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Monument details

HER Number:TQ 57 SW 247
Type of record:Monument
Name:Roman Road, Spital Street, Dartford

Summary

Roman road surface with associated ditch. Possibly a temporary alignment before Watling Street was fully established. The remains of a new-born child were found within the fill of the roadside ditch, presumably a convenient place for disposal in the mid to late 1st century. The road had gone out of use by the late 1st century AD.


Grid Reference:TQ 54012 74097
Map Sheet:TQ57SW
Parish:DARTFORD, DARTFORD, KENT

Monument Types

  • DITCH (Abandoned, Roman - 43 AD? to 99 AD? (between))
  • ROAD (Abandoned, Roman - 43 AD? to 99 AD? (at some time))

Associated Finds

Full description

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Evaluation work uncovered a stretch of compacted gravel below the present line of Spital Street representing the Roman Watling Street. The surface recorded consisted of only one layer of metalling, which contained a wheel rut, and perhaps indicates a temporay surface, before Watling Street was firmly establihsed an a slightly different alignment. Running paralled to the north of the gravel was a ditch, presumably a side drain for the road. A sequence of erosion deposits suggest that the ditch was open for sometime. Only one fo the ditch fills was deliberately laid wich contained the remains of a new born child, presumably the dithc was a conveniat place of disposal. A brooch was found from the deposit sealing the burial dating to the mid to late 1st century AD. (1)


<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1991, Excavations at Spital Street, Dartford; Level IV Report (Unpublished document). SKE12284.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
<1>Unpublished document: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 1991. Excavations at Spital Street, Dartford; Level IV Report.

Related records

TQ 86 SW 132Part of: Watling Street Roman Road (Monument)