[ ]Roman villa at Hartley, on land of Mr. Dennis near Chapel Wood. (1) The hypocaust of a [Roman] villa was opened in March [1926] at Hartley, on the slope of the downs, 5 miles S.E. of Dartford, by the Rev. G.W. Brancks. (2) What may have been the hypocaust of a bath, or house, was opened in March 1926 in the garden of Mr. A.J. Dennis, 5 miles S.E. of Dartford. The site is close to Scotgrove where there are ruins of a medieval chapel [TQ 66 NW 12] and it is just possible that the masonry in Mr. Dennis's garden may be of the same period. No Roman remains were found in or near the supposed hypocaust. (3) Local enquiries established that Mr. Dennis (now deceased) formerly lived at Hazel Lodge, Hartley (TQ 60416631). The site of the excavation was known popularly as the 'Roman Hole' and it lay in thick undergrowth to the west of the house on land that no longer belongs to Hazel Lodge. The exact site was not remembered but a thorough inspection of the area, revealed a pit, roughly circular, 6.0m in diameter & approx. 1.5m deep at TQ 60296632. From it I obtained two pieces of -Md. roofing tile. (4) Excavated in 1963 by the West Kent Border Excavation Group and found to be a Md. tile kiln. Excavation still open - surveyed at 1/2500 (5) TQ 60326639. A medieval Tile Kiln at Chapel Wood, excavated in 1963. This established that the structure uncovered in 1926 was not part of a Roman Hypocaust, but a medieval tile-kiln of normal type. Similar structures elsewhere suggest that it may have been constructed in the 13th or 14th centuries. Presumably it was built to provide tiles for buildings within the adjacent earthwork. (TQ 66 NW 12). (6)

<1> Newspaper: Times 27.2.1928 (OS Card Reference). SKE47565.

<2> Rec 6' (OGS Crawford Udtd) (OS Card Reference). SKE49019.

<3> JRS 16 1 237-8 (OS Card Reference). SKE45050.

<4> VCH Kent 3 1932 117 (OS Card Reference). SKE51000.

<5> F1 CFW 31-JUL-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42843.

<6> F2 ASP 16-NOV-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE43120.

<7> Excavations in W Kent 1960-70 1973 220-3 illus (B Philp) (OS Card Reference). SKE41695.

<8> Field report for monument TQ 66 NW 9 - July, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3534.

<9> Field report for monument TQ 66 NW 9 - November, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3535.