Furfield Quarry, Boughton Monchelsea, Kent (KT-BMS05)

Clients: Wimpey Homes (South London)

Author: Stewart Hoad

Site supervisors: Kevin Appleton and Tony Mackinder

MoLAS was commissioned by Wimpey Homes (South London) Limited to carry out an excavation and watching brief on a site to the north of Furfield Quarry, Boughton Monchelsea, near Maidstone in Kent.

The site comprised two separate areas, the so-called West and East Fields. To date, excavation has taken place in the East Field, a triangular area measuring c 200m (NW-SE) and from 124m to 8m (NE-SW). An archaeological watching brief in the West Field is due to start in the New Year (2006).

An earlier evaluation took place in August 1996 which identified archaeological remains of Iron Age, Romano-British and post-medieval date. This resulted in a specification for archaeological investigation being issued by the Heritage Conservation Group of Kent County Council. A team of archaeologists from MoLAS carried out an excavation from 6th April to 22nd July 2005.

The excavation took the form of a strip, map and record exercise. The earliest features on site were several sinuous prehistoric ditches, probably forming stock enclosures. These were found across the whole site, though a concentration was noted in the north-west part of the site.

Roman features on the site comprised a series of large enclosure ditches which ran NW to SE with returns at either end. Complete dimensions remain unclear as they continued to the north beyond the site limits of the excavation. They ranged in date from AD 75 to 275, and three distinct phases have been identified so far. At a later stage the enclosure was extended, the original SE ditch was infilled and a new ditch was dug 14m further to the south and east. This ditch was not continuous and a gap can be interpreted as an entrance.

Within the enclosure several substantial structures have been uncovered and are thought to be associated with a possible farmstead. These include the remains of a round house with an eaves drip gully; a building with postholes and sill beams in the corner of the enclosure, dated AD 100-120; a double row of large postholes forming a structure dated to AD 50-120; two aisled buildings, dated to AD 50-120 and AD 120-250; two masonry buildings, one with flint foundations and a second with ragstone walls and external buttresses; and a structure interpreted as a corn drier with two/three parallel masonry walls supporting a raised floor.

Between these buildings were numerous pits and postholes, and several hearths. Some pits contained traces of in situ burning and the backfill contained several whole pots, suggesting possible cremation/funerary deposits. Certainly one contained burnt bone, while another pit contained a large amount of pottery (?kiln debris) dated as 75 BC to AD 50. Outside the enclosure a pennanular ditch may represent the remains of another small building. A large circular feature interpreted as a well has been dated as AD 50-120.

Associated with the excavation was a programme of assessment and a measured survey of the earthworks to the south of the site, which are thought to represent the remains of the Boughton Monchelsea oppidum.

This site report is extracted from MoLAS 2005: annual review