Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A Roman iron works and possible associated occupation site are located in fields to the immediate north west of Wye. Roman Samian ware pottery and traces of a ditch containing domestic refuse, including two coins of Claudius and Titus have been found during previous excavations at the site. A second area to the north was excavated in 1970 and this has been confirmed as an iron-working site. A number of smelting hearths and cinder remains were found , however the extents of the industrial area were not determined. The occupation materials from the adjacent fields most probably indicate a wide area of industry. Pottery and coins from this site dated from the late 1st - early 3rd centuries and there was also a small amount of 4th century ware. It is thought that the occupation debris to the south is connected with this industrial area despite the fact that no structures were found during the earlier excavations.

Monument Types

• POTTERY KILN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Finds

• COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 54 AD)
• COIN (Roman - 79 AD to 81 AD)

Full description

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[Areas centred TR 04884735] Roman pottery including much Samian excavated hereabouts by Mr Dalrymple of Wye Agricultural College, c.1958. (1) Enquiries at the College revealed that Mr Dalrymple is now in Australia, and his assistant at the time of the excavation, Mr Askew, is resident in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The pottery is believed to be in Maidstone Museum but is not exhibited (a). The siting falls in a flat field at present under stubble. (2) Excavated by J Bradshaw for Ashford Archaelogical Society. Traces of a ditch were found at TR 04774730 where two coins, of Claudius and Titus, from lower deposits of domestic refuse give the dating as the last half of the C1st. The second area at TR 04934746 was an iron-working site with smelting hearths in conjunction with some other industry. Pottery and coins were late C1st - early C3rd with a small amount of C4th ware. (3) The pottery was found by Dalrymple in 1958 in a field centred TR 049473, the top soil of which was completely removed in about 1938. Perambulation produced further evidence of Roman tile and sherds. Although no structure has been found, the occupation debris is probably connected with the industrial area centred to the north. The siting of the ditch excavated in 1970 was confirmed on the ground by J Bradshaw. The ditch was traced extending in a NW-SE direction from TR 04784732 to TR 04874728. No visible trace now remains in a field of stubble. The Romano-British smelting site excavated in 1970 is situated in a field under stubble. J Bradshaw was able to re-locate on the ground the excavation centred at TR 04974749. On investigation, a little surface cinder was seen, but within the wood to the E of the excavated area concentrated cinder lies to a depth of 1.0 metres below the surface, according to Mr Bradshaw. Publication of the excavation is pending; plans and photographs are held by Bradshaw. Although further hearths are suspected, the limits of the industrial area are not known, but Romano-British occupation material found in most of the surrounding fields indicates a wide area of usage. (4) Wye, site listed in gazetteer of Romano-British iron-working sites. (5) Site not listed in gazetteer B, a check-list of Roman bloomeries in the Weald. (6) Additional Bibliography. (7)

Additional mention of. (14)


A further industrial site was found 150m to the south, and it is assumed that both sites form part of a larger, continuous industrial complex (see TR 01 NW 198).

<1> F1 ASP 13-MAY-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42085.

<2> Oral - F Jenkins Hon Corr 4-APR-1963 (OS Card Reference). SKE47889.

<3> F2 ASP 13-MAY-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE43107.

<4> Information - Mr Green Soil Survey Officer Wye College (OS Card Reference). SKE44453.

<5> Archaeol Cant 85 1970 177-8 (J Bradshaw) (OS Card Reference). SKE37250.

<6> F3 JRL 10-SEP-73 (OS Card Reference). SKE43397.

<7> Information from J Bradshaw 8 Forest Houses Challock (OS Card Reference). SKE44463.

<8> Hist Met II No 2 1977 79 (A R Aianol) (OS Card Reference). SKE43906.

<9> The Iron Ind of the Weald 1985 (H Cleere and D Crossley) (OS Card Reference). SKE50387.

<10> Britannia 2 1971 288 (Dr Wilson) (OS Card Reference). SKE38370.

<11> Archaeol Cant 86 1971 237-238 (J Bradshaw) (OS Card Reference). SKE37252.

<12> Field report for monument TR 04 NW 16 - May, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5160.

<13> Field report for monument TR 04 NW 16 - September, 1973 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5161.

<14> Scott Wilson, 2002, Proposed Development on Land at Waterbrook: Environmental Impact Assessment (Unpublished document). SKE8134.

Sources and further reading

Related records