It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.
Monument details
| HER Number: | TR 36 NW 1138 |
|---|
| Type of record: | Monument |
|---|
| Name: | Roman trackway discovered during the East Kent Access Route excavations (2009-2011) |
|---|
Summary
During the East Kent Access Route excavations (2009-2011) a substantial Roman trackway was discovered running north-west to south-east through zone 20. The trackway was at the centre of a settlement that included sunken-feature buildings, a field system, enclosure and burials.
| Grid Reference: | TR 3249 6553 |
|---|
| Map Sheet: | TR36NW |
|---|
| Parish: | MINSTER, THANET, KENT |
|---|
Monument Types
- HOLLOW WAY (Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC to 409 AD)
- DITCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- TRACKWAY (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- WHEEL RUT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
| Protected Status: | Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: Roman fields, enclosures, chalk pits, cremation burials, and Iron Age and Roman findspots, Minster |
|---|
Full description
If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.
During the East Kent Access Route excavations (2009-2011) a substantial Roman trackway was discovered running north-west to south-east through zone 20. The trackway was 3m wide, curved and metalled. It comprised a well maintained metalled surface of small rounded flint nodules and gravel and It contained well defined wheel-ruts some 1.2m apart. The surface appears to have been laid within an existing hollow way. There were also a number of roadside ditches. The trackway was at the centre of a settlement that included sunken-feature buildings, a field system, enclosure and burials. It may have slightly pre-dated the settlement activity to either side. Excavations in zone 29 confirmed that the trackway and settlement continued to the higher ground to the north-west and further south the track may have joined with another running north-south in zone 20A. (information summarised from source) (1-2)
Parts of the trackway of Roman date mentioned above were visible as a sub surface deposit in NMR 26608/28 06-APR-2010. This feature was mapped as part of the Historic England Isle of Thanet project in 2024. (3)
<1> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2011, East Kent Access (Phase II), Thanet, Kent: Post-Excavation Assessment Volume 1 (Unpublished document). SKE29279.
<2> Andrews et al, 2015, Digging The Gateway: Archaeological Landscapes of South Thanet. The Archaeology of East Kent Access (Phase III) Vol 1: The sites (Monograph). SKE55517.
<3> Historic England Archive, 1920-2024, Historic England Archive Specialist oblique aerial photographs, NMR 26608/28 06-APR-2010 (Archive). SKE57106.
Sources and further reading
| Cross-ref.
| Source description | | <1>XY | Unpublished document: Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture. 2011. East Kent Access (Phase II), Thanet, Kent: Post-Excavation Assessment Volume 1. [Mapped feature: #115822 Trackway, ] |
| <2> | Monograph: Andrews et al. 2015. Digging The Gateway: Archaeological Landscapes of South Thanet. The Archaeology of East Kent Access (Phase III) Vol 1: The sites. |
| <3> | Archive: Historic England Archive. 1920-2024. Historic England Archive Specialist oblique aerial photographs. NMR 26608/28 06-APR-2010. |
Related records
| TR 36 NW 1137 | Part of: Roman fields, enclosures, and cremation burials, possibly part of a 'ladder' settlement, Minster (Monument) |
