Monument record TQ 75 NW 966 - Roman gully, The Friars, Aylesford

Three evaluation trenches were excavated in 2022 by Pre-Construct Archaeology prior to planning permission for a Pastoral Retreat building.
An irregular gully, aligned north-south, in Trenches 2 and 4 (an extension to trench 2), at least 5m long and 0.35m to 1.15m wide was discovered and had been infilled with ceramic building material dated to AD 50-160.
In the western end of Trench 1 was a layer of sandstone and ragstone rubble. A sherd of ceramic
building material recovered from the layer was was dated to AD 55-160.
As there was no domestic rubbish, it is suggested by the authors of the report (1) that the building material may have be brought to site from elsewhere, but it does indicate the presence of Roman activity in the area.

Sealing each of the trenches was a kitchen a garden soil. The stem of a clay tobacco pipe can only be dated to 1580-1910, while a sherd of pottery can only be dated to between 1670 and 1916. (1)

<1> Pre-Construct Arcaheology, 2022, The Friars, Aylesford, Kent ME20 7BX, An Archaeological Evaluation (Unpublished document). SKE55358.