Scheduled Monument: A ROMANO-BRITISH VILLA AND A POSSIBLE IRON AGE FARMSTEAD AT FRANKS (1009024)

Authority
Date assigned 04 November 1975
Date last amended 26 August 1994

Description

The monument includes a minor Romano-British villa and a possible Iron Age farmstead situated on the western bank of the River Darent. The domestic range of the villa complex, which survives as a buried feature, is a north east-south west orientated, south east facing, rectangular building 29m long and up to 19.4m wide, with projecting wings at either end. The building has been shown by partial excavation during the 1940's, 1960's and 1970's to have been in use from the early second century AD to the early fifth century AD. It was constructed in two main phases, the second of which took place during the fourth century and entailed the rebuilding and extension of the earlier, timber-built villa. At this time flint foundations were added in support of a renewed, timber superstructure. At least one room in the south western corner of the building was equipped with a hypocaust, or under floor heating system. The remains of two infants, buried with a large stone jar, were found beneath the villa floor. Situated beneath the domestic range of the villa are the buried remains of earlier, Iron Age occupation which may represent a farmstead. These survive in the form of a series of ditches and pits revealed by partial excavation during the 1960's. A natural change in the course of the River Darent some time in the past, which occurred after the villa had been abandoned as a residence, has caused some damage to the north eastern end of the villa building. During the 1970's the mechanical extraction of gravel used for the construction of the nearby M20 motorway from the area surrounding the domestic range is likely to have destroyed the remainder of the villa complex. Gravel extraction also destroyed further traces of the earlier, Iron Age farmstead and traces of later, early medieval occupation of the site, represented by the remains of a sunken-floored house, discovered c.100m to the east of the main villa site during rescue excavation in the 1970's.

External Links (0)

Sources (1)

  • Scheduling record: English Heritage. Register of Scheduled Monuments.

Map

Location

Grid reference Centred TQ 5541 6741 (45m by 54m)
Map sheet TQ56NE
County KENT
Civil Parish FARNINGHAM, SEVENOAKS, KENT
District SEVENOAKS, KENT

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Record last edited

Sep 20 2010 9:43AM