Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Romano-British cremation cemetery and early medieval burials; found in 1838-9 on the banks of the Medway between Strood Church and Temple Farm. Most urns were in groups of 3 or 4 and some inhumations were also found. Grave goods included 600 coins dating between Antonia to Gratian, pottery including Samian and Upchurch ware, and a Medusa jet pendant, dating from c. AD 226-38, now in the Ashmolean museum. In 1848, two further burials were found. One contained an Anglo-Saxon spearhead and other weapons. Roman building materials had been used to fill this grave. Another grave found in 1852 had a rich assemblage of grave goods including a sword, spearhead, knife, shield, umbo, and a bronze cylinder, perhaps the lip of a drinking horn, with embossed figures of undoubted Christian character. Finds are now in the Rochester and Maidstone Museums.

The site lies at the base of a gentle south-east facing slope, on the western bank of the River Medway. OD 5-10m.

Monument Types

• CREMATION CEMETERY (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• INHUMATION CEMETERY (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• URN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• INHUMATION CEMETERY (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 649 AD)

Associated Finds

• COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• POTTERY ASSEMBLAGE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• PENDANT (Roman - 226 AD to 238 AD)
• DRINKING HORN? (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 649 AD)
• KNIFE (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 649 AD)
• SHIELD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• SHIELD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 649 AD)
• SPEAR (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• SWORD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)

Full description

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[Name TQ 733689] Roman Sepulchral Urns & Saxon Remains found A.D. 1838-9 [T.I.] (1) An extensive Roman cremation cemetery was uncovered in 1838-9 during brickearth operations in Church field on the banks of the Medway between Strood Church and Temple Farm. The urns were in groups of 3 or 4 at a depth of 2-4 ft: some inhumations were also found. Over 600 coins, Antonia to Gratian, were collected; they were all brass except 3 base denarii. Much of the pottery, which includes Samian and Upchurch, is in Rochester and Maidstone Museums (1) (4) A Medusa jet pendant, probably C. A.D.226-38, is in the Ashmolean Museum. In 1852, a further grave was uncovered. With the skeleton were a sword, spearhead, knife, shield, umbo, etc., and a bronze cylinder, perhaps the lip of a drinking horn, with embossed figures of undoubted Christian character. In 1848, an Anglo-Saxon spearhead and other weapons had been found with a skeleton at a depth of 7 ft. during brackearth operations on Temple Farm. Fragments of Roman flue and common tiles were used to fill up the grave. Another, unaccompanied, skeleton was also found. (2-6) The Roman material from this cemetery is divided between the Rochester and Maidstone Museums: the A.S. material is held by Rochester Museum. No further information on the siting was gained, the whole area having been developed. (7) Additional bibliography. (8-9)

<1> OS 25" 1938 (OS Card Reference). SKE48265.

<2> Arch 29 1842 217-9 plan (CR Smith) (OS Card Reference). SKE34380.

<3> JBAA 2 1847 192 (H Wickham) (OS Card Reference). SKE44888.

<4> VCH Kent 3 1932 169 (RF Jessop & MV Taylor) (OS Card Reference). SKE51099.

<5> VCH Kent 1 1908 376-7 (RA Smith) (OS Card Reference). SKE50858.

<6> Arch Cant 69 1955 217-9 (JR Kirk) (OS Card Reference). SKE35450.

<7> F1 AC 23-OCT-51 (OS Card Reference). SKE41827.

<8> A Gaz of E AS Burial Sites 138 1964 (A S Meaney) (OS Card Reference). SKE32776.

<9> The Arts in Early England 4 1915 741 (G Baldwin-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE50103.

<10> Field report for monument TQ 76 NW 30 - October, 1951 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4098.

Sources and further reading