Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A group of 5 Roman building foundations were uncovered between 1869 and 1875 in the east end of Folkestone, immediately east of the harbour branch of the railway and between that and the Folly (Now either side of Warren Road 2002). They probably represent a villa with its adjuncts, but the main dwelling was not identified. The northernmost, last found and best-recorded structure was a hypocaust-chamber (TR2353936751), with a hexagonal room adjoining it, presumably part of a bath-block. Two of the buildings were fragmentary, but the other two (tombs?), a circular building (TR23553667) and a small two-roomed building with an underground room (TR23543668), one of which was seen again in 1952, lay higher up the ridge, and certainly within Chapel Field, the site of St Bartholomew's chapel. Skeletons were found in the walls of the two-roomed rectangular building and it is suggested as having been a church. It may be that a Roman tomb-house became the nucleus of St Botolph's.

In 1952 foundation trenches at TR 23553669 uncovered the footings and cement floor of a Roman building; a small quantity of prob. C2nd pottery was also found. This building appears to be additional to those discovered 1869-75 as there were no signs of a previous excavation. The south side had been much disturbed by probably late Saxon C7th-C8th grave digging. Of the five burials, one at least had a coffin. The site occupied by Nos.19, 21 Warren Road, is now built over and there is nothing to be seen.

Monument Types

• (Alternate Type) BURIAL (Undated)
• HYPOCAUST (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• MAUSOLEUM (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• VILLA (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Finds

• POT (Roman - 101 AD? to 199 AD?)
• COIN (Roman - 138 AD? to 161 AD?)

Full description

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(Name TR 23563671) Roman Building (NR) (Site of) (1)

A group of 5 Roman building foundations were uncovered between 1869 and 1875 in the east end of Folkestone, immediately east of the harbour branch of the railway and between that and the Folly. These included a pillared hypocaust, and a small two-roomed building with an underground crypt (TR 23 NW 98). Skeletons were found in the walls of this building and it is suggested as having been a church. (3, 4)

None of the remains were examined by experts, but it is likely that those on the north side of the site (found during the construction of a reservoir for the Folkestone Cement Co) represented a Romano-British dwelling house, while a circular building may represent a tomb or a bath. (2-4)

In 1952 foundation trenches at TR 23553669 uncovered the footings and cement floor of a Roman building; a small quantity of prob. C2nd pottery was also found. This building appears to be additional to those discovered 1869-75 as there were no signs of a previous excavation. The south side had been much disturbed by probably late Saxon C7th-C8th grave digging. Of the five burials, one at least had a coffin. The site occupied by Nos.19, 21 Warren Road, is now built over and there is nothing to be seen. (5)

The `Yorkshire Post' reported that a Roman bath and three hypocausts had been found at Folkestone. (6)

TR 235367. A group of buildings on the west slope of a ridge and south of the now defunct Folkestone Junction station. A report was written by R.C Jenkins on the remains that had been revealed piecemeal in commercial works between 1869 and 1875. (3)

Some of the more interesting parts were re-examined in 1952 by Frank Jenkins. They probably represent a villa with its adjuncts, but the main dwelling was not identified. The northernmost, last found and best recorded structure was a hypocaust-chamber with a hexagonal room adjoining it, presumably part of a bath-block. Two of the buildings were fragmentary, but the other two, one of which was seen again in 1952, lay higher up the ridge, and certainly within Chapel Field, the site of St Bartholomew's chapel. These were not planned in detail, but Canon R.C Jenkins described their general form and anolagies can be seen elsewhere in Kent. It may be that a Roman tomb-house become the nucleus of St Botolph's. (7)

Mentioned in report (8).

Additional references (9-11)

<1> OS 25" 1957 (OS Card Reference). SKE48272.

<2> Page, W. (ed), 1932, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Kent Volume III, VCH Kent 3 1932 114-154 (M V Taylor) (Monograph). SKE7810.

<3> Jenkins, R. C., 1876, On a Roman Hypocaust Discovered at Folkestone A.D. 1875, Archaeol Cant 10 1876 173-7 plans ( R C Jenkins) (Article in serial). SKE8044.

<4> Unknown, 1873, Unknown, Proc Soc Antiquaries London 5 2nd Series 1873 479 (Article in serial). SKE8046.

<5> F1 CFW 29-APR-1964 (OS Card Reference). SKE42808.

<6> Jenkins, F., 1952, Folkestone Museum file and Correspondence and report on Excavation, Folkestone Museum file and Correspondence and rept by F. Jenkins (Excavation archive). SKE8047.

<7> Unknown, 1928, Unknown, JBAA 29 1928 248 (Article in serial). SKE8048.

<8> Jenkins, F., FRANK JENKINS Archive (Collection). SKE6496.

<9> Field report for monument TR 23 NW 6 - April, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5592.

<10> Rigold, S. E., 1973, Roman Folkestone Reconsidered, Archaeol Cant 87 1972 32 (S E Ringold) (Article in serial). SKE8045.

<11> Southern Water Services, 1993, Dover & Folkestone Wastewater Treatment scheme Environmental Statement (Unpublished document). SKE6815.

Sources and further reading