Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Possible industrial site abutting the alignment of Watling Street. Two pits were found, one lined with flint showing the effects of fire and the other with stone. Both contained sherds of Roman pottery.

Location accurate to 100m based on available information

Monument Types

• PIT (PIT, Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
• HEARTH? (Roman - 50 AD? to 200 AD?)
• POTTERY KILN? (POTTERY KILN, Roman - 50 AD? to 200 AD? (at some time))

Associated Finds

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

Full description

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Excavation of two pits in 1918 at Branton's Brickfield, Stone Wood, Dartford, to the south of Watling Street. One pit was approx. 50 ins. in diameter and 30 ins deep, lined with flint nodules showing the affects of fire. The infilling included R.B. pottery. The second pit, 42 1/2 ft. S.S.E., consisted of an outer circle of stones about 8 1/2 ft. in diameter with an inner circle 3 ft. in diameter at a depth of 30 ins. There was no trace of fire but similar pottery was found in the infilling.

Peake suggests that the smaller pit was a pottery kiln later used as a refuse tip, (this is accepted by Jessup) but offers no satisfactory explanation of the second pit. The use of burnt flints as the lining of a pit is not very compatible with its alleged function as a kiln (Peake 1919; VCH Kent 3 (1932), 131); this and the absence of fired clay debris or pottery wasters may imply that the feature was a domestic hearth. [See AO/63/379/3-4-5]. (1-2) Branton's Brickfield was centred at TQ 5860 7290 (now waste ground). No further information. (3) It was of modern date (c.1900-20), exploiting a very localised deposit of brickearths. There is no indication that it was also the site of a brick manufactory, only extraction (4)

Additional Reference: (5)

Location accurate to 100m based on available information

Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1994 Jan, A2/A282 Dartford - Historic Environmental Assessment (Unpublished document). SWX6767.

Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1994 Jan, A2/A282 Dartford - Historic Environmental Assessment (Unpublished document). SWX6767.

<1> "Excavations at a Ro Brit Site in Stone Wood Dartford" 1919 Illus (WB Peake) (OS Card Reference). SKE32616.

<2> V.C.H. Kent, 3, 1932, 131 (R.F. Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE50760.

<3> F1 ASP 14-DEC-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42099.

<4> Field report for monument TQ 57 SE 32 - December, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3070.

<5> PLAN OF EXCAVATION PITS AT BRANTON'S BRICKFIELD, STONE (Photograph). SKE2611.

<5> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1994 Jan, A2/A282 Dartford - Historic Environmental Assessment (Unpublished document). SWX6767.

<6> PLAN OF EXCAVATION PITS AT BRANTON'S BRICKFIELD, STONE (Photograph). SKE2612.

<7> PLAN OF EXCAVATION PITS AT BRANTON'S BRICKFIELD, STONE (Photograph). SKE2613.

<8> PLAN OF EXCAVATION PITS AT BRANTON'S BRICKFIELD, STONE (Photograph). SKE2614.

<9> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, A2/A282 Dartford improvements: Historic environment assessment, CAT, 1994. (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.

Sources and further reading