Mason's Arms, Spital Street, Dartford

The Dartford District Archaeological Group have been carrying out excavations in selected areas to the rear of the former Mason's Arms Public House in Spital Street, Dartford. These were carried out between November 1989 and March 1990 prior to the redevelopment of the site.

The history of the site

The Mason's Arms has existed as a Public House in Spital Street since c.1860, prior to that it may have traded under the sign of the Magpie. The name of Mason's Arms is derived from the fact that a stonemason's yard stood next door. The original building was timber framed and weather-boarded, c.1905. This building was demolished and replaced by a brick building of which the frontage is being preserved in the new office development.

Earlier discoveries.

Although no excavations have taken place on the site of the Mason's Arms before, there have been discoveries in the area. A recent excavation by the Group on the North side of Spital Street revealed a large quantity of fragments of pottery dating to the Roman period. In 1907 and again in 1919 other discoveries of Roman pottery were found in the area now covered by Beadles (Dartford) Ltd. These discoveries were made during building work, and the Group would be interested to hear of any information concerning these discoveries particularly perhaps from builders employed on this work. All these finds come from the area close to the assumed line of the Roman road.

The Group's Excavation

This comprised of two grids in areas which would be destroyed in the site's subsequent redevelopment. Part of a 19th Century gravestone, probably a waste piece from the adjacent stone mason's yard was found. This piece of stone was used to form the base of a 19th Century drain. Several rubbish pits were located and excavated which contained a variety of objects ranging from flower pots to part of 18th/19th Century wine glasses. There was also evidence of an 18th Century clay pipe workshop in the form of small fragments of a kiln. At the bottom of a deep pit was found fragments of a medieval glazed jug. This pit was dug through a Roman layer of domestic rubbish. This contained fragments of roofing tile and various types of Roman pottery. Amongst this material lay an almost complete brooch and part of another. It was made of bronze with an iron pin and resembles a modern safety pin. These are now being conserved at the Kent Museum Service, West Malling. The most surprising and totally unexpected find was the bones of a human fetus laying amongst the domestic rubbish!

The finds from our excavation are currently being processed at the Group's Research centre in Dartford. Our thanks are due to Grand Metropolitan Estates Ltd. for allowing excavations to take place as well as assisting the group financially with this work.

Chris Baker.

Dartford Borough Museum