Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Numerous Romano-British finds/features discovered in 1938 by Jimmy Beck assisted by Miss Powell-Cotton. A series of 8 holes sunk in the chalk of the foreshore of Minnis Bay, Birchington. There were some signs of burning and these may have been well-bottoms. Finds included a millstone-like slab, quern fragments, a complete New Forest ware two-handled wine jug, two almost perfect Belgic pots and numerous potsherds including half of a black ware pot of 4th century type and some Samian. A further 8 pits in the same area were excavated by Miss Powell-Cotton between 1953 and 1961. These yielded further Belgic and Romano-British potsherds and a few fibulae. All finds are in the Powell-Cotton Museum, Quex Parkand the pits are now destroyed.

Monument Types

• PIT (possible settlement site, Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC to 409 AD)
• SETTLEMENT? (Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC? to 409 AD?)
• WELL? (Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC to 409 AD)

Associated Finds

• BROOCH (Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC to 409 AD)
• MILLSTONE (Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC to 409 AD)
• POT (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
• POTTERY ASSEMBLAGE (Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC to 409 AD)
• QUERN (Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC to 409 AD)
• JUG (Roman - 200 AD to 399 AD)

Full description

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TR 28716993 (a) In April 1938 J. Beck assisted by Miss Powell-Cotton found a series of 8 holes sunk in the chalk of the foreshore of Minnis Bay, Birchington. Most were circular, 3-4' in diameter and several showed signs of burning; some of them may have been well-bottoms. Finds included a millstone-like slab, quern fragments, a complete New Forest ware two-handled wine jug, two almost perfect Belgic pots and numerous potsherds including half of a black ware pot of 4th century type and some Samian. (b) A further 8 pits in the same area excavated by Miss Powell-Cotton between 1953 and 1961 have yielded further Belgic and R.B. potsherds and a few fibulae. All finds are in the Powell-Cotton Museum, Quex Park; all the pits are now destroyed (1). [For similar site dated to Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age nearby see TR 26 NE 2]. Additional references (2-4) and for site in context with other inter-tidal sites see (5,6)

<1> Miss Powell-Cotton and large scale map at Quex Park (OS Card Reference). SKE47220.

<2> Arch Cant 51 1939 191-203 plan illusts (P H G Powell-Cotton) (OS Card Reference). SKE35264.

<3> F1 CFW 29-NOV-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42819.

<4> Field report for monument TR 26 NE 23 - November, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5822.

<5> Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, 1994, Inter-tidal archaeology in Kent (Unpublished document). SWX9353.

<6> Trust For Thanet Archaeology, 1991, Intertidal Zone Minnis Bay-Reculver (Unpublished document). SWX7082.

Sources and further reading