[TQ 58886464 - sited from plan, fig 1 (1)].

A Romano-British farmstead, dated from about the time of the conquest and abandoned not later than A.D. 100, was discovered in 1957 at Eastwood Farm, Fawkham and excavated between 1957 and 1961. The site, as examined, consisted of two ditches forming three sides of a small enclosure of just over an acre. A small pit, a deep shaft and a localised scatter of occupation debris were uncovered, but no trace of structures was found. Pottery, in large quantities; included Samian and Patch Grove ware, six bronze brooches, and animal bones, were also recovered. The indications are that the site is 'essentially a native farmstead, having evolved comparatively little from the early farm of Little Woodbury type'. (See AO/LP/64/126) (1-4)

Mr Self, of Eastwood Farm, who retains all the finds, confirmed the site, now under cultivation. (5)

TQ 58866466. The Romano British site at Eastwood, Fawkham occupies parts of a field, farmyard and garden of Eastwood Farm, OS parcel 43. It lies about halfway up the steep west side of a narrow north-south downland valley in what appears to be an isolated position. The site is mostly on Upper Chalk, containing numerous pockets of clay and the OD is about 380-400 ft. The excavations between 1957 and 1961 revealed a Romano British farmstead dating to about AD 45-100. Additional work has since taken place on the cemetery (TQ 56 SE 12) and the shaft. Excavation of the circular shaft in the winter of 1962-3 showed that it had originally been 12 ft wide and 13 ft deep. It was clear that the shaft had been dug by men using metal picks, the impressions of the points of which were clearly visible. The filling of the shaft suggests that it was not deposited at one attempt, but had accumulated over a period of time. (See illustration card 3). Only about 10 % was chalk, and most of this had probably fallen in from the sides and clearly the large amount of chalk extracted had never been returned. The dating of the shaft rests on a total of about 30 potsherds recovered from layers 3 and 5, and probably representing domestic rubbish. They appear to date to the second half of the 1st century AD. The function of the shaft appears to be that of a chalk quarry, probably producing at least 60 tons of chalk for building purposes or marling. The east-west bank found in 1958, possibly representing the agger of a Roman road, has been shown to extend westwards due to further work undertaken by Mr R Hetherington. (6)

Additional info. (8)

<1> Arch Cant 78 1963 55-73 plan illus (B J Philp) (OS Card Reference). SKE35641.

<2> Arch Cant 76 1961 xlix (B J Philp) (OS Card Reference). SKE35607.

<3> Arch Cant 73 1959 208-9 (B J Philp & M L Kellaway) (OS Card Reference). SKE35533.

<4> Arch Cant 72 1958 193 (B J Philp & M L Kellaway) (OS Card Reference). SKE35503.

<5> F1 ASP 24.08.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42253.

<6> Excavations in W Kent 1960-1970 1973 106-111 illus (B Philp) (OS Card Reference). SKE41691.

<7> Field report for monument TQ 56 SE 1 - August, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE2943.

<8> Wessex Archaeology, 1995, Environmental Statement: West Kingsdown MSA (Unpublished document). SKE7080.