Monument record TQ 67 SW 1418 - 'Property 11' at Roman settlement, Springhead

Excavations in advance of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link in 2002-3 identified a number of property boundaries west of the Ebbsfleet. This is Property 11. The property was immediastely to the north-west of the junction of Watling Street and a branch road that ran to the north-west.

The road-side ditch that ran to the north of Watling Street and then turned north to run to the west of the branch road is likely to be the earliest feature. It was cut in one phase but recut twice before silting up in the later 1st century. The length of road-side ditch that ran north of Watling Street was subsequently recut, however. This final phase of the ditch contained a large amount of pottery and animal bone as well as part of a human skull and a dog skull, possibly deliberately placed.The fill of this ditch was much darker than earlier phases, probably reflecting the amount of domestic material in the fill. Some of this came from the smithy on the south side of Watling Street. By the middle of the 2nd century the raod-side ditch was filled in.

In the crux of the two roads was a feature that comprised a sequence of two circular structures. This post-dated the first cut of the road-side ditch but pre-dated the recut of the southern arm. The function of the circular feature is unknown but it may have been some sort of shelter over a hearth. Two neonate burials were also found and an area of cobbling towards the junction of the road.The circular features probably went out of use by c. AD 125.

West of the branch road was an area of fence posts, pits and a newnoate burial defined an area of indeterminate function dating to the late 1st century to the end of the 2nd century. (1)

A complete brass Colchester brooch was found in layer 10664, with two Colchester derivative brooches, three Hod Hill brooches and one of two Dolphin brooches found at Springhead nearby (2).


Location accurate to 2m based on available information.

<1> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2010, Settling the Ebbsfleet Valley. CTRL Excavations at Springhead and Northfleet, Kent. The Late Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, and Medieval Landscape (Monograph). SKE31245.

<2> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2011, Settling the Ebbsfleet Valley. CTRL Excavations at Springhead and Northfleet, Kent. Volume 2: Late Iron Age to Roman Finds Reports (Monograph). SKE32435.