TQ 540 656 During extensions to Eynsford Working Mens' Club, a Roman building was revealed. The building is situated in the lowest point in the flood plain and in close proximity to the river. As far as trenching was taken the building is 61 feet long and 27 feet wide. A section revealed massive flint and mortar foundations 3 feet deep, sloping down in an outward direction, where it met a narrow zone of gravel embedded in black silt. It is suggested that this was a diversion for a water-mill. The surface of the foundation bore traces of opus signinum and north of it was a level of this material finely laid with small tiles. Large fragments of roof and hypocaust tiles were seen in the upcast from the trenches. No dateable finds were recovered but the poor baking of the tiles suggest a date late in the Roman period. (1)

The builders' trenches cut through three, possibly four, parallel walls of flint and mortar, with three compartments between them, and at the S end a heavy platform of flint and mortar with traces of red opus signinum surface. Only the N face of the southernmost wall, in the SE corner, was revealed by the trenching. It had a vertical rendering of fine opus signinum which curved inward to meet a floor ofthe same material, originally surfaced with red-brick tiles, which extended to wall 1. There was no sign that a hypocaust lay beneath this floor, although a piece of box-flue tile was found beside wall 1A. (For further details, see plan). (2)

Meates, G. W., 1971, Investigations & Excavations During the Year: Eynsford (Article in serial). SKE11844.

Meates, G. W., 1971, Investigations & Excavations During the Year: Eynsford (Article in serial). Ske11844.

Kent Archaeological Society, 1972, Archaeologia Cantiana (Article in serial). SKE53731.

KARU, 1986, Kent Archaeological Review (Article in serial). SKE53732.

<1> Arch Cant 86 1971 241-2 (G W Meates) (OS Card Reference). SKE35866.

<2> Eynsford Roman building typescript, plan, 16 12.71 (G.W. Meates) (OS Card Reference). SKE41713.