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Fawkham and Ash Archaeological Group
(FAAG)
The discovery
and excavation of a Late Iron-Age and Early Roman Farmstead at
Viewpoint, Wellfield, Hartley, Kent 1975/76 and 1984
TQ6084/6842
Introduction
Rescue Excavations carried out
by members of the Fawkham & Ash Archaeological Group during November 1975 to
January 1976 and July 1984, led to the discovery of lengths of boundary ditches,
pits and a tiled hearth. These were dated by pottery and a coin to the late
Iron-Age and early Roman periods, and indicated the presence of a Romano-British
Farmstead. Ted Connell
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On Sunday 9th November 1975 Brian Tremain found the
neck and some wall sherds of a late 1st Century Roman Flagon. They were
at the foot of a spoil heap that had been formed during the excavation
of a new section of road, (now serving nos. 17 to 41 Caxton
Close) prior to the construction of Council Houses.
On Monday 10th November 1975 Brian Tremain and Ted Connell
visited the site where houses were being built using direct labour by
the then Dartford District Rural Council. We met Mr Gordon Longhurst,
Site Foreman, and explained about finding the pottery and permission was
given to look around the site.
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Houses had already been constructed and were occupied
to the west of the old 1930s detached house
called View Point, that was being
used as the site office, with materials stored in a compound at the rear.
To the east of the house, View Point, the next
phase of house building was in progress. A spur road starting just 10 metres to
the east, ran approximately 40 metres due east. During the construction of this,
the south side had caused a terrace to form of about 1½ metres high. The face
of the terrace was examined, and after clearing with a J.C.B., a ditch could be
seen cutting into the chalk, running at an angle of about 45o to the
face. Immediately some fragments of pottery were recovered from the top section
of the ditch. (Ditch A, VP2).
The discovery was explained to Mr Longhurst and he readily agreed
to members of the Fawkham & Ash Archaeological Group (FAAG) undertaking
rescue excavations prior to the construction of a row of terraced houses in the
area.
Over eleven Sundays, in the depth of winter, members of FAAG
carried out excavations on the site.
In the summer of 1984 the old house View Point was demolished and two new houses
built. The Group returned to record further lengths of ditch and a pit revealed
in the house footing trenches.
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