Monument record TQ 57 SE 1132 - A square cropmark of uncertain date

Summary

A square cropmark of uncertain date which corresponds to a depression on the ground. Finds of possible Roman or Medieval building materials have also been made here. This possible site is in relatively close proximity to a known Roman villa and settlement to the north-west so may relate to a Roman building, but has also been postulated as an alternative site for the medieval chapel of St Margaret Helle(s), traditionally sited to the south-east on Ordnance Survey map. The depiction of the remnants of the now demolished chapel on an antiquarian map of the 18th century may possibly give some credence to this alternative site.

Location

Grid reference TQ 5656 7027 (point)
Map sheet TQ57SE
County KENT
District DARTFORD, KENT
Civil Parish DARENTH, DARTFORD, KENT

Map

Type and Period (2)

Full Description

An alternative location for the actual post-conquest medieval chapel of St Margeet Helle (or Helles) has also been postulated, based on surface finds of building materials and the depiction of the chapel on Hastead's original 18th century map and descriptions. This is further to the north-west and equates roughly to TQ 5657 7028. This alternative location corresponds to a large square cropmark and reportedly a depression on the ground, which the author suggests may represent an area of robbing out of the masonry. The upublished typescript by a local amatuer archaeologist appears to suggest that the known archaeological evidence around the "traditional" site marked on the Ordnance Survey maps may be from a pre-conquest early medieval chapel or church. The author of the paper has found surface finds of Roman and medieval material in the area of the Ordnance Survey siting. The Medieval chapel is likley to have incorporated Roman building materials, based on the 18th century antiquarian descriptions and was said to be reminiscent of a Roman building in Hasted's account. The manuscript of the modern paper moreover speculates that the tower may have had Roman origins due to the proximity of the known Roman villa site further north-west, and points to the similarity in dimensions of the chapel tower recorded by antiquarians to those of known smaller Romano-British temples. (1)


<1> Del Cook, ?, The Ancient Chapel of St. Margaret Helles (Unpublished document). SKE56462.

Sources/Archives (1)

  • <1> Unpublished document: Del Cook. ?. The Ancient Chapel of St. Margaret Helles.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

Sep 3 2024 3:57PM