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Victoria County History of Kent Vol. 3  1932 - Romano-British Kent - Roads - Page 137

The next visible section of the road is within the fence of Cobham Park near Brewer’s Gate, and it can be traced, sometimes inside the Park and sometimes merging into the disused modern road, for nearly a mile to Scaler’s Hill, where for another half mile its course is marked by a conspicuous though overgrown channel. Indications of a paving were met with in this channel several years ago.
   For the next 4 miles parish boundaries lie along the way; Hasted says that the Roman road was visible near Singlewell at the end of the 18th century. No signs of the road were noted during the construction of the modern arterial road in 1921—22, but a tile cist was discovered 200 yds. east of Northumberland Bottom on the line of the road,and close by was a well-stratified shaft, probably a rubbish tip. At Springhead (see above, p. 92), sections of the Roman road were seen in excavations for the arterial road ;8 and near here, at Shorne Warren, was found in 1907 the rough inscribed roadstone now in Maidstone 

Museum. On this stone, Mr. R. G. Collingwood has kindly supplied the following note :—" It is about 47 inches high by about 23 wide. Haverfield and Cheesman’s reading (Eph. Epigr. ix, 991) is correct as to text, but I have been able to detect a few more letters by making a contact-drawing eliminating the modern inscription which has been cut over it and confuses the eye. The letters thus deciphered read :— 

                   DD   NN
                   LA    VAL
                  SEVEROEI
                  GAL. VAL
                  MAXIMI
                  NO NOBL

D(ominis) n(ostris) [F]la(vio) Val(erio) Severo e[t] Gal(erio) Val(erio) Maximino nob [i]l(issimis) [Caes(aribus)]. Flavius Severus and Maximin Daia were created Caesars, on the abdication of Diocletian and Maximian, May 305; in July 306 Constantine I assumed the title of Caesar and Flavius Severus took that of Augustus ; the inscription therefore falls between these two dates."


Fig. 31.  Inscription on supposed Milestone found at Shorne Warren
(From drawing by R. G. Collingwood in
 ‘Roman Inscriptions Series’)

   Traces of the road may be seen a mile or so further on at the north side of the cutting through Telegraph Hill,and again near St. Mary’s Home; and then following a straight line, it reaches Dartford Brent and descends
   Arch. Cant. xl, 29. Topographical Index. s.v. Northfleet. 
   8 
Ant. Journ. viii, 338; Journ. R. Studies, xl, 223.

   9  In view of a rumour that has gained currency during the last few years, it may be worth while to mention that the two concrete piers flanking the road at the top of Telegraph Hill do not contain Roman relics discovered when the road was constructed; and in view of the occasional discoveries of pottery on the banks of the cutting, it should be noted that the banks of clay were consolidated by a dressing of earth obtained from Springhead.

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