During repair works of sea wall an number of Roman pottery-sherds were discovered. A subsequent excavation revealed the existance of a Romano-British occupation site covering about 2.5 acres. There was limited structural evidence although nine areas of laid beach pebbles were located and two areas excavated. In both cases floors were discovered cut by pits, Area C includng a hearth as well which produced a sherd of comb-decorated pottery of the 1st century AD.

Overall the site produced 3000 sherds of 1st/2nd century pottery, several quern stone fragments, and a few bronze and lead items. A fragment of human skull was also recovered.(1)


Briquetage discovery at TR 363 567, near Worth. (A new fabric and vessel type was found at Canterbury which was termed) "chaff-tempered ware", this came in small quantities from "Belgic" and early Roman layers from several excavations in the city. The material consists of small sherds from irregular hand-made vessels in a light-coloured, vegetatble-tempered fabric. None of the recovered sherds join and onlyone base has so far been found, making reconstruction of the form difficult. Several sherds were recovered, one of which gives a clue tothe shape of the vessel. This sherd appears to be the curved corner ofa rectangular or oval vessel with shallowly sloping ends (see illustration card no 1). Once this was suggested, it could be seen that the contours of the single base fragment support the reconstruction. It seems that the vessel had a very irregular rim, which would account for all the variations of rim angle illustrated in the original note. Many of the rim sherds are curved, hence the idea that they were from circular vessels. It would be unwise to assume at the moment that the reconstruction offered here is the onlyvessel form represented by these sherds, suffice to say that, to date,there have been no sherds that cannot be explained with reference to it. It is quite likely that these vessels were used for the drying of salt, but not necessarily for its subsequent transport. The Canterburysherds may have been accidentally brought into the city with salt. This assertion is supported by the lack of pedestal base sherds - it seems that these may have been broken off elsewhere prior to transport. It is known that the probable form of these vessels is a practical shape for salt drying, as it has also been used in Later Bronze Age East Germany and also Iron Age Japan. This is, however, the first time that this form has been recognised in British archaeology. (It is known from 5 other sites in Kent, including Worth and from E Tilbury, Essex). (2)

The site at Dickson's Corner appears to represent a native settlement occupied throughout the first century, possible just pre-conquest, to the early third century AD. These was at least one wooden building, Area E, which was probably a small dwelling, with the remains found of other floors and hearths indication other buildings forming the unenclosed settlement. The exposed and isolated location of the site may suggest that it was occupied seasonally and a number of almost sterile layers were found of likely wind-blown sand. A small quantity of fish bones and lead object, probably weights, and marine shells suggest that fishing and the collection of shell-fish was undertaken for eating, at least occasionally. Re-fired pottery from near Area E maybe associated with small-scale salt production, so small that it would have only served the needs of the settlement. Other finds of quernstone fragments and animal bones show that grain was processed on the site, although it is unlikely that crops could have been grown in the dunes, and animal husbandry was practiced. The site, although small, is of interest as it lies in an area thought by historians and archaeologists to have been under the sea in Roman times.

A total of 181 struck flints of probable Neolithic-Bronze Age date was found at the site.(TR 35 NE 54) (3)

<1> Parfitt, K., 1980, A Roman Occupation Site at Worth, KAR 62 46-47 (Article in serial). SKE8137.

<2> KAR 69 Autumn 1982 204-5 (PM Barford) (OS Card Reference). SKE45408.

<3> Parfitt, K., 2000, A Roman Occupation Site at Dickson's Corner, Worth, Arch Cant CXX 107 - 148 (Article in serial). SKE8138.