[TQ 58657141] Roman foundations found AD 1895 [TI]. (1) 'Traces of a building have been noted in a field on the hillside... about 1 1/2 miles E. of the large villa [i.e. TQ 57 SE 30]. Here tiles and burnt earth are continually ploughed up, and a house or cottage doubtless awaits exploration'. (2) Roman site at Betsham - Trial trenches at this site in 1956 revealed a flat-bottomed ditch terminating in what appeared to be a hearth. The ditch contained a filling of broken tiles, burrs, and mortared flints in a matrix of black organic material and the sides showed evidence of having been subjected to intense heat. The hearth was of horseshoe shape, 2' wide by 3', lined with burnt clay heavily covered with a dark green fused substance. A marked feature of the excavation was the total absence of any pottery sherds and the intensely burnt appearance of the Thanet sand within the ditch. The site is perhaps industrial rather than domestic. The site, as indicated by Auth. 1 lies upon a distinct low mound within an orchard lying upon a gentle S. slope. Piece of Roman tile were found scattered about. (3,4)

<1> OS 6" Prov. 1938/9. (OS Card Reference). SKE48394.

<2> C.F. Wardale 17.6.60 (OS Card Reference). SKE38465.

<3> Arch. Cnt. Vol. 70 1956 pp. 261-2 (J.E.L. Caiger) (OS Card Reference). SKE37142.

<4> VCH Kent Vol. 3 (1932) p.113 (Wheeler) (OS Card Reference). SKE51233.

<5> Arch. Cant. Vol. 22 p.51 (OS Card Reference). SKE37082.

<6> A.L.F. Rivet AAO 24.2.53 (OS Card Reference). SKE32939.

<7> F1 ASP 22-JUL-60 (OS Card Reference). SKE42234.

<8> Field report for monument TQ 57 SE 31 - July, 1960 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3069.