Scheduled Monuments›England›Springhead Roman site

Springhead Roman site

England
List entry 1005140
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1005140
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
21.63 hectares
Grid reference
TQ 61850 72406, TQ 61465 72455
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Springhead is a Romano-British settlement and religious site located near Gravesend in Kent, England, dating from the 1st to 4th centuries AD. The site occupies a strategically important position at the confluence of the River Thames and Ebbsfleet, and archaeological evidence indicates it developed as a significant ritual and commercial centre during the Roman occupation of Britain. Excavations have revealed substantial structural remains including temples, domestic buildings, and evidence of metalworking, alongside finds of coins, pottery, and votive objects that suggest both religious practice and economic activity. The site's proximity to the Thames made it an important node in Romano-British trade networks, and its religious significance is demonstrated by archaeological features consistent with Celtic and Romano-Celtic religious traditions.

Springhead Roman site is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1005140. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Springhead Roman site?

Springhead is a Romano-British settlement and religious site located near Gravesend in Kent, England, dating from the 1st to 4th centuries AD. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1005140.

Who is responsible for protecting Springhead Roman site?

Springhead Roman site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1005140.

What other scheduled monuments are near Springhead Roman site?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Roman enclosure SE of Vagniacae (0.8 km), Monastic grange at Friary Court (1.7 km), Icehouse at Clock House, Green Street Green (3.5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Springhead Roman site

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Springhead Roman site's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Springhead Roman site report
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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Roman enclosure SE of Vagniacae
0.8 km
Monastic grange at Friary Court
1.7 km
Icehouse at Clock House, Green Street Green
3.5 km
Deserted medieval manorial settlement of Cossington
4.7 km
A major Roman villa, an Anglo-Saxon settlement and prehistoric remains 600m SSE of Darenth Court Farm
5.5 km
A preceptory of the Knights Hospitallers, known as St John's Jerusalem, and an associated fishpond at Sutton-at-Hone
6 km
Bowl barrow in Ashenbank Wood south of Cobham Park reservoir
6.7 km
Roman granary 250yds (230m) W of St Mary's Church
6.8 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Springhead Roman site

Springhead Roman site stands on Thanet Sand Formation, bedrock that formed in the Thanetian. The rock here is sand, silt and clay.

The wider landscape

Around Springhead Roman site

RochesterRoman town · ~8.3 milesLondonRoman town · ~18.6 miles
Domesday entry for Southfleet, Kent →
All Scheduled Monuments