More information : A Roman building was located just within the western boundary of the Borough at Sandwich, about 1.3 kilometres southwest of Sandwich Guildhall and about 1.3 kilometres northeast of Woodnesborough Church. It was located at TR 3190 5730 during construction work for a Sandwich by-pass in 1979. It overlooked to the north, the north and south Poulders which once formed part of the Wantsum Channel. The remains consisted of a series of shallow foundation trenches, cut into the natural clay (see illustration card no 1). These were between 0.6 and 0.8 metres wide and 0.05 metres to 0.2 metres deep and filled with large, water rolled flint pebbles and cobbles. None of the stones were mortared. These foundations were all that survived of the rectangular building, 27.1 metres long with a large central room and two projecting wing rooms. Skirting the building on the northeast side was a slighter foundation of smaller flint pebbles averaging 0.3 metres wide. This seemed to represent the remains of a corridor running along the front of the building and implies the structure faced northeast. A ditch, gully, several pits and pebble scatters were also encountered. The Sandwich building seems best interpreted as a winged corridor villa of very modest proportions. The corridor skirting the building is reminiscent of Ditchley; there, however, it was a later addition and also ran along the sides of the main block. The corridor along the front of the Sandwich building substantially increases its area to an estimated 266.5 metres. An interesting feature at Sandwich is the large central room (which may have had wooden partitions). These large rooms may be interpreted as smaller versions of the "halls" found in some villas in Britain and on the Continent. The dating evidence from the site is very limited. The latest pottery from a small gully is of late 3rd to 4th century date, although most of the sherds are earlier and must be residual. The ditch produced pottery of the 1st and 2nd century. A construction date for the building within the late 1st and 2nd century would probably be most reasonable on general historical grounds and the date of the bulk of the pottery supports this view. The latest material from a gully which post-dates the building suggests that the building had gone out of use by the late 3rd or 4th century (one period of activity appears to post-date the villa). The building probably had stone foundations and a timber superstructure. The villa at Sandwich may be compared in size to other villas; see illustration card number 2. (1)
Description of excavations of the Roman building. (It may have been entirely masonry). (2)
The villa was 27.1 metres in length. For reconstruction of the villa see illustration card number 3. (3)
Additional bibliography. (4-6)
KE 82 Listed the site of a Roman winged corridor villa. (7)
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