Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Excavations by the Sevenoaks Society at Twitton, partly on Frog Farm and partly in the Isolation Hospital grounds, uncovered Roman flue and roof tiles indicating the site of a building, fibulae, many nails and a great amount of pottery. The site covered an area at least 500ft. square. The material dated from the 1st to the 3rd centuries. A Patch Grove vessel found at the hospital was used as a cinerary urn of a cremation with 2nd century Roman pottery. Rubbish pits were also excavated.

Monument Types

• BUILDING? (Roman - 43 AD to 299 AD)
• CREMATION (CREMATION, Roman - 43 AD to 299 AD)
• RUBBISH PIT (Roman - 43 AD to 299 AD)

Associated Finds

• BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• NAIL (Roman - 43 AD to 299 AD)
• SHERD (Roman - 43 AD to 199 AD)
• SPOON (Roman - 43 AD to 299 AD)
• TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 299 AD)
• COIN (Roman - 54 AD to 68 AD)

Full description

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[TQ 516 593] Excavations by the Sevenoaks Society at Twitton, partly on Frog Farm and partly in the Isolation Hospital grounds, uncovered Roman flue and roof tiles, fibulae, many nails and a great amount of pottery. The site covered an area at least 500ft. square. The material dated from the 1st to the 3rd centuries. A Patch Grove vessel found at the hospital was used as a cinerary urn of a cremation with 2nd century Roman pottery and is in Sevenoaks Museum with similar pottery from Frog Farm. (1-3)

Finds from the site are in Sevenoaks Public Library and Museum and include Samian (31 and 33), Caistor ware, fibulae, part of a steelyard; 1st and 2nd century brass coins and a late 3rd century barbarous radiate. (4)

Romano-British farmstead at Twitton near Otford. Various investigations took place on this site between 1927 and 1937 (5-7), however no satisfactory conclusion was reached as to the nature of the site, beyond suggesting the existence of a "settlement" of 1st to 3rd centuries A.D. In April, 1966, test holes were opened and a series of rubbish pits revealed, which clearly dated the site to 60-100 A.D. Over 100 sherds, a large number being the "Patch Grove" type, had been found upto this point. Other more Romanised harder wares, and a comparatively high proportion of Gallo-Belgic and Samian fragments were also found. One pit of a later date contained a small proportion of the soft local pottery. A Greek provincial silver coin of Nero (A.D. 54-68), a Colchester BB brooch, and a fragment of another brooch were also produced. At the end of this season the cemetery was discovered some 400 yards from the site (see TQ 55 NW 36). (5-8)

Excavations continued in 1967 in grounds behind the Isolation Hospital revealing the full extent of the rubbish pits of 500ft. square. A few post-holes were located and various small finds including brooches, spoons, coins and pottery. (9)

[TQ 515 593] The excavations continued in 1975 at the Isolation Hospital. A second century rubbish pit was investigated, producing a quantity of Patch Grove ware and Samian. Possible imported bronze brooches of 2nd century date were also found. (10)

London-Essex stamped ware found on the Romano-British settlement at Wickham Field, Otford. (For related cemetery see TQ 55 NW 36.) (11)

<1> Arch Cant 42 1930 230-1 illusts (B W Pearce) (OS Card Reference). SKE35111.

<2> JRS 21 1931 245 (OS Card Reference). SKE45059.

<3> Arch 90 1944 176 (J B Ward Perkins) (OS Card Reference). SKE34462.

<4> F1 CFW 08-AUG-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42480.

<5> Arch Cant 46 1934 198 (F Godwin) (OS Card Reference). SKE35180.

<6> Arch Cant 49 1937 286 (F Godwin) (OS Card Reference). SKE35242.

<7> Arch Cant 42 1930 230-1 illus (OS Card Reference). SKE35110.

<8> KAR 4 1966-7 (A Young) (OS Card Reference). SKE45329.

<9> KAR 13 1966 5 illus (C P Ward) (OS Card Reference). SKE45237.

<10> Arch Cant 91 1975 210 (P E Leach) (OS Card Reference). SKE36055.

<11> KAR 72 1983 26-7 illus (J A Pyke) (OS Card Reference). SKE45416.

<12> Field report for monument TQ 55 NW 9 - August, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE2800.

<13> Clifford P. Ward, 1990, The Romano-British Cemetery at Otford, Kent, in the context of contemporary funerary practices in the south east (Unpublished document). SKe6723.

Sources and further reading