a single fill and no finds, but the base included some evidence of posts.
The report adds that Roman roof tile recovered from the ditches may indicate the presence of a roofed masonry structure in the vicinity within the date ranges AD 50-75/80 and AD 120/140-late 2nd/early 3rd century [2].

<1> AOC Archaeology Group, 1999, An Archaeological Evaluation at Ingress Abbey, London Road, Greenhithe, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE12252.

<2> AOC Archaeology Group, 2004, Results Of Archaeological Excavation And Recording At Ingress Abbey, Greenhithe, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE12239.

Sources and further reading