East Farleigh Fieldwork Update

The Maidstone Area Archaeological Group (MAAG) has been investigating a number of Roman buildings overlooking the River Medway off Lower Road, East Farleigh since 2005. This was initially reported in Newsletter no.76 with subsequent updates in no.79, no.82, no.84, no.86, no.88, no. 90, no. 93 and no. 94.

Excavations in 2012 concentrated on excavating 14 trial pits to the south of the previously excavated Roman buildings. The pits were located randomly in a wooded plantation – some were dug using a mechanical excavator but most were excavated by hand. Little cultural material was located and the only feature was a small gully containing some Roman pottery.

A trial trench was dug at the east end of Building 3 to see if a dividing wall existed cutting off about 4 metres of the east end to form a room similar to that previously found at the west end of the building (see Newsletter no.82, p.5). No similar wall was located, but instead a wall foundation of similar construction to the east end of Building 2, but 1.2 metres from it and on the same alignment. This wall has also been cut down to below the floor level of Building 3. Unfortunately, this wall foundation will be truncated to the north by the recent dry stone revetment, but to the south, the wall may exist to a greater height and turn to the east forming another building. This area will form the focus for the excavations this year.