Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

In 1893 excavations in a sand bank on the eastern side of the river Medway at Wouldham revealed a collapsed building.It was originally 41ft x 19ft x 14ft high (13m x 5.79m x 4.27m high) and built entirely of chalk blocks. The walls were 3ft thick (0.91m).The eastern wall had 3 niches 3ft (0.91m)from the floor and about 3ft (0.91m) wide and 4ft high (1.22m).

They were recessed to a depth of almost 2ft (0.61m).

The interior of the building was faced with carefully cut blocks of chalk, with a deeply incised chevron pattern, set in hard mortar.The arched roof had collapsed, filling the chamber.

In the sand bank, fragments of Roman tile, pottery and painted wall plaster were found. The debris inside the chamber included bones of ox and horse, fragments of tile, the handle of an amphora, several iron nails and a coin of Constantine. One tile bore the imprint of the sole of a shoe studded with hob-nails.

It was earlier presumed to be a Romano-British Mithraic Temple but a later suggestion classed the building as a chalk cellar for storing wine and oils.

One of the chalk blocks is in Maidstone Museum. The site is now overgrown with no visible signs of the building.

Monument Types

• (Former Type) MITHRAEUM (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• CELLAR (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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[TQ 7138 6250] ROMAN TEMPLE [R] (site of) (1) Supposed Mithraic Roman Temple discovered in 1893 in a rectangular cavity excavated in the sand bank on the eastern side of the Medway, near Wouldham. Originally 41 feet 2 inches x 19 feet x 14 feet high and built entirely of chalk blocks with walls 3 feet thick. The roof, which had had round-headed arches, had collapsed, and the chamber had been filled up. In the E wall were three niches, 3 feet from the floor, about 3 feet wide, 4 feet high, and recessed to a depth of nearly 2 feet. Over them was a discharging arch. The interior was faced with carefully cut blocks of chalk in hard mortar. On the S side of the chamber along the newly-exposed face of the bank, about 2 feet from the surface, fragments of Roman tile, pottery and painted wall plaster could be traced for some distance. Little importance can be attached to the debris found when clearing out the chalk chamber. This consisted of the bones of ox, horse, fragments of tile, one piece of tile bearing the impress sole of a shoe studded with hob-nails, thehandle of an amphora, several iron nails and a coin of Constantine. The building when entire would have had but little light, which perhaps suggests Mithras. (2) Romano-British temple found in 1893 and destroyed in 1894. One of the chalk bricks is in Maidstone Museum (2a) There are no traces of the Mithraic cult, and this chalk cellar[Burham] may have been for storing wine and oils. Such cellars have a limited distribution in Gaul, no other example seems to have been recorded in Britain. (3) An account after a visit to the supposed "Mithraic" cavern. (4) The site lies in a derelict cement works used for the training of police dogs. It was not visited. (5) No traces of building. Site heavily overgrown. (6) The "Mithrea" at Burham is merely a domestic or commerical cellar. (7) The underground structure discovered at Burham in 1893 was rectangular in plan with traces of a zig-zag entrance and constructed of chalk blocks, the interior facing blocks having a deepily incised chevron pattern. (8) Report on discovery of the chamber in 1893. (9) Photographs (10-31)

<1> OS 6" 1939 (OS Card Reference). SKE48359.

<2> Mus 6" (LRA Grove Curator Maidstone Mus 29 5 1950) (OS Card Reference). SKE47482.

<3> PSA 2nd Ser Vol 16 1895-7 p.105-13 illus (G Payne and F James) (OS Card Reference). SKE48805.

<4> Arch Cant Vol 70 1956 p.168-71 (RF Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE36432.

<5> PSA (Scot) Vol 29 1895 p.202-6 (J Lang) (OS Card Reference). SKE48752.

<6> F1 CFW 30-JUN-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42836.

<7> F2 ASP 20-OCT-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE43140.

<8> Temples in Ro Brit 1966 107 (MJT Lewis) (OS Card Reference). SKE49824.

<9> Arch of Kent 1930 212 253 (R Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE36894.

<10> MITHRAIC CHAMBER - REMAINS OF WESTERN ENTRANCE NOW DESTROYED BOTH 'PICTURES' ARE ILLUSTRATIONS CUT F (Photograph). SKE567.

<10> PSA 2nd Ser 15 1893-5 184-5 (G Payne) (OS Card Reference). SKE48782.

<11> Field report for monument TQ 76 SW 16 - June, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4175.

<11> WOULDHAM "CAVE". VIEW OF EAST END SHOWING ARCHED RECESSES. DISTANCE FROM ENTRANCE = 40 FEET. Types: (Photograph). SKE439.

<12> Field report for monument TQ 76 SW 16 - October, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4176.

<12> SUPPOSED MITHRAIC CAVE. VIEW LOOKING E. SHOWING ENTRANCE TO CAVE, AND WEST WALL. Types: MITHRAEUM (Photograph). SKE431.

<13> WOULDHAM CAVE.(LOOKING SOUTH). PORTION OF NORTH AND SOUTH WALLS. THE W. WALL AND ENTRANCE REMOVED. T (Photograph). SKE437.

<14> MITHRAIC CHAMBER - VIEW OF EAST END WITH REMAINS OF NICHES DESTROYED 1894.FROM PSA/II/XVI.SEE ALSO A (Photograph). SKE566.

<15> MITHRAIC CHAMBER - REMAINS OF WESTERN ENTRANCE NOW DESTROYED BOTH 'PICTURES' ARE ILLUSTRATIONS CUT F (Photograph). SKE567.

<16> WOULDHAM CAVE. ANGLE OF S.WALL AT ENTRANCE LOOKING S.E., SHOWING INCISED ORNAMENTATION ON MASONRY. T (Photograph). SKE435.

<17> WOULDHAM CAVE. NR VIEW,LOOKING E,OF ARCHED ENTRANCE & BACK OF W.WALL SHOWING MASONRY COURSES WITH RE (Photograph). SKE432.

<18> WOULDHAM CAVE. VIEW OF INNER FACE OF N.WALL. Types: MITHRAEUM (Photograph). SKE438.

<19> WOULDHAM CAVE. VIEW LOOKING DUG EAST. THE WEST WALL AND ENTRANCE REMOVED. Types: MITHRAEUM (Photograph). SKE436.

<20> WOULDHAM CAVE. ENTRANCE LOOKING N.E. Types: MITHRAEUM (Photograph). SKE434.

<21> WOULDHAM CAVE. ENTRANCE FROM THE WEST. Types: MITHRAEUM (Photograph). SKE433.

<22> WOULDHAM CAVE. ENTRANCE LOOKING N.E. Types: MITHRAEUM (Photograph). SKE434.

<23> WOULDHAM CAVE. VIEW LOOKING DUG EAST. THE WEST WALL AND ENTRANCE REMOVED. Types: MITHRAEUM (Photograph). SKE436.

<24> WOULDHAM CAVE. ANGLE OF S.WALL AT ENTRANCE LOOKING S.E., SHOWING INCISED ORNAMENTATION ON MASONRY. T (Photograph). SKE435.

<25> WOULDHAM CAVE. VIEW OF INNER FACE OF N.WALL. Types: MITHRAEUM (Photograph). SKE438.

<26> WOULDHAM CAVE. NR VIEW,LOOKING E,OF ARCHED ENTRANCE & BACK OF W.WALL SHOWING MASONRY COURSES WITH RE (Photograph). SKE432.

<27> SUPPOSED MITHRAIC CAVE. VIEW LOOKING E. SHOWING ENTRANCE TO CAVE, AND WEST WALL. Types: MITHRAEUM (Photograph). SKE431.

<28> WOULDHAM "CAVE". VIEW OF EAST END SHOWING ARCHED RECESSES. DISTANCE FROM ENTRANCE = 40 FEET. Types: (Photograph). SKE439.

<29> WOULDHAM CAVE. ENTRANCE FROM THE WEST. Types: MITHRAEUM (Photograph). SKE433.

<30> MITHRAIC CHAMBER - VIEW OF EAST END WITH REMAINS OF NICHES DESTROYED 1894.FROM PSA/II/XVI.SEE ALSO A (Photograph). SKE566.

<31> WOULDHAM CAVE.(LOOKING SOUTH). PORTION OF NORTH AND SOUTH WALLS. THE W. WALL AND ENTRANCE REMOVED. T (Photograph). SKE437.

Sources and further reading