Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Excavations in 1934 uncovered the site of a Roman building, dated to the 1st-2nd century AD, which appears to have been badly robbed, possibly in the Medieval period for the nearby church and archbishop's palace, no foundations were uncovered. Glass, wall plaster and flue tiles were also recovered. Possibly the site of a Roman villa, a resistance survey in 2012 and test pitting on the site in 2013 appear to confirm this theory.

Monument Types

• VILLA? (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD? (between))

Associated Finds

• FLUE TILE (Roman - 43 AD? to 199 AD?)
• SHERD (Roman - 43 AD to 199 AD)
• WALL PLASTER (Roman - 43 AD to 199 AD)

Full description

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[TQ 5303 5925] Surface finds in the field, formerly a hop garden, where "Becket's Well" [TQ 55 NW 17] is situated south-east of Otford Church, led to an excavation which uncovered Roman sherds, oyster shells, glass, wall plaster, flue tiles, etc., but no plan of a building, the remains probably being despoiled during the building of the Archbishop's Palace [TQ 55 NW 18]. The large number of hypocaust tiles points to an extensive settlement corresponding in date and importance to the villa to the east [1st/2nd c. A.D. - see TQ 55 NW 3]. (1) The site of this building has been a pasture field for many years and there is nothing to be seen. Godwin is now dead and the present whereabouts of his collection could not be traced. (2) There is some evidence for a Roman Building about 250m north east of the manor house and the later palace at Otford (TQ 55 NW 18). In 1934 F. Godwin carried out some trial trenching and noted many broken Roman tiles, mortar and rubble but no walls surviving. In the absence of proper recording, or of vertical soil sections or of detailed plans it is difficult to be certain as to what he actually found. It is likely however, that he was near or within a badly robbed Roman building and that he was unable to distinguish robber trenches or foundations. It seems likely that the builders of both the manor-house and the later palace were taking materials from a nearby Roman building. (3) Roman remains have been found in a hop-garden which adjoins the north side of St. Thomas a' Becket's Well (O.S. 6" xxix., S.W.) (4)

A well-defined cropmark has appeared in July 2001 which seems to relate to this building. (6)

In July 2013 five test pits were excavated ahead of remedial work on the site of Church Field, Otford. The test pits were dug on the site of a potential Roman winged-corridor building, identified from a resistivity survey conducted on the site in 2012. All the pits were 1m square, and were excavated in 100mm spits. Pits 1-3 were located over potential wall features.

Test pitting on the site of potential Roman villa has confirmed the presence of a Roman building, possibly a high status building. Based on the ceramic building material and pottery recovered from all test pits, along with small pieces of painted wall plaster, it would appear to confirm that the Roman building was a high status winged corridor building. (7)

In November 2012 and May 2013, a geophysical resistance survey of Church Field, Otford, was carried out. The purpose of the investigation was to validate reports of an investigation into a Roman building in a field known as ‘Church Field’, adjacent to Beckett’s Well, carried out by F. Godwin in 1934. The trial excavation uncovered Roman pottery sherds, glass, flue tile, oyster shell and wall plaster, however no walls were found and no report exists.

The geophysical survey successfully identified an anomaly which is interpreted as a winged corridor plan Roman villa. The eastern wing is approximately 65m long by 13 metres wide; the northern range is of similar width, with an unknown length due to debris obstruction. There appears to be clear individual walls, and visible dividing walls separating individual rooms. Four other anomalies were identified on the site, perhaps representing further buildings. (8)

NOTE: Current GIS representation based on geophysical survey results (8)

<1> Arch Cant 47, 1935, 236-7 (F Godwin) (OS Card Reference). SKE35225.

<2> F1 CFW 08-AUG-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42480.

<3> Excav in the Darent Valley Kent 1984 139 (B Philp) The Arch of Cant Palace at Otford (OS Card Reference). SKE41680.

<4> Arch Cant 39 1927 155 (BW Pearce) (OS Card Reference). SKE35065.

<5> Field report for monument TQ 55 NW 7 - August, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE2797.

<6> Ms J Redhead, 2001, Cropmark visible in field containing TQ 55 NW 7. (Verbal communication). SKE7655.

<7> West Kent Archaeological Society, 2013, Church Field, Otford: Report on test pitting, July 2013, Evaluation report (Unpublished document). SKE31458.

<8> West Kent Archaeological Society, 2013, Geophysical Report, Church Field, Otford, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE31459.

Sources and further reading