More information : Discovery of Roman pottery at Bellefield Road, Orpington in 1946 led to excavations in 1965 at TQ 46786758, and the discovery of Roman tiles, flint rubble, and pottery indicating occupation from the 1st to the 4th century AD. An unexpected find was a group of 6th century Anglo-Saxon burials, one cremation and six inhumations, with grave goods including a shield boss, spear-head, two disc brooches, a bronze buckle and a decorated glass armlet. Further investigations uncovered a cobbled floor and structures thought to represent an out-house and a kiln. Work in 1971 on another part of the site revealed a substantial building, "probably a villa", of winged corridor type. Although partly destroyed by laying of water and sewage pipes, two complete rooms, part of a corridor, and a small apsidal room with a hypocaust have been identified, with walls over 2 1/2 feet thick standing to a height of 1 1/2 feet in some places, and possble evidence of more than one building phase. On the NW side of one of the rooms was a paved courtyard, perhaps extending to the outbuilding discovered earlier. Large quantities of hypocaust tiles, roof tiles and pottery have been found, and a few tesserae. Slag from various parts of the site indicates industrial activity, and loom-weights from one of the rooms suggest it was a domestic work-room. (1-6)
The area in the process of excavation in 1965 was centred at TQ 46796758, on the site of three demolished cottages. (7)
Masses of Roman pottery and other material have been recovered over an area extending from TQ 466675 to 471675 E/W, and 468677 to 468674 N/S. (8)
Three rooms of a substantially built Roman building have been fully excavated, with two baths, one within an apsidal room; a room with extensive evidence of fire, perhaps a hypocaust; a cobbled courtyard with some sort of kiln or furnace (badly damaged). The complex extends under Bellefield Road, but evidence up-to-date warrants its description as a villa. The masses of finds include pottery, bones, building material, and metal or glass slag. Three burials from May Avenue, about 300-400 yards away (Area TQ 468678) are early to mid 2nd century. One contained some jet beads and two shale bracelets. (9)
Tester's excavations have been fully published in two reports. The 71 burials found were a combination of cremation and inhumations, the latter generally orientated north-south or east-west. Grave goods suggest a date range from the mid-5th to the mid-6th centuries AD. Roman features in the area of excavation included a length of ditch, some pits and post-holes and an extensive layer of flint rubble. Pottery and other finds were taken to suggest Romano-British occupation of the area from the later 1st century AD to "well beyond the middle of the 4th", with a gap assumed to exist between Romano-British and Anglo-Saxon use of the site. (10-11)
Further excavations between Poverest and Fordcroft Roads adjacent to Tester's site were undertaken between 1971 and 1980. In addition to 13 further probably or possible Anglo-Saxon burials, substantial remains of a Roman building were uncovered. Two building phases were identified, and the 3 rooms excavated are suggested to represent the remains of a bath house. Features interpreted as the remains of outbuildings were excavated a short distance to the west. The site has also produced a large scatter of Mesolithic flints and "a quantity" of pre-Roman pottery. Earlier this century, a hoard of Roman coins was found in the Fordcroft Road area. Its present whereabouts and content are unknown. (12)
Further excavation in the area of the scheduled site occured in 1988. The interim report notes the discovery of post-holes, ditches and other features of mainly Roman date. Some criticism and reinterpretation of earlier work is also offered (13). Philp's criticisms and reinterpretation have been largely rejected by the previous excavator (14). (13-14)
Further discussion of the merits of the 1971-80 excavation and its publication. (15-16) |