East Farleigh Fieldwork Update 2011
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 and no.90.
Excavations in 2011 concentrated on excavating a further section of the Iron-Age ditch underlying the kitchen building (building 5) and uncovering the central section of the two barn buildings (buildings 2 and 3), which overlay each other.
In building 2 the main door had a 3.2 metre wide opening located on the south side. The south wall extended further to the west than the east, indicating that it was not central. The floor was of beaten earth. The walls consisted of ragstone 450mm wide on a 600mm wide mortared foundation, on 700mm plus of trench-fill dry ragstone.
North of this wall, and about 2 metres from it, is another wall built of dry stone 300mm wide on a 600mm wide large stone base. This is interpreted as the foundation of a timber framed building which superseded building 2. This in turn was demolished and replaced by building 3, a barn 28 metres long by 8 metres wide with a 3.6 metre wide doorway mid-way along the south side. The floor in the western side of building 3 consisted of compact burnt sandy-clay with a long flue corn dryer built into it. A clay ramp led down from the door on to the earth floor in the east side of the barn. Coins located in building 3 indicate that construction took place around AD 250. Only a few small finds were located in 2011.
The buildings were backfilled for the winter. It was thought that the sale of the site would necessitate the excavation having to be closed down, however, the new owner is keen for us to continue our investigations. This year it is hoped to locate further buildings by the use of geophysics and trial pits.
Excavation of the site has now resumed and anyone interested should contact maag.info@virginmedia.com or 01622 762422.
