Roman Road at Chart Sutton

The Maidstone Area Archaeological Group were asked by the County Archaeologist to investigate the line of the Roman Road at Chart Sutton between the cutting through the scarp face and Luck Lane.

Drainage installation near Luck Lane end had brought to the work surface disturbing the road metalling. To prevent further drainage, it was decided to locate the road position before deciding the route of the drainage work.

The section investigated consisted of a bridleway running between the two fences 4.5 m apart, the east side also had a hedge with mature trees.

Three sections were cut down to the road surface which was between 50mm and 300mm below the ground level. At many places, the metalling is exposed on the surface of the bridleway.

The road was located at a position varying between 600mm and 1m from the west fence. The road was generally 2.4m wide and its thickness was proved to be 200mm. The northerly section had traces of a red gravel surfacing. No side ditches were encountered although they may have lain outside the fences which were the limit of the excavations.

The line of the road followed the curve of the fence. This curve may be the product of land slippage of the waterlogged Atherfield Clay. This imagination. road is not the tracing of Roman superhighway roads of most peoples' county. We must look for something more modest.

Albert Daniels