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Monument details

HER Number:TQ 86 SW 132
Type of record:Monument
Name:Watling Street Roman Road

Summary

Roman road: Watling Street. The Roman road Watling Street ran from Canterbury to Rochester, passing through the areas listed above. More information about the monument can be found on TQ 96 SE 44

Summary from record TR 25 SW 143:

Roman road: Watling Street

Summary from record TQ 66 NE 51:

Roman road: Watling Street

Summary from record TR 15 NW 504:

Roman road: Watling Street

Summary from record TR 15 SE 169:

Roman road: Watling Street

Summary from record TQ 57 SW 180:

Roman road: Watling Street

Summary from record TQ 86 NE 54:

Roman road: Watling Street

Summary from record TQ 86 SE 48:

Roman road: Watling Street

Summary from record TR 24 SE 54:

Roman road: Watling Street

Summary from record TQ 67 SE 100:

Roman road: Watling Street

Summary from record TQ 57 SE 120:

Excavations at Springhead Nursery, exposed c.90m of what is believed to be part of Watling Street. It was up to 8m wide and had a gravel metalled surface defined by roadside ditches. The projected line of this road placed the Roman road beneath the A2, before it turned south-eastwards to avoid the lowest part of the Ebbsfleet valley. There was also a second road, 5 m wide, joined Watling Street to the north-west. In Dartford, along Spital Street, part of an earlier road, preceeding the established Watling Street was previously found (see TQ 57 SW 247).

Summary from record TR 05 NW 25:

This is the line of the Roman road Watling Street between Brenley Corner and Dunkirk.

Summary from record TR 25 SW 298:

Roman Road: Watling Street, Canterbury to Dover section

Summary from record TQ 86 NW 59:

Roman road: Watling Street - Canterbury to Rochester portion. For further details see TQ 96 SE 44

Summary from record TQ 76 NW 146:

The Rochester to London section of the Watling Street, the Roman Road. Excavations at Springhead Nursery in 2003, exposed c.90m of what is believed to be part of Watling Street. It was up to 8m wide and had a gravel metalled surface defined by roadside ditches. The projected line of this road placed the Roman road beneath the A2, before it turned south-eastwards to avoid the lowest part of the Ebbsfleet valley. There was also a second road, 5 m wide, joined Watling Street to the north-west. In Dartford, along Spital Street, part of an earlier road, preceeding the established Watling Street was previously found (see TQ 57 SW 247).

Summary from record TR 34 SW 259:

Roman road: Watling Street RR1A

Summary from record TR 24 NW 83:

Roman road: Watling Street

Summary from record TQ 76 NW 145:

Watling Street Roman Road. Excavations at Springhead Nursery in 2003, exposed c.90m of what is believed to be part of Watling Street. It was up to 8m wide and had a gravel metalled surface defined by roadside ditches. The projected line of this road placed the Roman road beneath the A2, before it turned south-eastwards to avoid the lowest part of the Ebbsfleet valley. There was also a second road, 5 m wide, joined Watling Street to the north-west. In Dartford, along Spital Street, part of an earlier road, preceeding the established Watling Street was previously found (see TQ 57 SW 247).

Summary from record TQ 96 SE 44:

Watling Street is a Roman road passing though seven parishes between Faversham, Kent and Sittingbourne, Kent.

Summary from record TQ 96 SW 74:

Watling Street, the London to Dover Roamn raod, runs through Swale district. See TQ 96 SE 44 for futher details.

Summary from record TQ 67 SW 111:

The course of a Roman road has been tracked through cropmarks and by excavation. It runs approximately east-west past the temples and bakery at Springhead


Grid Reference:TQ 8047 6107
Map Sheet:TQ86SW
Parish:GRAVESEND, GRAVESHAM, KENT
ROCHESTER & CHATHAM, MEDWAY, KENT
SITTINGBOURNE, SWALE, KENT
BARHAM, CANTERBURY, KENT
BEKESBOURNE-WITH-PATRIXBOURNE, CANTERBURY, KENT
BISHOPSBOURNE, CANTERBURY, KENT
BRIDGE, CANTERBURY, KENT
CANTERBURY, CANTERBURY, KENT
HARBLEDOWN AND ROUGH COMMON, CANTERBURY, KENT
KINGSTON, CANTERBURY, KENT
WOMENSWOLD, CANTERBURY, KENT
DARENTH, DARTFORD, KENT
DARTFORD, DARTFORD, KENT
SOUTHFLEET, DARTFORD, KENT
STONE, DARTFORD, KENT
SWANSCOMBE AND GREENHITHE, DARTFORD, KENT
DENTON WITH WOOTTON, DOVER, KENT
DOVER, DOVER, KENT
LYDDEN, DOVER, KENT
SHEPHERDSWELL WITH COLDRED, DOVER, KENT
TEMPLE EWELL, DOVER, KENT
GILLINGHAM, MEDWAY, KENT
COBHAM, GRAVESHAM, KENT
HIGHAM, GRAVESHAM, KENT
SHORNE, GRAVESHAM, KENT
BAPCHILD, SWALE, KENT
BOBBING, SWALE, KENT
BORDEN, SWALE, KENT
BOUGHTON UNDER BLEAN, SWALE, KENT
DUNKIRK, SWALE, KENT
FAVERSHAM, SWALE, KENT
GRAVENEY WITH GOODNESTONE, SWALE, KENT
HARTLIP, SWALE, KENT
LYNSTED WITH KINGSDOWN, SWALE, KENT
NEWINGTON, SWALE, KENT
NORTON, BUCKLAND AND STONE, SWALE, KENT
OSPRINGE, SWALE, KENT
TEYNHAM, SWALE, KENT
TONGE, SWALE, KENT
UPCHURCH, SWALE, KENT
BEAN, DARTFORD, KENT

Monument Types

  • ROAD (ROAD, Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • ROAD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Finds

  • HOD HILL BROOCH (Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC? to 409 AD?)
Protected Status:Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: Section of Watling Street Roman Road, between Old Road Plantation and Bell Farm, Lydden; Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: Roman occupation and burial sites along Watling Street, around Syndale Park east of Ospringe; Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: Section of Watling Street Roman Road, between Brick Lane and Ropersole Park, Womenswold; Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: Cropmark of a section of Roman road, 400m north-west of Denne Hill, Womenswold; Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: Cropmark of a section of Roman road, 145m east of Ropersole Farmhouse, Womenswold; Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: 280m of Roman road, Nortfleet, Gravesend; Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: 365m of Watling Street Roman Road, Northfleet, Gravesend; Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: 130m of Watling Street Roman Road, Singlewell, Gravesend; Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: 705m of Watling Street Roman Road, near Sibertswold, Dover; Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: 417m of Watling Street Roman Road, near Canterbury

Full description

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Roman road: Watling Street - Canterbury to Rochester. For further details see TQ 96 SE 44 (1)

Description from record TR 06 SW 126:
Roman road: Watling Street - Canterbury to Rochester. For further details see TQ 96 SE 44 (1)

Description from record TR 25 SW 143:
Roman road: Watling Street - Canterbury to Dover section. For further details see TR 24 NW 83 (1)

Description from record TQ 66 NE 51:
Roman road: Watling Street - Rochester to London. For further details see TQ57SE120 (1)

Description from record TR 15 NW 504:
Roman road: Watling Street - Canterbury to Rochester section. For further details see TQ 96 SE 44 (1)

Description from record TR 15 SE 169:
Roman road: Watling Street - Dover to Canterbury section. For further details see TR 24 NW 83 (1)

Description from record TQ 57 SW 180:
Roman road: Watling Stret - Rochester to London section. For further details see TQ 57 SE 120 (1). Site photograph (2).

Description from record TQ 86 NE 54:
Roman road: Watling Street - Canterbury to Rochester section. For further details see TQ 96 SE 44 (1)

Description from record TQ 86 SE 48:
Roman road: Watling Street - Canterbury to Rochester section. For further details see TQ 96 SE 44 (1)

Description from record TR 24 SE 54:
Roman road: Watling Street - Dover to Canterbury section. For further details see TR 24 NW 83 (1)

Description from record TQ 67 SE 100:
Roman road: Watling Street - Rochester to London section. For further details see TQ 57 SE 120 (1)

Description from record TQ 57 SE 120:
Roman road: Watling street. (1)

Evaluation trenches were laid out across the postulated line of the Roman Watling Street. No evidence of metalling or associated features were found, although the metalling could have been removed through ploughing. This suggests that the postulated line of the road does not cross the site as shown on Ordanace Survey Maps. Excavations at Springhead Nursery, 500m to the east, have exposed what is believed to be part of Watling Street. The projected line of this road to the west places the Roman road beneath the A2, and at least 300m north of the Park Corner evaluation trenches. (2)

Evaluation work along side the southern edge of the A2 near Springhead (centred on TQ 617725) revealed evidence of cobbled surfaces. It is possible that these represent part of Watling Street. (2)

During evaluation works at Springhead Nursery approximately 90 m of the road was exposed. Although the gravel metallings had been truncated in one area, its course was clearly defined by roadside ditches. These showed that the raod approched Springhead for the west, beneath the existing A2, before turning south-eastwards to avoid the lowest part of the Ebbsfleet valley. It was a maximum of 8m wide with a series of metallings up to 0.5 m thick. A second road, 5 m wide, joined Watling Street to the north-west. (3)

In Dartford, along Spital Street, part of an earlier road, preceeding the established Watling Street was found (TQ 57 SW 247) (4).

Description from record TR 05 NW 25:
Roman road: Watling Street - Canterbury to Rochester. For further details see (1)

Description from record TR 25 SW 298:
Roman Road: Watling Street - Canterbury to Dover section

During work to widen the A2 carriageway in 1971 near Barham the road was found, it is metalled with flint cobbles. The metalled road measures 6m, the northern ditch is 1m away and measures 0.50m across. The southern ditch is 4m away and measures 1.75m. There were also a few scraps of Romano-British pottery, dateable to the first and second centuries.(2)

Description from record TQ 86 NW 59:
Roman road: Watling Street - Canterbury to Rochester portion. For further details see TQ 96 SE 44 (1)

Description from record TQ 76 NW 146:
Roman road: Watling Street - Rochester to London section. For further details see TQ 57 SE 120 (1)

Description from record TR 34 SW 259:
Roman road: Watling Street - Dover to Canterbury section For further details see TR 24 NW 83 (1)

Description from record TR 24 NW 83:
Roman road: Watling Street Dover to Canterbury section. (1)

Description from record TQ 76 NW 145:
Roman road: Watling Street - Canterbury to Rochester section. For further details see TQ 96 SE 44 (1)

Description from record TQ 96 SE 44:
Roman road: Watling street. (1)

Description from record TQ 96 SW 74:
Roman road: Watling Street - Canterbury to Rochester. For further details see TQ 96 SE 44 (1)

Where the road passes through Syndale Park, an earthwork is visible to the south of the modern road alignment. It is a shallow rise flanked by very shallow depressions on the north and south sides, running for c.470m. (5) This was also evident in geophysical surveys carried out in the park. Subsequent excavations apparently found the road and identified two phases of construction, the first from AD 50 and the second from the 4th century. (6)

A brass Hod Hill brooch was found by the road running through the Springhead settlement section. (7)

Description from record TQ 67 SW 111:
Parch Marks of Roman Building (TQ 67 SW 347) and small stretch of Roman Road (RR1c). Road under excavation in 1975 photo. Within area of vagniacae Roman Settlement. (1 - 2) Cropmark of Roman building sited to TQ 6171 7250 from good quality air photographs (site no. KE 108.2.1) (3)

Excavation in advance of proposed development recorded a 10m length of Roman Watling Street as well as part of the eastern flanking ditch. (8)


Cobham Resource Cons. Keith Funnell Ass., Gravesham BC & Union Railways Ltd, 1996, Ashenbank Wood and Cobham Park Study Stage 3 Report (Unpublished document). SKE6680.

Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2010, Settling the Ebbsfleet Valley. CTRL Excavations at Springhead and Northfleet, Kent. The Late Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, and Medieval Landscape (Monograph). SKE31245.

<1> AP (NMR TQ 6172/4; 07.07.75) (OS Card Reference). SKE33608.

<1> NAR Linear Record (OS Card Reference). SKE47505.

<1> Hogarth, A. C., 1971, Arch Cant 86 240 1971, Arch cant 86 240 1971 (Article in serial). SKE16678.

<2> AP (CUC AAW 60; 13.06.60) (OS Card Reference). SKE33333.

<2> 1976, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10733.

<2> Macpherson-grant, N., 1980, Archaeological work along the A2, Arch Cant 96 134 1980 (Article in serial). SKE16610.

<2> Wessex Archaeology, 2003, Channel Tunnel Rail Link Archaeological Works at Springhead, Kent: Park Corner Road, Pepperhill Café, Pepperhill Tunnel, South of the A2, West of Springhead Nursery (Unpublished document). SKE12265.

<3> The Classification of cropmarks in Kent: A Report for MPP. RCHM APU (July 1989), list 40. (OS Card Reference). SKE50293.

<3> Wessex Archaeology, 2003, Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Archaeological Works at Springhead Nursery (ARC SHN02) Interim Fieldwork Report (Unpublished document). SKE12274.

<4> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1991, Excavations at Spital Street, Dartford; Level IV Report (Unpublished document). SKE12284.

<5> Wessex Archaeology, 2008, Syndale Park Motel, Faversham, Kent: Historic Landscape Assessment (Unpublished document). SKE18236.

<6> Swale and Thames Archaeological Survey Company, 2008, Syndale Park Motel, London Road, Ospringe, near Faversham, Kent: Archaeological Evaluation Post Excavation Assessment DRAFT, page 6-7 (Unpublished document). SKE18240.

<7> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2011, Settling the Ebbsfleet Valley. CTRL Excavations at Springhead and Northfleet, Kent. Volume 2: Late Iron Age to Roman Finds Reports (Monograph). SKE32435.

<8> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 2001, Britannia, vol 32, p 382 (Article in serial). SKE54840.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
---Monograph: Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture. 2010. Settling the Ebbsfleet Valley. CTRL Excavations at Springhead and Northfleet, Kent. The Late Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, and Medieval Landscape.
---Unpublished document: Cobham Resource Cons. Keith Funnell Ass., Gravesham BC & Union Railways Ltd. 1996. Ashenbank Wood and Cobham Park Study Stage 3 Report.
<1>Article in serial: Hogarth, A. C.. 1971. Arch Cant 86 240 1971. vol LXXXVI 1971 p240-241. Arch cant 86 240 1971.
<1>OS Card Reference: AP (NMR TQ 6172/4; 07.07.75).
<1>OS Card Reference: NAR Linear Record.
<2>Unpublished document: Wessex Archaeology. 2003. Channel Tunnel Rail Link Archaeological Works at Springhead, Kent: Park Corner Road, Pepperhill Café, Pepperhill Tunnel, South of the A2, West of Springhead Nursery.
<2>Article in serial: Macpherson-grant, N.. 1980. Archaeological work along the A2. Arch Cant vol 96 134. Arch Cant 96 134 1980.
<2>OS Card Reference: AP (CUC AAW 60; 13.06.60).
<2>Photograph (Print): 1976. Photograph. TQ5474/4. print.
<3>Unpublished document: Wessex Archaeology. 2003. Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Archaeological Works at Springhead Nursery (ARC SHN02) Interim Fieldwork Report.
<3>OS Card Reference: The Classification of cropmarks in Kent: A Report for MPP. RCHM APU (July 1989), list 40..
<4>Unpublished document: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 1991. Excavations at Spital Street, Dartford; Level IV Report.
<5>Unpublished document: Wessex Archaeology. 2008. Syndale Park Motel, Faversham, Kent: Historic Landscape Assessment.
<6>Unpublished document: Swale and Thames Archaeological Survey Company. 2008. Syndale Park Motel, London Road, Ospringe, near Faversham, Kent: Archaeological Evaluation Post Excavation Assessment DRAFT. page 6-7.
<7>Monograph: Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture. 2011. Settling the Ebbsfleet Valley. CTRL Excavations at Springhead and Northfleet, Kent. Volume 2: Late Iron Age to Roman Finds Reports.
<8>Article in serial: Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies. 2001. Britannia, vol 32, p 382. vol 32, p 382.

Related records

TQ 67 SW 1757Parent of: Drainage ditch associated with Watling Street, Springhead (Monument)
TQ 57 SW 247Parent of: Roman Road, Spital Street, Dartford (Monument)
TQ 67 SW 1398Parent of: Roman Watling Street, Springhead, Northfleet (Monument)
TR 15 NE 166Parent of: Romano-British cobbled ?road surface, quarry and bank, Canterbury (Monument)