| Summary : Site of a small Roman winged corridor villa located within an orchard 1 mile south east of Plaxtol and south of Allen's Farm revealed by ploughing. Stone foundations, bath house with apsidal room, hypocausts, latrine, furnace and timber well were discovered during excavations in the 19th century and in 1986-7. Smaller finds included pottery sherds dated from the mid 1st to the mid 2nd century AD and 4th century, a bronze statuette of Minerva, an early 2nd century lead flask and tiles. |
More information : TQ 6148 5313: Site of Roman Villa [R] (1)
There is the site of a Roman Villa one mile south east of Plaxtol, a little south of Allen's Farm, on the side of a hill sloping gently to the Bourne rivulet. Prior to 1857 ploughing had revealed Roman remains and in that year, stone foundations, hypocaust material, a bronze statuette of Minerva, Samian and other sherds and inscribed box-tiles were found. In 1858 Major Luard excavated an area in an ash plantation slightly to the south of the previous finds, near to the stream. Part of a building, 60 feet long, was discovered forming a bath-house with hypocausts, apsidal rooms, cold bath, a furnace and probably a latrine. Whether the building was detached is not certain but the whole formed one extensive villa. A well, of timber construction, has been explored since but yielded only black earth. Most of the finds are in Maidstone Museum. (2)
Additional reference - extensive villa. A series of box-tiles is stamped Parietalem Cabriabanu and a third word probably a tense of the verb 'to make'. The Samian ware covers a period from mid 1st to mid 2nd centuries but a painted vase is later - probably 4th century. (3)
Early excavation report. The 1857 foundations were parallel to those found in 1858. (4)
Statuette of Minerva given to Maidstone Museum. (5)
Additional references to villa and tiles. (6-7)
Additional references to tiles. (8)
Additional references to discovery of well by owner of farm. (9)
Additional reference. (10)
The site of the villa is within an orchard. The ground is covered with tall grass and nettles and nothing was seen during investigation. (11)
Finds from this site on display in Maidstone Museum include the bronze figurine of Minerva and an early 2nd century lead glazed flask. Excavations by the boys of Tonbridge School circa 1954 and circa 1964 produced nothing that adds to the knowledge of the site. (12)
TQ 6053: Bronze Minerva, Maidstone Museum. (13)
TQ 6145 5308: Traces of bathhouse. (14)
Interim reports of excavations. (15-17)
KE 76 Listed as the site of a small Roman winged corridor villa. (18)
The northern part of the area of the site is under an orchard of cob nut trees while the southern part is under rough grass and thick undergrowth. There are no surface traces of the monument.
The precise location of the villa buildings which were partially excavated in the nineteenth century was not recorded at the time although a plan of the remains was made. The published plan is believed to be that of a bath building associated with the rest of a Romano-British villa which was not identified at the time of excavation.
It is recommended that a remote sensing survey is undertaken in order to re-locate the bath building and locate the full extent of the associated main villa buildings. (19)
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