| Summary : Site of a Roman corridor villa which includes a number of buildings arranged around a courtyard. Apart from the main villa building, a bath house and a free standing aisled barn have been identified. Finds have also included a tessellated floor, hypocaust, 2 stone coffins, fragments of pottery, a terracotta mask, a bronze buckle, coins dated from 87 AD to 383 AD, painted wall plaster and a number of tiles. Occupation is likely from late 1st century AD to the 4th century. |
More information : TQ 7073 6203: Roman building [R] (Site of) (1)
The existence of a Romano-British building in Church Field, Snodland, has been known for many years and Roach Smith in 1844 noted tesserae, fragments of pottery and roof and flue tiles. He also recorded walls, a floor and other features exposed in the river bank. Later in 1844 Thomas Wright noted that the adjoining field was significantly called "Stone Grave Field" and uncovered part of a floor composed of large tiles. He also learned that circa 1800 a bath had been discovered in this field but covered up without further investigation. Circa 1900 a gasworks was built on the site and in 1927 during extensions to the works a number of finds were made including a terracotta mask, a bronze buckle plate, late 1st century, 2nd century and 4th century pottery and five coins ranging in date from AD 87 to 375-83. Structural remains comprised a length of wall and some undetermined foundations.
In 1933-5, during construction of a new factory for the Lead Wool Company, several foundations and two stone coffins were found. Excavations commencing in 1964, forced to take place in several isolated sections due to modern development, revealed occupation extending from the end of the 1st century into the 4th century and suggest that the site is that of a villa. One area was described as the "lower level" and revealed part of a hypocaust, an apsidal structure that may have represented the lower part of a hypocaust or part of a bath, and the floor of what could have been a cold plunge bath. Associated finds dated the latter to the middle or late 2nd century. The east end of the "upper level" revealed rooms of 3 building phases with tessellated floors and painted wall plaster, including a corridor of phase 3, also probably with a mosaic floor. Further rooms and a hypocaust were uncovered at the western end of the"upper level", assumed to be associated with the other remains, although this could not be proved because of intervening modern detail. More traces of Roman buildings have been found 400 feet to the north, close to the river. (2-7)
The features excavated in 1964 by the Lower Medway Research Group have been left exposed and are centred at TQ 7075 6203 (surveyed at 1:2500). A series of trenches at TQ 7071 6202 has uncovered several short lengths of wall foundations. (8)
Snodland, traces of a building were noted here in 1844 and very cursorily uncovered in two fields called Church Field and Stone Grave Field, a site now occupied by Gas Works. The remains consisted of a floor of large tiles, another of lime concrete, sand, pounded tile and stones, some walling with alternate layers of red and yellow tiles. There were also some walls in the bank of the river. Much debris of a house lies scattered about the site and the walls of the church contain many Roman tiles. (9)
Two fragments of Samian ware, Type Dr 18/31 and Dr 31 from the Roman villa at Snodland, are in the British Museum, Acc No 1948.4-2.3. (10)
TQ 7075 6203: Church Field, Snodland. Further work on the villa, which partly underlies a modern factory, was undertaken following demolitions. A further range of rooms parallel to those previously known was uncovered, suggesting the possibility of a courtyard building. At least two structural phases were recognised and occupation is indicated from circa 150 to circa 350. (11-12)
TQ 7061: Terracotta mask, Snodland. (13)
TQ 7075 6201: Romano-British villa buildings, scheduled. (14)
Further excavations have uncovered an aisled barn. (15)
Note on further excavations. (16)
KE 87 Listed as the site of a Roman villa. (17) |