Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The cropmark/earthwork remains of two parallel ditches which have been identified as the earliest phase of the Roman occupation of Richborough Island. Attributed to the period of the Claudian invasion, these ditches are believed to represent the primary bridgehead defences of the invading forces.

These ditches were mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Richborough Environs Project.

Monument Types

• DITCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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The fragmented remains of the earliest recorded Roman feature on Richborough Island were visible as earthworks within the Roman fort and as a fragmented cropmark to the north of the fort. This feature took the form of two parallel ditches which have been attributed to the period of the Claudian invasion, and believed to represent the primary bridgehead defences of the invading forces. This defence was short-lived, being rapidly replaced as the site was established as a town and port.

There are two sections of ditch visible as earthworks, one measuring 17m in length, and the other 35m. This part was excavated as part of the Bushe-Fox excavations of the site between 1922 and 1938, and left as open ditches. North of the fort the ditches have been traced for a further 200m, gently curving to the NNE. The full extent of this pair of ditches was traced during the Bushe-Fox excavations.

Immediately to the east of these ditches the fragmented cropmark remains of two further parallel ditches were also traced for 44.5m between TR 3247 6041 and TR 3249 6045. These ditches may well be associated with the construction of the Claudian defences.

This and the surrounding features were mapped at 1:2500 scale from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Richborough Environs Project, see Associated Events [1-2].

These transcriptions were added to those produced by the South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment (2009-10), see Associated Events, which exist as a GIS layer held by this HER [3].

<3> Wessex Archaeology, 2009-10, South-East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - Aerial Photographic Transcriptions (Digital archive). SWX15705.

<3> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - (SE RCZAS) Phase 1: National Mapping Programme Report (Unpublished document). SKE25955.

<3> Cornwall Council Historic Environment Projects and Gloucestershire County Council, 2011, South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Components 1&2: Results of NMP Mapping (Unpublished document). SKE25954.

Sources and further reading

Related records