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Monument details

HER Number:	TQ 95 SW 127
Type of record:	Monument
Name:	Wall footings and medieval tile at the possible site of Royton Chapel, Lenham

Summary

An excavation trench by the Lenham Archaeological Society in January and February 2005 dug near the site of Royton Chapel. Glazed tiles discovered.

Grid Reference:	TQ 90460 50280
Map Sheet:	TQ95SW
Parish:	LENHAM, MAIDSTONE, KENT

Monument Types

WALL (Unknown date)

Associated Finds

FLOOR TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status:	Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: Iron age enclosure, prehistoric mound, Mesolithic flints, and site of Royton medieval chapel, Lenham

Full description

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An excavation of a 1 x 3 m trench by the Lenham Archaeological Society in January and February 2005 discovered several glazed medieval tiles and the footings of a wall between Royton Manor and the supposed site of Royton Chapel. The excavators suggest that this may represent the true site of the chapel.

A layer of mortar was found only 10 cm below the ground surface and contined several pieces of highly glazed medieval tile. There was no design on the tile but the excavators thought it similar to tiles from Boxley. A pece of leaded window glass was also found and numerous snail shells. A short section of wall was located but no floor. Buried close to the wall was the skeleton of a pig, presumably form the modern pig farm that existed here previously.(1)

Further trenches were dug in 2010 [number and location unknown] by the Lenham Archaeological Society. A piece of patterned tile was found. (2)

<1> Lenham Archaeological Society, 2006, Report on research in the vicinity of Lenham (Miscellaneous Material). SKE13570.

<2> Lenham Archaeological Society, 2011, Discovering Ancient Lenham: Volume 1 Edition 3 (Serial). SKE16752.

<3> Lenham Archaeological Society, 2018, Late Iron Age Settlement at Royton-Mountcastle, Lenham Heath, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE32557.

<4> Lenham Archaeological Society, 2018, Late Iron Age Settlement at Royton-Mountcastle, Lenham Heath, Kent, Archaeological survey and excavations (Unpublished document). SKE52887.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref.	Source description
<1>	Miscellaneous Material: Lenham Archaeological Society. 2006. Report on research in the vicinity of Lenham.
<2>	Serial: Lenham Archaeological Society. 2011. Discovering Ancient Lenham: Volume 1 Edition 3. vol1 edition3.
<3>	Unpublished document: Lenham Archaeological Society. 2018. Late Iron Age Settlement at Royton-Mountcastle, Lenham Heath, Kent.
<4>	Unpublished document: Lenham Archaeological Society. 2018. Late Iron Age Settlement at Royton-Mountcastle, Lenham Heath, Kent, Archaeological survey and excavations.

Related records

TQ 95 SW 1

Part of: Royton medieval chapel (Monument)