[TQ 8127 4937] Roman Burial Ground [R] (1) A Roman walled cemetery discovered in 1827 in the NW corner of a field called Bohaws, Bowhaws, or Bowhalls, on the top of the hill adjoining Sutton Valence on the north side. Information about it derives from C. T. Smythe who himself relied for his description entirely on the recollection of a workman. It apparently comprised (see Smythe's sketch-plan) a stone-walled D-shaped enclosure, some 60 ft x 15 ft with a smaller enclosure in its NW angle: within the large enclosure were - (a) approximately central, a vault or cist which had contained the principal burial accompanied by other glass and pottery vessels, including Samian and (b) over most of the western half, an arrangement in rows of nearly 100 large coarse cinerary urns, with ancillary vessels some of which were Samian. There was evidence of funeral pyres `near the wall on the N side' and a rubbish-filled well was found 150 ft to the south (Jessup says yards). Various small finds, including a second brass of Claudius, are also recorded. The workman remembered that `a very large mound or bank of earth standing directly over the burial place' had been removed about 40 years earlier. Most of the objects found could be identified in Maidstone Museum. (2)(Note: Jessep (2) referring to Cave-Browne's `Sutton Valence and East Sutton', mentions the foundations of a large building and a number of Roman urns `found close by in 1841' as probably part of the same cemetery. In fact, Cave-Browne is talking about the cemetery itself - 1841 is the date of Roach Smith's letter in Archaeologia). (2-4) The published site is occupied by buildings of Sutton Valence School. The OS siting cannot be confirmed as the Tithe Map of 1841 gives `Playground' for the small field in which the symbol falls and `First Bowalls' for the field on its east. The NW corner of First Bowalls would fall at TQ 814496. A selection of the finds is in Maidstone Museum. (5) Additional bibliography. (6)(7)

<1> OS 6" (OS Card Reference). SKE48301.

<2> JBAA 22 1959 31-32 (R F Jessup) (with reproduction of Smythe's sketch-plan) (OS Card Reference). SKE44916.

<3> Archaeologia 29 1842 421-3 (O Roach Smith communicating letter from CT Smythe) (OS Card Reference). SKE37310.

<4> Smythe MSS (Maidstone Museum) (OS Card Reference). SKE49494.

<5> F1 CWF 01.04.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42858.

<6> VCH Kent 3 1932 170-171 (R F Jessup & M V Taylor) (OS Card Reference). SKE51104.

<7> Archaeologia 30 1844 537 (OS Card Reference). SKE37312.

<8> Field report for monument TQ 84 NW 1 - April, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4351.