Roman BritainDispersed medieval settlement remains and a Roman building immediately south west of St Cosmus and St Damian's Church
Roman Settlement · Civilian

Dispersed medieval settlement remains and a Roman building immediately south west of St Cosmus and St Damian's Church

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: nhle-16933
Site type
Settlement
Category
Civilian
Latitude
51.3050
Longitude
1.0529
Overview

History & context

This site near St Cosmus and St Damian's Church at Blean, Kent, comprises dispersed medieval settlement remains alongside the foundations of a Roman building, likely a modest rural structure or small villa-type establishment active during the 2nd to 4th centuries AD. Its scale suggests a working farmstead or agricultural outbuilding rather than a high-status residence, functioning within the productive hinterland of nearby Durovernum Cantiacorum (Canterbury).

Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →

Significance

Historical significance

The site contributes to understanding the dense pattern of rural Roman settlement in the agricultural belt north of Canterbury, where small farms supplied the civitas capital with grain, timber and livestock. Its continuity into the medieval period reflects the persistence of favourable settlement locations in the north Kent landscape.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

Limited investigation has identified building foundations, ceramic building material and Roman pottery scatters in the vicinity of the parish church, with earthwork traces of medieval occupation surviving in adjacent fields. No formal large-scale excavation has been published, and the site is known principally through surface finds and observational survey.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Dispersed medieval settlement remains and a Roman building immediately south west of St Cosmus and St Damian's Church?

This site near St Cosmus and St Damian's Church at Blean, Kent, comprises dispersed medieval settlement remains alongside the foundations of a Roman building, likely a modest rural structure or small villa-type establishment active during the 2nd to 4th centuries AD. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a settlement site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Dispersed medieval settlement remains and a Roman building immediately south west of St Cosmus and St Damian's Church?

Dispersed medieval settlement remains and a Roman building immediately south west of St Cosmus and St Damian's Church is classified as a Roman settlement — a civilian site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.

What other Roman sites are near Dispersed medieval settlement remains and a Roman building immediately south west of St Cosmus and St Damian's Church?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Vacant land within Roman walls in Adelaide Place (3.5 km), *Durovernum (3.5 km), Roman site, Butchery Lane (3.6 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.

How can I research the history of the area around Dispersed medieval settlement remains and a Roman building immediately south west of St Cosmus and St Damian's Church?

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