In February 1973 a gang of workmen were channelling a trench for water mains at Roper's Farm, near Rochester when several bronze objects fell out of the side of the trench. The finds were taken to Rochester Museum where they were identified as of Bronze Age date c1,000-800 BC. The hoard consisted of at least 161 (authority 1) or 165 (authority 2) items and included socketed axe heads, spear heads and gouges (see illustration card). It is a founder's hoard for apart from newly cast objects there were a number in the process of being broken up ready for smelting. It appears that the founder had been forcing the points of some of the weapons into the axe sockets in order to break them up, for many of the socketed axes contain broken fragments. Two similar hoards were found at Homewood Farm, Allhallows in 1873 (TQ 87 NW 5) and at LittleCombe, St Mary's Hoo in 1875 (TQ 87 NW 10). The finds are undergoing conservation at Portsmouth. (1,2) The same site is possible refered too as also as being at TQ 7925 7390.