Roman Settlement at Shepway Cross, Lympne
By Richard Taylor
A SHAL (Studying History and Archaeology in Lympne) community excavation on farmland near Shepway
Cross has revealed a Romano-British roadside settlement.
Following earlier work carried out in the 1970s and 80s by the Ashford Archaeological Group and Dr Sam Moorhead, the background to the excavation began in 2018 when SHAL and Malcolm Davies commissioned Richard Taylor to conduct a geophysical (magnetometry) survey of three fields. The results were intriguing. The survey was completed by February 2020, and SHAL then worked hard to assure the landowners that a community excavation was required (Fig 1). This came to fruition in August this year; a successful two-week community evaluation not only confirmed the initial aims – it’s a Romano- British site – but has thrown up other possibilities/questions regarding function and date.
Three evaluation trenches were sited over geophysical anomalies. Trench 1 was sited over a strong, rectangular magnetic anomaly which duly turned up a wall, two in-situ floor tiles, a post hole, numerous Romano-British pottery sherds, a few coins and a significant amount of lead and iron slag. The current thinking is a small industrial/workshop site.
Trench 2 was sited over a quiet area inside what appeared to be an enclosure. We thought this was an area some distance away from the likely concentrated industrial
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Fig 1: Lympne magnetometry results showing settlement
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Fig 2: Looking west at Trench 1
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Fig 3: Floor tiles in Trench 1
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Fig 4: Roman cremation burial – bichonical beaker (right) containing cremated remains
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Fig 5: Samian dish with barbotine decoration
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Fig 6: Possible North Gaulish beaker
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Fig 7: Hobnails visible as remains of buried shoe(s)
The machine bucket clipped the top of a Samian dish (AD 145- 185), revealing a nice three-vessel cremation burial, including in-situ hobnails from a pair of boots/ shoes (Figs 4–7). The cremation burial wasn’t lifted but carefully recorded, backfilled, and the position was taken with GNSS.
Trench 3 (east field) produced many Romano-British finds from varied contexts, including c.60 coins, the majority early fourth century, and a variety of box flue tile fragments with different patterns but no structures, that is, until the final day when the machine returned. We excavated a small sondage c.900mm in depth into a more consistent context. This revealed a small linear ditch containing three coins (again, early fourth century) and a quantity of animal bone.
The current thinking is that this year’s excavation area is possibly a vicus serving a fortification situated south across Aldington Road (Fig 9), both likely around from the second century and used until well into the fourth century.
SHAL’s excavation proved successful regarding the archaeological results and community engagement, with many local residents and other local groups involved
SHAL would like to extend their sincere gratitude to the landowners for this community project’s continued access and support.
Plans are underway to return next year to examine additional geophysical targets to better understand the site’s function.
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Fig 8: Trench 3 looking east
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Fig 9: Possible fortification situated south acrosss Aldington Road
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Fig 10: Local resident and SHAL member Dave Earnshaw undertaking forensic excavation and cleaning of the cremation burial