KAS Newsletter, Issue 61, Summer 2004
Written By KAS
Issue number 61 Summer 2004
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
part of the plot. In 1920 this
barrow was partially levelled to
make way for a new tennis court
in the garden of Sir Johnston
Fo r b e s - Robertson, a famous
actor of the day. During the
construction of the tennis court,
the workmen discovered six
extended inhumation burials,
fairly certainly of Anglo-Saxon
date, together with an earlier
crouched burial, most probably
he Canterbury Archaeological
Trust has just completed
excavations, ahead of new
building work, on land at
Bay Hill, St Margaret’s-at-
Cliffe. The site lies on the
summit of a chalk ridge,
overlooking the English Channel,
near Dover. Very particular interest
attached to the site from the outset
because a substantial Bronze Age
round barrow had once occupied
Summer 2004
1
associated with the original barrow.
Excavations in May and June
2004 showed that other remains
still survived.
No traces of the prehistoric barrow
mound remained but almost
the complete eastern half of the
barrow’s enclosing ring-ditch was
located. This is estimated to have
been about 22 metres in diameter.
Inside
2-3
St Margaret’s Bay
Stone Road
Library notes
4-5
Cod Brass, Allen
Grove,Train Stops &
Sittingbourne LHRG
6-7
Lectures, Courses,
Conferences & Events
8-9
Notice Board
10-11
‘Ideas & Ideals’
Articles on the Net
ALSF
12-13
New Books
St Barnabas’
14-15
Letters to the Editor
LHIGrants
Maidstone Roman
Villa
16
KASShow
news l e t e r K E N T A RC H A E O LO G I C A L S O C I E T Y
ANCIENT BURIALS
AT ST MARGARET’S
continued on page 2
General view of the site looking towards the sea.
summer 2004
2
KENT COASTAL
EXCAVATIONS
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KENT COASTAL
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KENT COASTAL
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KENT COASTAL
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KENT COASTAL
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KENT COASTAL
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KENT COASTAL
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KENT COASTAL
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KENT COASTAL
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KENT COASTAL
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KENT COASTAL
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KENT COASTAL
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KEEXCAVATIONS
ring-ditch or lay just outside it.
They had all been placed in a
crouched or contracted position -
three were lying on their right
sides and two others were prone.
None contained any datable grave
goods.
Trust members are now
undertaking a close study of the
evidence recorded and a detailed
report will be produced in due
course.
Keith Parfitt
Canterbury Archaeological Trust
gullies, suggesting that they had
once themselves been covered
with small barrows. The skull of a
probable female contained within
Grave 6 showed evidence of an
unusual medical condition.
The discovery of no less than
six contracted inhumations
(Graves 9-14), apparently all of
prehistoric date, represented an
unexpected find and clearly
implies that the barrow site had
acted as a focus for Bronze Age
(and perhaps Iron Age) activity.
All these graves had either been
cut into the filling of the barrow
A view of the ring-ditch, clearly visible.
The Roman building under
excavation.
industrial process that was carried
out within the building. A fragment
of a large millstone, possibly
from a mechanical mill, and several
fragments from hand querns
were found and it appears that
grain may have been processed at
the site ready for milling.
Detailed analysis of the building
and finds are at an early stage
and there is more to discover from
the records and artefacts about the
history of the building.
Archaeological sites dating
from the Bronze and Iron Ages
have been excavated recently in
the North Foreland area
and the discovery of a
Roman building nearby
adds another layer to our
understanding of this
area and Thanet’s past.
Although the building has
now been reburied it will
be preserved for future
generations to investigate
further.
Ges Moody
Deputy Director
Trust for Thanet Archaeology
he Trust for Thanet
Archaeology has discovered
and excavated a small
cellared Roman building
near Stone Road, North
Foreland, Broadstairs.
This is an
area where finds
of Roman material
have been made in
the past, but few
sites of the period
have been excavated
by modern methods.
The building lies
on the northern
slope of a valley and
is constructed on a
deep layer of hillwash
containing
Iron Age and Early
Roman finds. A
group of clay hearths
found in the chalk
floor of the building
are evidence of an
STONE ROAD, BROADSTAIRS
continued from page 1
Trenches cut through the
ring-ditch showed it to
be between 1.05 and
1.70 metres wide and up
to 1.15 metres deep.
Although the lower
levels of the ditch were
almost totally devoid of
finds, the brown loam
filling in the top of
the ditch produced a
significant quantity of
prehistoric struck flint,
together with some prehistoric
pottery, animal
bone and marine shell.
At total of eight
A n g l o - S a xon graves
(Graves 1-8) was
revealed outside the barrow
ditch. These all contained
extended inhumations,
aligned west-east.
Characteristic Anglo-Saxon iron
knives were recovered from four of
them but there were few other
grave goods. The distribution of
the Anglo-Saxon graves appears
fairly even and consists of three
rows of widely spaced graves, generally
set about 5 metres apart.
None had been disturbed in the
recent past and it seems clear that
these are not to be counted
amongst those graves identified in
1920. Graves 6 and 7 on the eastern
side of the Bronze Age monument
were enclosed by small ringWe
are most grateful to Mrs. Mary Butcher for
donating to the KAS library the following books and
pamphlets from the library of her late husband, Mr. John
Butcher, a valued member of KAS for many years and a
volunteer in the KAS library, assisting in the indexing of
Visual Records.
Shell book of Cottages. (Richard Ford.)
A Thousand years of the English Parish. (Anthea Jones).
Maidstone Official Charter Brochure.
Archbishops Palace Heritage Centre Maidstone.
Village Records. (John West).
The Parish Chest. (W.E.Tate).
Tracing the History of Villages. (Trevor Yorke).
The Voices of Morebath. (Eamon Duffy).
Field Work in Local History. (W.G.Hoskins).
Life in Kent at the turn of the Century. (Michael
Winstanley).
Geology of the Country Round Maidstone. (HMSO).
The Wealden District. (HMSO Regional Geography).
Rural Rides. (William Cobbett).
The Making Of Charles Dickens. (Christopher Hibbert).
Maidstone and Chatham Tramways. (R.J.Harley).
The Churchyard Handbook.
Iron Industry of the Weald. (Henry Cleare and David
Crossland).
Hops and Hop Picking. (Richard Filmer).
The Encircling Hop. History of Hops and Brewing.
(Margaret Lawrence).
Yalding Manor Record 1334-6.
Yalding.
Marden. A Wealden Village.
History of Chart Sutton.
History of Bearsted and Thurnham.
History of the Mote Cricket Club.
Carshalton. From Medieval Manor to London Suburb.
(T. Osborn).
Mid Victorian Tonbridge. (C.W.Chalklin).
Maidstone to Ashford Railway. 1870-1884.
Richborough and Reculver. (E.H. 1987).
Maidstone Guide. 5th Edition.
Maidstone Grammar School.
Boxley. Story of an English Parish.
Library Volunteers have completed work on
some 200 of the Hussey files of genealogical information
on Kentish families, and each file now has
a list of contents, to assist the researcher. A start
is being made on the Hussey files on Kentish locations
with particular reference to families associated
with the location. We hope that work on
these files will be completed before the end of the
year, and appropriate reference to them will then
be posted on kentarchaeology.ac website. Addition to
the website of the index of the Gordon Ward files
on Kentish locations proceeds and has reached
letter L. The use of the website facility for the publication
of articles on Kent history and archaeology
is increasing, and in future the site is to be used
by the KAS Publications Committee for the publication,
where appropriate, of articles and books
sponsored by the Committee. The website itself is
about to undergo a make-over, partly in order to
be able to manage and accommodate with greater
ease its increasing use.
For the History and Archaeology Show on
June 5, the Library housed displays by KA S
Committees on their work —— Pu b l i c a t i o n s ,
Education, Field Works, Place Names and Library
Committees. The Library Committee, a selection
of rare books on Kent, and journals from other
regional and national history and archaeology
societies were exhibited, together with a montage
of visual images of Kentish buildings and locations
from our extensive collection. The displays
were well appreciated by the visitors, and the
Publications stall in particular was well favoured
in its sale of KAS publications.
Baden Württemberg; Materiel Hefte fur
Archaeologie No. 65 (2004).
Bygone Kent. Vol.25 Nos. 4, 5, and 6.
Orpington Field Club Annual Report 2003.
Greater London Archaeology Quarterly Re v i e w
March 2004.
Bulletin Archaeologique Liegoise CXI 2000 (2002).
Zuidoost Vlaanderen Bijdragen VIII (2002).
Place Names of Shropshire P.4.
Northamptonshire Archaeology Vol. 30 (2002).
Whitstable; History at the Horsebridge. (Geoffrey
Pike)
Video; The Beauty of the East Kent Countryside and
its Churches. (Brian Maxted ).
Bonner Jahrbuch Band 200 (2003)
Records of Buckinghamshire Vol. 24 (2004)
Bede Clerks Roll Vol. 39 , 1 and 2.
Derbyshire Archaeological Journal Vol. 124 (2004).
Story of Wye Crown.
Archaeometry Vol.46 P.2.
History of the Church of St. Michael and All Saints,
Throwley. (John Owen.).
Summer 2004
3
L I B R A RY NOTES
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NEW ACQUISITIONS
APRIL-JUNE 2004
FROM THE LIBRARY OF THE LATE
JOHN BUTCHER
Summer 2004
4
THE COD
BRASS: 15TH
CENTURY
RECYCLING IN
A ROCHESTER
CHURCH
THE COD
BRASS: 15TH
CENTURY
RECYCLING IN
A ROCHESTER
CHURCH
THE COD
BRASS: 15TH
CENTURY
RECYCLING IN
A ROCHESTER
CHURCH
THE COD
BRASS: 15TH
CENTURY
RECYCLING IN
A ROCHESTER
CHURCH
THE COD
BRASS: 15TH
CENTURY
RECYCLING IN
A ROCHESTER
CHURCH
THE COD
BRASS: 15TH
CENTURY
RECYCLING IN
A ROCHESTER
CHURCH
Congratulations to Mr
Alan Moss from Rochester, the
winner of the Churches
Committee Competition. His
winning entry appears below.
he subject of this short
essay is not puzzling, nor
particularly bizarre (to use
the words of the invitation)
but it is, we like to think,
somewhat unusual and its
survival somewhat remarka b l e .
For reasons which will emerge, it
could be described as an example
of 15th century recycling.
In addition to its ancient
Cathedral, this year celebrating its
14th centenary, the City and
Liberty of Rochester once had four
parish churches of ancient foundation:
St Clement, St Nicholas
(Rochester), St Nicholas (Strood)
and St Margaret. Of these, St
Clement has long gone, its last
vestiges disappearing under 19th
century railway works and St
Nicholas (Rochester) now serves
as the offices of the diocese. St
Nicholas (Strood) and St
Margaret are happily still fully
functioning, both having been
almost completely rebuilt in the
early years of the 19th century. It
is to St Margaret’s that we look
for the object of the recycling to
which I refer. It is in fact a small
brass, measuring about 16 inches
by 11 and commemorating the life
and ministry of one Thomas Cod,
Vicar of the said parish between
1448 and 1465. The inscription
which accompanies it translates
as follows :-
Here lies a victim of death, he who
was once called the Reverend Thomas
Cod, the beloved and pious Vicar of this
Church: for he rendered great service to
this Church of Christ, and repaired the
belfry when in a very bad state (or ‘in
the worst times’). This T. C. dies in the
year 1465 in the month of November,
on the anniversary of the Martyrdom
of Saturninus [November 29th]. O do
Thou, Oh Jesus, have mercy on him, O
holy Andrew Bring him trophies from
the brass :-
“ was to represent Thomas Cod in
processional vestments, which consist -
ed of (1) Cassock, (2) Surplice, (3)
Almuce (a hood of fur, worn by digni -
taries from which came the college
hood), and (4) Cope. The engraver
made a mistake and instead of the
almuce or hood of fur, engraved the
Amice, which is one of the Eucharistic
vestments. So the engraver merely
turned it over and engraved the dress
correctly on the back.”
One can only imagine the fuss
which must have erupted when,
having no doubt paid a princely
sum for it, those who commissioned
the brass then found it to
contain a fundamental error in its
representation of their beloved
priest. One may also suppose that
an argument probably ensued as
to who was responsible and who
should bear the cost of rectifying
it: the engraver or he who
instructed the engraver. There
being no money for a wholly new
brass, a compromise was reached,
the original was turned over, a
new engraving executed - correct
this time, much to everyone’s
relief. The brass was set in place,
the error was covered up and forgotten,
not to see the light of day
again for 400 years.
The Cod brass is happily still in
the possession of what has since
become the Parish of St Peter with
St Margaret in Ro c h e s t e r. The
hinged frame in which it was
placed so that both sides could be
seen, is still in place in St
Margaret’s Church. But the brass
is not there; it has become
extremely fragile, its fragility
exacerbated, no doubt, by its 19th
century adventures. To prevent
further deterioration it has been
removed to a safer place. Let us
hope that in due course further
repair or stabilisation can be carried
out and it may once again
adorn our church. It is curious to
think that, but for a careless mistake
in the 15th century, the Cod
brass may well have passed completely
into oblivion by now.
his (spiritual} enemy. May eternal life
be the reward of all his holy works.
The enigmatic reference to his
having repaired the belfry when in
a very bad state or ‘in the worst
times’ leaves us uncertain as to
what he really did. The reference
to ‘the worst time’ may have
referred to the state of the nation,
rather than the condition of the
belfry itself. Whatever is meant,
evidence suggests that the tower
was completely rebuilt. The tower
is, in fact, the only part of the
medieval church which survived
the rebuilding, in the classical
style, between 1823 and 1840.
It was during the later stages
of the rebuilding that the brass -
which had lain in the middle aisle
- was disturbed. It was first the
object of a clumsy attempt to take
a cast in lead. This resulted in
the head being torn away from
the body, which remained in situ.
The detached head was taken into
the care of the then incumbent,
the Rev’d Mr Drage. On close
inspection it was found to be
engraved on the reverse side as
well as the face. Careful cleaning
revealed the head of a cleric in a
r e m a r kably pristine condition
some 400 years after its manufacture.
Permission was given for the
rest of the brass to be removed
and the whole - by now in three
pieces - was found to be a representation
of a priest wearing the
vestments of his day. The mystery
remained as to why such an
apparently perfect specimen
should have lain concealed from
view for so many centuries.
The brass was restored by a Mr
S J Carlos. He replaced certain
parts which had been lost, blackened
the lines of the brass and
filled parts of the priest’s apparel
with red wax, presumably having
noted traces of red wax used by
the maker.
Writing about the Cod brass in
1907, the Rev’d Walter E
Buckland, Vicar of East Malling,
gave as his opinion that the
intention of those who ordered
THE COD BRASS: 15th
CENTURY RECYCLING IN
A ROCHESTER CHURCH
per annum for a single member
and £20 for a family. For this,
members will receive a monthly
newsletter (the first of which has
just appeared), have access to
e xclusive courses offered at
reduced costs, four lectures and
eight social evenings per year,
family-orientated events, organised
field trips and opportunities
to assist in larger scale research
projects.
The Group will embrace all
ittingbourne has a new
local history society, ‘The
Historical Research Group
of Sittingbourne’. The
Group was inaugurated
following the interest generated
by the decision to demolish
the Plough public house in
East Street. It was noticed from
public reaction that a renewed
interest was being taken in the
town’s heritage.
Membership fee will be £15
levels of research and its members
will be encouraged to get
actively involved in the Groups’
activities. The Group does not
portray itself purely as a research
organization but as a rescue
organisation as well, to help preserve
the town’s heritage.
For further information and
details please contact Alan Abbey
on the Group’s dedicated phone
line, 01795 553608.
John Clancy
Summer 2004
5
T H E H I S T O R I C A L R E S E A R C H
G R O U P O F S I T T I N G B O U R N E
T R A I NS T O P SF O RK A SM E M B E R S
T H EA L L E NG R O V E L O C A LH I S T O RY FUND
KAS member Susan Pittman
recently came across this charming
piece of information. She
writes:
“There was a whole large page
Some of the members, and a
large section of the party,
including Lord Northbourne, and
several members of the
Council, were two hours late in
arriving’.
I can’t think that the train
would stop for a group of KAS
Members today!”
Susan Pittman
account of the KAS AGM held at
Eynsford in the Chronicle and
District Times of 3 August 1909 (I
think this is the Dartford
Chronicle, but this is not written
at the top of the page). The article
contained some lovely pen and
ink drawings. Towards the end
of the account my attention
was caught by the following: ‘The
5.50 express was
specially stopped
at Eynsford for
the conveyance
of the party to
M a i d s t o n e ,
where the annual
dinner of the
Society was held
at the Star Hotel
in the evening,
under the presidency
of Lord
N o r t h b o u r n e .
RESEARCH
GROUP,
HISTORY
FUND &
SPECIAL
STOPS
RESEARCH
GROUP,
HISTORY
FUND &
SPECIAL
STOPS
RESEARCH
GROUP,
HISTORY
FUND &
SPECIAL
STOPS
RESEARCH
GROUP,
HISTORY
FUND &
SPECIAL
STOPS
RESEARCH
GROUP,
HISTORY
FUND &
SPECIAL
STOPS
RESEARCH
GROUP,
HISTORY
FUND &
SPECIAL
STOPS
book which will be on a 1481 survey
of the Manor of Hadlow.
Goudhurst and Kilndown Local
History Society’s grant was to buy
materials for storage of documents
in its archive and
Shoreham and District Historical
Society received its grant for oral
history research into the village
in the Second World War. The
total awarded was £950.
he Allen Grove Local
History Fund has made
four grants this year, three
to local societies and one
to an individual.
The individual was Mrs
Kate Kersey for research for a
book on the communities of the
villages of Bearsted and
Thurnham. Hadlow Historical
Society also received a grant for a
The next grants will be made
in about June next year.
Application forms for grants can
be obtained from the Hon.
General Secretary and the
applications must reach him by
31st March. The trustees are considering
commissioning a book
on the history of local history
societies and details of this are in
a separate note on page 8.
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSES AND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSES AND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSES AND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSES AND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
Summer 2004
6
Churches Committee Outing
Saturday 18 September
You are invited to visit the two churches of Barfreston and
Womenswold. We meet at Barfreston at 1.45 for 2pm.
Tour £2 (£1 for students), £1 for tea (at Womenswold).
Please return the enclosed booking form by 11 September
or phone 01622 871945.
New Perspectives on Four Kent Towns
Saturday 16 October at Charing Barn, beside Charing
parish Church.
10.30am for 11am start.
This event replaces the traditional KAS 3 short
excursions. Four expert speakers will contribute:
Keith Parfitt ~ Early Dover
Sarah Pearson ~ Faversham and Sandwich
Ken McGoverin ~ The History and Industrial Archaeology
of Northfleet
Liz Finn ~ An Outline History of Maidstone
Cost £5.00 per person. Morning coffee and afternoon tea
are included in the price; lunch can be obtained in Charing
or a packed lunch eaten in the Barn. Further enquiries to
the Hon.Excursions Secretary, Joy Saynor, tel: 01959
522713 or email: saynor.shoreham@amserve.com.
To book please return the booking form within this
Newsletter.
KASChristmas Lunch
Saturday 27 November at the Hall of Wye College.
Details and booking form in the Autumn issue.
Council for Kentish Archaeology
Celebrating 40 years of Archaeological Discoveries in
Kent on Saturday 6 November, 2-5.30pm
Canterbury Christ Church University College
Illustrated talks:
The Discovery of the Roman Religious Town at Springhead Victor
Smith
Excavating the Roman Forts at Dover and Reculver Brian Philp
Presentation workshops with finds and plans, led by:
Orpington & District Archaeological Society, Springhead
E xcavation Group, Lower Medway Archaeological
Research Group, Upchurch Archaeological Re s e a r c h
Group, Dover Archaeological Group, Bromley and West
Kent Archaeological Group.
Tickets £4, available from CKA, 7 Sandy Ridge, Borough
Green TN15 8HP. Cheques payable to CKA. Further information
available on www. t h e - c ka.fsnet.co.uk, or from
Conference Organiser, Ruth Plummer tel: 0208 7777872
email: davru58-cka@yahoo.co.uk
Study for a Certificate in Archaeology!
If you are interested in archaeology deepen your knowledge
and understanding of the subject through study on
the University of Kent’s well-established Certificate in
Archaeology.
Courses include an introduction to archaeological method,
prehistoric Britain, Roman Britain and Ancient Egypt.
There are places available on the Certificate at both the
Canterbury Campus and the University Centre at
Tonbridge, starting at the end of September 2004. The programme
is taught on a part-time basis, one evening a week
over two years.
No formal entry qualifications are necessary; you need
demonstrate only interest, enthusiasm and aptitude.
If you complete the Certificate you can then consider progressing
to a Diploma and Degree in Archaeological
Studies should you wish.
Why not ask for more information?
Contact the Information and Guidance Unit, the Registry,
University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NZ tel: 0800 9753777
email: info@kent.ac.uk
University of Kent/Sussex Past Training Excavations
Bishopstone, East Sussex 9 August-18 Sept 2004
Following the appointment of Sussex Archaeological
Society’s research officer, Dr Gabor Thomas, to a lectureship
at the University of Kent, the University is collaborating
with Sussex Past in order to allow the completion of a
long-term project at Bishopstone, Sussex, investigating village
origins, as part of its programme of developing the
University’s involvement in field archaeology.
The second and final season of the excavation element of
the project this summer will target early medieval buildings
and occupation identified in the shadow of an Anglo-
Saxon church in the very heart of Bishopstone.
5-day training courses run through the period of the excavation
and cost £180, covering all aspects of archaeological
fieldwork including: geophysics, surveying using To t a l
Station, excavation techniques, site planning and context
recording, standing building recording, finds processing,
and environmental sampling.
Places limited to 10 per week. Camping facilities provided.
Numerous B&Bs in the area.
It is also possible to participate as a volunteer.
For application forms write to: Alison Lawrence, Barbican
House, 169 High Street, Lewes BN7 1YE tel: Mon-Thur:
01273 405730; email: castle@sussexpast.co.uk
Email application forms and a 2003 Interim Report can be
accessed at: http://www.sussexpast.co.uk
The Sussex Archaeological Society is an IFA Registered
Organisation.
Horton Kirby & South Darenth Local History Society
13 September
The Life of Edward Hasted Shirley Black
8 November
A Roman re-enactor Leslie Allman
Both on Monday at 8pm in the Village Hall, South Darenth.
L e c t u res, Conferences, Courses and Events
KAS EVENTS COURSES
CONFERENCES
LECTURES
OTHER EVENTS FROM AROUND
THE COUNTY
by ticket only – please send a s.a.e. stating which day is
required to ODAS, 27 Eynsford Close, Petts Wood BR5 1DP.
Sussex Archaeological Society Conference in association
with the Centre for Continuing Education, University of
Sussex
S a xon Sussex: Six Centuries, on Saturday 11
September
Burial & settlement in the South Saxon kingdom: the 5th to 8th
centuries Sarah Semple
Grave assemblages in Anglo-Saxon cemeteries: a reconsideration
Jane Brenan
Darkness into light: construction of Saxon churches in Sussex
Robert Hutchinson
Pattern & process in Anglo-Saxon settlement Judie English
New Light on Later Anglo-Saxon settlement in Sussex: Bishopstone
excavations 2002-4 Gabor Thomas
Landscape & Early Medieval settlement in the western Sussex
Weald Diana Chatwin
Fishing & trade in Sussex, AD900-1100 Mark Gardiner
Fee £25 per person inclusive of conference booklet, morning
& afternoon tea/coffee. Lunch not included. Booking
information from Lorna Gartside, Barbican House, 169
High Street, Lewes BN7 1YE tel: 01273 405737 email:
members@sussexpast.co.uk
or book online at www.sussexpastshop.co.uk
The Sutton Hoo Society Conference 2004 on Saturday
16 October, 9am-5.30pm
Anglo-Saxon Landscapes: Real and Imaginary
The Royal Hospital School, Holbrook near Ipswich
Chaired by Professor Martin Carver (Uni of York) & Angela
Care Evans (Brit Mus)
Speakers:
Dr Andrew Rogerson (Norfolk Museums Service)
Prof. Peter Fowler (Prof Emeritus Newcastle Uni)
Dr Helena Hamerow (Uni of Oxford)
Prof David Dumville (Girton Coll, Cambridge)
John Newman (Archaeological Services Suffolk County
Council)
Dr Tom Williamson (Uni of East Anglia)
Price (lunch included), Soc members £17.50, non-members
£20.00, students £10.00
Contact The Treasurer, Sutton Hoo Society, 2 Meadowside,
Wickham Market, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13 0UD
Council for British Archaeology South-East in association
with the Centre for Continuing Education, University of
Sussex.
The Cinque Ports: Archaeology and Heritage on
Saturday 13 November.
Speakers include:
Keith Parfitt - Dover, Andrew Butcher - Hythe, Gill Draper
& Frank Meddens - New Ro m n e y, Peter Marsden -
Hastings, David Martin - Winchelsea, Helen Clarke – multidisciplinary
projects at Sandwich & Rye. Gustav Milne will
provide an Introduction & Summing Up. Conference
chaired by David Rudling.
Event also includes the CBA SE AGM.
For further details or application form please send A5 s.a.e.
to David Morriss, CCE, Arts E201, University of Sussex,
Falmer, Brighton, E.Sussex BN1 9QQ.
continued on page 10 Summer 2004
7
Farningham & Eynsford Local History Society
17 September (Eynsford Hall)
The Anglo-Saxon Jutes in Kent Andrew Richardson
12 November (Farningham Hall)
A Journey along the River Cray Denise Baldwin
Both at 8pm.
National Archaeology Days 2004 This annual event will
be held over the weekend of 17 & 18 July. A full listing of
events can be found on the Council for British
Archaeology’s website at www.britarch.ac.uk.
Saturday 17 July 10.30am-4pm. National Archaeology
Days event at the ‘Boot Fair’ field, Haine Road, Ramsgate
(adjacent to the Lord of the Manor roundabout). Thanet
Archaeological Society invite you to see displays, to try
‘hands-on’ archaeology including the chance to dig, surveying,
metal detecting, finds identification.
Life & Death in Saxon Kent
Sunday 18 July 11am-4.30pm. National Archaeology
Days event in the Museum of Kent Life, Cobtree,
Maidstone.
North Downs Young Archaeologists’ invite you to a family
fun day! All children under 16 go free. Julian Richards
(Meet the Ancestors) talking about TV archaeology and
facial reconstruction, Regia Anglorum Saxon re-enactment,
‘make&do’ activity stalls and games, artefacts of the
period for handling and food for tasting, finds ID and an
exhibition of local history and archaeology groups. A day
out for everyone from 3 to 103.
Finds Identification
Andrew Richardson, Finds Liaison Officer for Kent, will be
in attendance to identify and record finds:
Thursday 5 August at Dartford Museum 1-4pm
Wednesday 11 September at Cranbrook Museum (provisional,
time to be finalised)
Heritage Open Days at St.Barnabas Church,
Tunbridge Wells
Saturday 11 September from 9am-2pm
Guided tours at 11am & 1pm
Sunday 12 September from 2-6pm
Guided tours at 3 & 5pm
Monday 13 September from 10am-4pm
Guided tour at 11am.
Exhibition of maps, photos, drawings of church & parish,
plus records of St Barnabas School and Parish records. A
short article on the Church can be found on page 13.
Orpington & District Archaeological Society
Open Days at the Excavations at Scadbury Moated
M a n o r, Chislehurst, Saturday 11 September &
Sunday 12 September from 2-4.30pm
A self-guided trail around the excavations at this medieval
moated manor site, showing current work as well as the
remains of the foundations of the buildings associated with
the Walsingham family. The island is still completely surrounded
by water. Members of ODAS will be on hand to
answer any questions.
Admission free. Park in St Pauls Wood Hill and take the
public footpath between house numbers 12 & 14.
Alternatively, limited car parking is available close to the site
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSES AND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSES AND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSES AND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSES AND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSES AND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSES AND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
EVENTS
EVENTS ELSEWHERE
With the approach of the
Society’s 150th anniversary
in 2007, the Trustees of the
Allen Grove Local History
Fund are considering commissioning
a history of local
archaeological, antiquarian
and history Societies in Kent
up to 1914. The Trustees will
welcome any views on
the merits of this proposal
and how it should be
approached.
A person or organisation
will be needed to carry out
the research and write the
text. The Trustees are looking
for a volunteer or suggestions
of someone suitable
who may be able to undertake
this.
The Fund will pay the out
of pocket expenses involved
in the research and arrange
publication. The detailed
arrangements will be negotiated
with the person chosen
to undertake the work.
Anyone interested in
undertaking the work, or
who wishes to make any
suggestions, is invited to
write to the Hon. Secretary,
Mr A.I. Moffat at Three
Elms, Woodlands Lane,
Shorne, Gravesend, DA 1 2
3HH or email him at secret
a r y @ ke n t a r c h a e o l o g y. o r g . u k
by the 1st December 2004.
Summer 2004
8
NOTICE
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A HISTORY OF
LOCAL HISTORY
SOCIETIES
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
You and Your Society
ABBEY FARM EXCAVATION
The KAS, in conjunction with the Trust for Thanet Archaeology, will be holding an eighth season of
excavation at Abbey Farm, near Ramsgate. Settlement here spans from prehistoric times through to the Anglo
Saxon period. As most members know, the site is dominated by a large Roman Villa complex. Work will
commence on Sunday August 15 2004 and continue for two weeks.
The excavation is open to people aged 16 years and above. Participants can attend for the two week period
or for one of either weeks.
Registration fee for members of the KAS or the Thanet Archaeological Society is £35 for one week (non
members £50) or £50 for two weeks (non members £70).
For enrolment or further details please contact:
Chris Pout, Sunnydene, Boyden Gate Corner, Marshside, Nr. Canterbury CT3 4EE. Tel: 01227 860207
ANNUAL KAS SUMMER EXCURSION
This year’s mid-June excursion to Dorset was attended by 23
members from all parts of Kent. They studied, in Wessex, a range
of sites dating from the Iron Age (Maiden and Poundbury Castles)
to the early 20th century (Thomas Hardy’s last home, Max Gate).
Examples from the intervening centuries included the site of the
brutal murder of an Anglo-Saxon King, one of the best presented
Henrican coastal castles, as well as Corfe (considerably ‘knocked
about’ by Cromwell) and a classic country house, Kingston Lacy.
Next June we propose to visit Cumbria.
Joy Saynor
The AGM seems to attract
around 60 members, a distinct
improvement on the occasion a
few years ago when it had to be
postponed because not enough
attended to form a quorum!
Hopefully the policy of holding
the meeting in a limited number
of central locations, alternately
in east and west Kent, having a
lecture in the afternoon and,
more recently, a presentation by
one of the committees, is proving
popular.
The meeting took place at
Christ Church University
College, Canterbury on the 15th
May. Before and after the meeting
members could look at displays
by local societies and others,
such as KCC Heritage
Conservation Group and stalls
selling books.
All the Officers were reelected
and the elections to the
Council saw Denis Anstey, Pat
Harlow and Dr Bob Spain reelected.
Prof. David Killingray
and Anita Thompson retired from
the Council.
Dr Spain, Chairman of
the Library & Muniments
Committee, gave a presentation
on the work of the Committee
assisted by the Hon. Librarian, Dr
Frank Panton. No doubt some
members were surprised by the
scope of its responsibilities which
include not only the library but
also the Society’s archives and
paintings, its collection of artifacts
in Maidstone Museum and
the web sites.
In the afternoon Jill Eddison
gave members and guests a fascinating
illustrated lecture on the
history of Romney Marsh. She
covered how it emerged from the
waters of the English Channel
and its communities developed,
as well as other aspects of its his -
tory and concluded with a
description of some of the
research undertaken there.
Summer 2004
9
NOTICE
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KAS COMMITTEE ROUND-UP
You and Your Society
Visit to Crundale and Godmersham
Churches on 24 April
Almost seventy people assembled
on a gloriously sunny spring afternoon
outside St. Mary’s Church, Crundale
and were greeted by Mr Les Cameron,
a churchwarden, with a welcome that
matched the warmth of the day. In a
relaxed and open manner Mr Cameron
soon revealed the geography of the
parish and the antiquity of the site on
which the church stands, close by a
prehistoric trackway. Our initial reluctance
to quit the warm sunlight and
enter through the 16th century porch
was rewarded by the glimpse of an
extremely fine 15th century incised
alabaster tomb that marked the resting
place of Sir John Sprot. The simplicity
of the 11th century interior, with its
13th century additions, had largely
escaped the worst embellishments of
the 19th century. In 1895 the Revd.
Vickers had renewed the dilapidated
interior structure and added a fireplace
for himself. Outdoors again we
admired the expertly dressed flints
that marked the chancel extension
built in 1298 by a local man, Roger de
Crundale, who had once been stonemason
to Edward I.
A picturesque descent from the
chalk ridge soon led members to the
church of St. Lawrence in
Godmersham Park, where the Revd.
Ian Campbell and our speake r, Mr
Hugh Schryver, were waiting. The
large, light interior of the church
belied its ancient origins since it had
been rebuilt by the cathedral monks of
Canterbury in the 12th century on the
site of a much earlier church and
Roman bricks were incorporated into
its structure. An unusual apsidal
chapel on the north side of the church
dates from this rebuilding, together
with two windows on the north wall
and a bas-relief on the south side of
the chancel which is thought to be
either one end of Becket’s tomb, or
that of his predecessor, Theobald. In
the early 18th century Jane Austen
joined her brother, Edward (who
inherited Godmersham Park), in
Sunday worship at St. Lawrence. At
that time there were two raised pews
and a gallery at the west end and a
serious problem with damp. No such
problems are apparent today and a
quite fascinating afternoon was
rounded off by a steaming cup of tea.
Sue Petrie
The winning entry in the
Churches Committee Competition
can be read on page 4.
Over recent years the Society has
purchased an array of tools and instruments
for use on excavations and geophysical
surveys. Members and
Affiliated Groups may borrow this
equipment for their projects, the proviso
being that the Society’s usage will
normally take precedence. For those
who would like to use the equipment,
or would like more information, please
contact the custodians listed below.
For some items of equipment (eg
Resistivity Meter), the borrower will
need to be supervised by the relevant
custodians.
For Tools (eg wheelbarrows, spades,
shovels, mattocks etc) and the
Theodolite
Custodian:
Chris Pout
Sunnydene, Boyden Gate Corner,
Marshside, Nr Canterbury CT3 4EE
tel: 01227 860207
For Resistivity Meter
Custodian:
Brian McNaughton
Eltons, Warehorne Road, Hamstreet,
Ashford TN26 2JL
tel: 01233 732721
For G.P.S. Meter
(Geographical Positioning System)
Custodian:
Ted Connell
110 Manor Forstal, New Ash Green,
Dartford DA3 8JQ
tel: 01474 872763
email:ted.connell@btinternet.com
For Auger Set
Custodian:
Ian Jackson
128 First Avenue, Gillingham
ME7 2LQ
tel: 01634 575000
NB. All borrowed equipment must
be collected and returned by the recipient.
Before collection, the recipient must
agree the date of return.
The Committee last met on Saturday
12 June and will next meet on Saturday 9
O c t o b e r. Consideration is still being
given as to how best to celebrate the
150th anniversary of the Society in 2007.
At the Society’s June History &
Archaeology Show £217 were realized
from the sale of 31 past publications. The
Committee has established a permanent
Information Technology Subcommittee
to continue advising, assisting and acting
for the Publications Committee. In the
future there will be four publishing formats:
* on the kentarchaeology.ac website
* on CD-ROM
* in paperback
* in hardback
Archaeologia Cantiana, however, will
continue to be printed in hardback.
From the Kent History Fund three
grants have been awarded:
£150 to the Hadlow Historical Society,
regarding its manorial survey; £250 to the
Shoreham and District Historical Society,
regarding oral history and the Second
World War, and £300 to the Ulcombe
History Society towards the publication
of a history of Ulcombe.
John Whyman (Chair)
The Committee is currently reviewing
items which could be used for the
Society’s publicity material. Previously,
items such as ties, greetings cards and
tote bags have been sold, all carrying the
Society’s logo. The Committee would like
to hear what sort of items members
would be interested in. If you have any
ideas, comments or experience in dealing
with these matters please contact
Margaret Lawrence,
email: margaret.society@virgin.net or
write to Barnfield, Church Lane, East
Peckham TN12 5JJ.
CHURCHES
COMMITTEE
FIELDWORK
COMMITTEE
MEMBERSHIP &
PUBLICITY
COMMITTEE
PUBLICATIONS
COMMITTEE
ith Dr Yates article in the
last issue of the
N e w s l e t t e r, our series,
illustrating from Ke n t
examples the nodal
points in the evolution
of the church, has come to an end.
Four points of emphasis were suggested
to each contributor. They
were;
o the central ideas inspiring
the development
o the relevance to our current
situation
o prominent persons involved
in Kentish examples
o Kentish examples
Summer 2004
10
Still visible are the Gothic verticality,
the screened-off chancel,
the images in stone and glass, the
high pulpit of non-conformity, the
Baptist’s subterranean baptistery,
the bare Quaker meeting room.
They are the expressions in stone
and wood of ideas once challenging
and still powerful. Belief precedes
building, perceptions
become structures. Thus cathedral,
church, chapel and mission
hall still present us with ideas,
invite us to make decisions – if
only we can interpret what we see.
P.A.L.
Each successive wave of new
visions has left its visual embodiment.
What some saw as the dead
hand of the over-developed institution
has been continually challenged
by recurrent streams of
fresh insight. Exciting new movements
have themselves ossified
into structures, leaving their
imprint in buildings and patterns
of behaviour. All tend to claim
inspiration from, and faithfulness
to, the Founder. It is almost as if
the truth embodied in the faith is
so large that only a few of its
facets are apparent to any one
approach.
EVENTS,
IDEAS, IDEALS,
& ARTICLES
AVAILABLE ON
THE WEB
EVENTS,
IDEAS, IDEALS,
& ARTICLES
AVAILABLE ON
THE WEB
EVENTS,
IDEAS, IDEALS,
& ARTICLES
AVAILABLE ON
THE WEB
EVENTS,
IDEAS, IDEALS,
& ARTICLES
AVAILABLE ON
THE WEB
EVENTS,
IDEAS, IDEALS,
& ARTICLES
AVAILABLE ON
THE WEB
EVENTS,
IDEAS, IDEALS,
& ARTICLES
AVAILABLE ON
THE WEB
EVENTS,
IDEAS, IDEALS,
& ARTICLES
AVAILABLE ON
THE WEB
EVENTS,
IDEAS, IDEALS,
& ARTICLES
AVAILABLE ON
THE WEB
‘IDEAS and IDEALS’
This was a series of articles describing formative movements and ideas in
the history of the church.
A N I D E A L S E R I E S
Great Tottington’s Sarsen Stones Paul Ashbee
The Papermakers of Snodland Andrew Ashbee
The Deal Boatmen; Heroes or Villains? Dr Jacqueline Bower
A Traditional Community in Decline; The Deal Boatmen in the Nineteenth Century Dr Jacqueline Bower
Cholera and Typhoid Fever in Kent Dr C H Collins
Infancy, Polygamy and Parenting within Iron Age Kent Mike Lally
The Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society’s Chalk Mine and the Building of the Bostall Estate R F LeGear
Finances and Government of Canterbury 1700-1850; An Overview Dr Frank Panton
A Possible Roman Tide Mill Dr Robert Spain
Articles available for download
on www.kentarchaeology.ac
continued from page 7
Ouse Valley Project Symposium on Saturday 20
November 10am-5pm
Centre for Continuing Education, University of Sussex
The launch of a major new interdisciplinary landscape
research project studying the Sussex Ouse from sources to
sea.
An outline of the Sussex Ouse Research Project Prof. Peter
Drewett
Changes in rural land management & farming practices in and
around the Ouse Valley and their impact on the downland land -
scape Dr Sue Berry
Industrial archaeology of the Ouse Valley John Blackwell & Ron
Martin
Iron Making in the Ouse basin Jeremy Hodgkinson
Sticky Challenge: cohesive sediment movement & accumulation in
the Ouse estuary Richard Charman
Sussex wetland-rich woodlands – rebuilding a lost habitat type Dr
Tony Whitbread
From bank to bank: crossing the River Ouse in (pre)history John
Bleach
Making the most of memory: the Ouse Valley Oral History Project
Dr Alistair Thomson
Fee (includes tea/coffee) £30, student rate £10,
concession £5. Optional pre-booked lunch £7.50.
To book tel: 01273 877888 or email: cce@sussex.ac.uk
or download an enrolment form from
www.sussex.ac.uk/cce/news/ouse.
Heritage Open Days 10-13 September
Hundreds of properties not normally open to the public
will open their doors to visitors.
Further information from Heritage Open Days Office at the
Civic Trust, 259-269 Old Marylebone Road, London NW1
5RA
Landmark Trust Open Days
It is normally only possible to view Landmark Trust properties
by paying for the associated holiday. However, properties
open for visiting in the south-east in 2004 are:
14 September - Wilmington Priory, East Sussex (morning
only)
31 October - Sackville House, East Grinstead, West
Sussex (south side of the High Street)
Further information on www.landmarktrust.co.uk/openday.
html. For directions email: bookings@landmarktrust.
co.uk or tel: 01628 825925.
repairs to their concrete. Access to
them will be controlled for health
and safety reasons, to minimise
vandalism and to avoid disturbance
to resident birds (the site is
also a national Nature Re s e r v e ,
Special Landscape Area and SSSI
amongst other designations). This
will be achieved by cutting the
access causeways in two places,
one of the cuts having a lockable
swing bridge for use in future
maintenance and repairs and to
allow organised visits to continue.
Phase 2 will see on-site interpretation,
signage and footpath
works, with EC Interreg funds
secured towards this.
Information taken from the
ALSF Annual Report 2002-2003.
For further details of the ALSF
Scheme: www.english-heritage.org.uk
or contact Archaeology Commissions,
English Heritage, 23 Savile
Row, London W1S 2ET.
Summer 2004
11
where Wright Consulting
Engineers Ltd received just over
£90,000 to help save these three
scheduled ancient monuments.
Built for the acoustic detection of
enemy aircraft, their reinforced
concrete parabolic mirrors were
redundant by the outbreak of the
Second World War due to the
introduction of radar. The first
mirror was built in 1928 and was
20 foot tall, followed by a more
advanced 30 foot mirror with
listening room and finally a
200 foot acoustic wall by 1930.
Gravel extraction progressively
encroached upon the structures
and left them all but isolated as an
island within lakes formed by
quarrying. The structural stability
of two of the devices has been seriously
affected and undercutting by
wave action has undermined one
end of the wall.
The project has two phases, the
ALSF having provided funding for
the first phase which will stabilise
the lake edge around the structures
and carry out essential
THE
AGGREGATES
LEVY SUSTAINABILITY
FUND
THE
AGGREGATES
LEVY SUSTAINABILITY
FUND
THE
AGGREGATES
LEVY SUSTAINABILITY
FUND
THE
AGGREGATES
LEVY SUSTAINABILITY
FUND
THE
AGGREGATES
LEVY SUSTAINABILITY
FUND
THE
AGGREGATES
LEVY SUSTAINABILITY
FUND
THE
AGGREGATES
LEVY SUSTAINABILITY
FUND
THE
AGGREGATES
LEVY SUSTAINABILITY
FUND
THE
AGGREGATES
LEVY SUSTAINABILITY
FUND
he Aggregates Levy
Sustainability Fund (ALSF)
was introduced as a two
year pilot scheme in 2002 to
provide funds to help
address the environmental
costs of aggregate extraction.
English Heritage, along with
English Nature and the
Countryside Agency, is a major distributor
of the Fund on behalf of
the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Amongst the projects funded in
2002 were three in the Romney
Marsh area, where the complex
interplay between natural
processes and human endeavour
that influences landscape evolution
are being explored. A total of
around £272,000 was allocated:
Medieval Adaptation, Settlement
and Economy of a Coastal Wetland: the
evidence from around Ly d d b y
University College, London, will
synthesise the archaeological and
palaeoenvironmental evidence for
medieval settlement, land-use and
modification of the landscape,
using the considerable body of
data produced by developer-funded
archaeological work that has
been conducted in the area.
The Evolution of the Port of Rye,
undertaken by the University of
Durham, aims to develop a model
for the evolution of Rye over the
last 3000 years, showing the shifting
balance between natural and
human processes as agents of
landscape change.
The Evolution and Landscape
History of Dungeness Foreland, also by
the University of Durham, seeks to
assess the age and depositional
history of the gravel beaches. The
project has assessed a transect of
boreholes drilled through the gravel
deposits and a dating programme
using OSL (optical stimulated
luminescence) has been
undertaken to determine the minimum
age for deposition of the
most recent gravels. Deposits overlying
the gravels are being examined
for plant and animal microfossils
and dating evidence
obtained to provide details of how
the environments that developed
after gravel deposition changed
through time.
Also funded in Kent was the
Listening Devices at Denge p r o j e c t ,
THE AGGREGATES LEVY
SUSTAINABILITY FUND
The ‘Listening Ears’ - the acoustic detection
devices at Denge.
Summer 2004
12
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
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NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
NEW BOOKS
The Dover Bronze Age Boat
Edited by Peter Clark. English
Heritage, 1873592590, £75.00.
464 pages, 198 b/w illustrations,
65 tables.
Dated to c.1550BC, the Dover
Boat is one of the most spectacular
and important prehistoric
wooden objects ever found in
Europe. This richly illustrated
book tells the dramatic story of its
discovery and excavation, in addition
to the pioneering work in its
conservation, re-assembly and
display in Dover Museum. As well
as a detailed description of the
boat itself, the book explores the
method of its construction, its
original form, capabilities and performance;
and its function and
place in Bronze Age society. It
presents new and innovative techniques
for the study of ancient
timbers and describes an experiment
in building a copy of the
boat using replicas of Bronze Age
tools.
The Dover Bronze Age Boat in
C o n t ext: Society and Wa t e r
Transport in Prehistoric
Europe Edited by Peter Clark.
Oxbow Books, 18421711399,
£30.00. 152 pages, 134 b/w figs &
plates.
A conference held in Dover in
2002 brought together scholars
from all over Europe to celebrate
the 10th anniversary of the discovery
of the Dover Boat – one of the
most important British archaeological
finds of the later 20th cent
u r y. This volume presents 16
papers from the conference,
exploring the implications of the
discovery for Bronze Age society,
water transport and cultural contact
in a European context, from
the shore of Britain, through
northern and central Europe, to
the eastern Mediterranean and
beyond.
Oxbow Books are offering a
special pre-publication price
of only £80.00 for both Dover
boat books if pre-ordered now!
The Archaeology of Sussex to
AD 2000 Edited by David
Rudling. Published by Heritage
Marketing & Publication Ltd for
The Centre for Continuing
Education, Sussex Institute,
University of Sussex, 0-9544456-
1-9, £21.00.
A new CCE publication providing
comprehensive and up-to-date
reviews of the archaeology of
Sussex both chronologically and
thematically, covering all periods
of the human occupation of
Sussex from ‘Boxgrove Man’ c.
500,000 years ago to the
post–1945 construction of nuclear
shelters. Revising and developing
some of the material published in
the previous Sussex overview of
1978 – Archaeology in Sussex to AD
1500 – edited by Peter Drewett, it
also increases the scope of this
earlier volume by including new
topics:
The archaeological
implications of coastal change
Shinewater – important Late
Bronze Age site on the
Willingdon Levels
Fishbourne Roman Palace
Roman Sussex and its pottery
supply
Ecclesiastical sites in East and
West Sussex
Castles and port-medieval
defences
New Winchelsea – Edward I’s
planned new town
The archaeology of postmedieval
Sussex
The demographic information
offered by churchyards
Maritime archaeology and
Sussex wrecks
Of interest to a wide range of
people including professional and
amateur archaeologists, historians,
students, landowners, planning
and conservation officers and
developers, the book will also
interest the general public.
Available from bookshops or
direct from CCE at Essex House,
The University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton, BN1 9QQ. Cheque
payable to ‘University of Sussex’
for £24.25 (includes £3.25
postage).
Becket’s Murderers Nicholas
Vincent. Published by Friends of
Canterbury Cathedral & the
William Urry Memorial Tr u s t
N E WB O O K S
Summer 2004
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ST
BARNABAS
TUNBRIDGE
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ST. BARNABAS’
TUNBRIDGE WELLS
considerable numbers of visitors,
and as a result some interesting
discoveries have come to light.
One such which will be on display
this year will be photographs
from a scrapbook of c1900 featuring
a large local employer, the
Baltic Sawmills.
Geoffrey Copus
or the past three years St.
Barnabas’ church, Stanley
Road, Tunbridge Wells, has
been the venue for an
increasingly ambitious historical
exhibition, organised
in connection with the
Heritage Open Days in September -
details are given elsewhere in the
N e w s l e t t e r. The history of the
church is a classic example of the
rise of the Tractarian movement,
described by Nigel Yates in the
Spring edition. The parish has its
origins in a small Mission Church
built in 1870 in an area which was
fast being developed with working
class cottages, and the early years
saw much controversy. The establishment
of an avowedly Tractarian
parish in a district dominated by
the Evangelical wing of the Church
of England was vigorously
opposed, not least by Canon
Edward Hoare, Vicar of Holy
Trinity, ‘the Protestant Pontiff of
Tunbridge Wells’.
Despite this, the church flourished,
and the present cathedralsized
building, designed by the
Cutts brothers, was erected in
1887-88 at the enormous cost of
£17,000. The Exhibition covers not
only the history of the building
itself, its schools, clergy and people,
but also the development of
the area, in which the first
Tunbridge Wells railway station
had been built. Many industrial
buildings were subsequently erected,
most of which have now been
demolished.
The Exhibition has attracted
Above: St Barnabas’ Church towers over the surrounding buildings.
Left: The interior is equally impressive.
09513476 2 4, £2.50 40pp.
Although probably the bestdocumented
single event in
medieval history, one area of
enquiry has remained obscure.
What was the background of the
murderers, their motivation and
their eventual fate? This book is
the text of a lecture given by
Nicholas Vincent, then Professor
of Medieval History at Christ
Church University College,
Canterbury, which aimed to dispel
the myths about the murderers
and establish the facts. The
account is embedded in the history
of the period, with special reference
to the anarchy of the previous
reign, and includes a number of
sidelights of interest – for
instance, that the murder of bishops,
even in the cathedral, was not
uncommon in the Middle Ages.
The conclusion looks afresh at the
crucial question of how far Henry
II was implicated, and shows how
the King’s public stance changed
as the reputation of the murdered
archbishop rapidly grew in the
early 1170’s.
Available from booksellers or
by post, price £3.00, from The
Secretary, William Urry Memorial
Lecture Fund, c/o The Chapter
Library, The Precincts, Canterbury
CT1 2EE
T H E L O C A L H E R I TA G E I N I T I AT I V E
Englishman named Richard
Totesham. I think that his name
might come from Tutsham in the
county of Kent.
I have found some information
about him when he was in France,
but I would like to know more
about him when in England,
before and after the war. I think
he was a very important person in
the west of France in this period
and would like to know more
about his family. If you can help I
can be contacted at:
2 Place d’Aille
86130
Saint Georges les Baillargeaux
France
Tel: 05-49-62-78-09 email:
placheteau@chasseneuil.actaris.com
Thank you.
Pascal Lacheteau
Dear Editor
I am looking for some
information about an English lord
during the Hundred Years War.
Perhaps there is someone in your
Society who can help me?
I am researching the history of
a French village based in the old
province of Saintonge and I have
found that during the Hundred
Years War the lord was an
Summer 2004
14
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
SUMMER 2004
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
LETTER
& LHI
& LHI
he Local Heritage Initiative
(LHI) has made several grants
to community groups in Kent
over the last few years. The
LHI funds projects which
enable local groups to care for
the natural, built, industrial, archaeological
heritage, and customs and traditions.
Below are just three examples
of projects:
In Faversham, local group
Artscape Ink created an 8 by 4 foot
mosaic mural, portraying the less
obvious, but still fascinating, construction
features of the town. A large
number of photographs of selected
properties, all over 200 years old, were
collected, of carvings, motifs, doorways
and the buildings themselves.
From these a rough template was
made for the design. Materials used
included mosaic tiles, drift wood,
glass, and china, these last two
reclaimed from the creek – rubbish
brought from London by barge many
years ago. Some 200 people worked
on eight different sections, including
children from four local schools and
Age Concern members. The completed
mosaic is mounted at the entrance
to the railway station and an accompanying
leaflet provides information
and gives the location of the various
sites represented in the mural.
Students at Cheyne Middle School
in Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey
worked with others from
Minster College, Sheerness
to compile a detailed history
of the town’s Beachfields
Park. The Park, which sits
between Sheerness and the
sea, dates back some 150-
200 years. Working with a
local history group, they
interviewed local residents
and searched through
library and archive material,
uncovering details also
of the history of the
Park’s funfair, bandstands,
Prisoner of War hut, boating
lake and bowling
green. Their results are
published in a 50 page
booklet, ‘Tales of Beachfield Park’. The
work was undertaken with the support
of Groundwork Medway Swale
which works on regeneration projects
in the region.
The village of Newchurch,
Romney Marsh, has a history dating
back to the 13th century, a long
association with smuggling,
and more recently was the
location of a World War II airfield.
A programme of research,
trawling through library and
museum archives and recording
the reminiscences of elderly
residents, has meant this
area is now well-documented.
The highlights of the village’s
past are captured in a special
exhibition located permanently
in the north chapel of the
church and a booklet by the
researchers, Paula and Derrick
Chiverrell, charts the area’s past in a
concise 50 page document.
Groups wishing to undertake
projects can now apply for 100% grants
from £3,000 to £25,000, without any
requirement to provide cash themselves.
Funds are made available in
advance to allow schemes to get under -
way quickly without financial constraints.
Groups need a Constitution
and an open bank account, plus the
commitment, time and enthusiasm to
bring projects to life. The level of active
community involvement is one of the
key factors considered when reviewing
applications. For an overview of the
LHI, an explanation of how to apply
for a grant, and information about
projects currently underway, go to
www.lhi.org.uk or tel: 0870 9000 401
for an application pack.
Faversham’s past is now on permanent display.
Information taken from LHI News South
East, Issue 1.
Newchurch residents pose by haystacks at
Frostland Farm, circa 1920.
Summer 2004
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MAIDSTONE
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system which would have channelled
water from one to the other.
The projected plan for the building
suggests that the villa complex
extends beneath nearby St Michael’s
CE Infant School and naturally there
was a great deal of interest in the
work from the local children and their
teachers. Some of the children live in
Florence Road and were thrilled at the
prospect of living on top of a Roman
villa!
This was a history lesson on their
doorstep and a great opportunity for
CAT to show them what archaeologists
do and the kind of evidence they
find.
Two days were spent giving
infants and the entire junior school
(from nearby Douglas Road) an
insight into the processes of archaeology
and more specifically the discoveries
at the Florence Road site. All of
the classes had knowledge of the
Roman period and the Year 3 (7 and 8
year olds) teacher used the opportunity
to support curriculum studies of the
local area. Teachers were given additional
support materials to use for follow-
up work in the classroom. The
staff and children were so inspired
that the normal curriculum was suspended
on the second day in favour of
a ‘Roman’ day.
In addition to the villa remains, a
number of earlier ditches were picked
up at the site.
In the final week one of these
produced masses of pre-conquest
‘Belgic’ pottery sherds, beneath which
lay crushed fragments of a horse skull
– a bonus find at the end of the excavation.
Marion Green
CAT Education Officer
anterbury Archaeological
Trust has just completed a
month’s excavation at a fascinating
Roman site in
Florence Road, Maidstone,
west of the River Medway.
They were commissioned to
e xcavate following discussions
between the developer, Mr Don
Crosbie, and Kent County Council
Archaeological Team.
Not far below the modern ground
surface, the team picked up the
remains of what would once have
been a substantial Roman structure,
almost certainly a villa. The surviving
archaeology was composed of masonry
foundations constructed in Kentish
ragstone with associated robber
trenches indicating a number of
rooms and part of a bath suite,
extending under the Florence Road
footpath. Remains of two plunge
baths had survived, one with a large
area of intact opus signinum floor. Op.
sig was a building material composed
of various aggregates including
crushed tile or brick mixed with lime
and water. The result was a kind of
concrete, waterproof and extremely
durable and therefore ideal for building
baths. It is likely that pilae stacks
from the hypocaust system survive
below this floor as it had a rather hollow
ring to it. Connecting the two
baths were the remains of a drainage
HISTORY LESSON ON
THE DOORSTEP
Top: Abby Guiness, one of the excavation team, telling children about the Florence Road
discoveries. Masonry walls of the villa can be seen and one of the plunge baths.
Below: CAT Education Officer, Marion Green, gives six and seven year olds their archaeology
briefing before they cross the road to the site. More of the villa is probably beneath their
bottoms!
Site Director Grant Shand, with some of
the pre-conquest ‘Belgic’ pottery from an
early ditch.
THE KAS HISTORY &
ARCHAEOLOGY SHOW
Summer 2004
16
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n Saturday 5
June, around
40 different
groups gathered
within
M a i d s t o n e
Museum, all those
concerned being involved
in various
ways with the history
and archaeology
of Kent. The brainchild
of Denis
A n s t e y, (a member
of the Membership
and Publicity Committee),
the History
and Archaeology
Show was originally
formulated to provide
a showcase for
the affiliated societies
of the KAS. As
interest from other
groups grew, the
remit of the show
expanded to include
local authority-based
services and other
organisations wishing
to exhibit. The
Mayor and Mayoress
of Maidstone, Councillor
Morel and
Mrs Karin D’Souza,
opened the Show,
taking time to talk to
each exhibitor.
The interest base
of groups ranged
widely. Local history
and archaeology
societies, too numerous
to name individually
here, brought
along their latest
research, often including
a visual feast
of old photographs,
documents and
maps. More specific
subject areas were
represented by such
groups as The English Companions,
the Wealden Iron Research
Group, Maidstone Masonic
Museum and North Downs Young
Archaeologists’. Kent Archive
Services and Medway Archives
were on hand to answer enquiries,
as was Kent’s Finds Liaison
Officer and KCC’s Sites and
Monuments Record Officer. Metal
detecting groups affiliated to the
KAS brought showcases, and KAS
EDITOR: LYN PALMER
55 Stone Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2QU
Telephone: 01892 533661 Mobile: 07810 340831
Email evelyn.palmer@virgin.net
or newsletter@kentarchaeology.org.uk
Committees also took
this opportunity to
show their work; you
can read about the
involvement of the
Publications and
Library Committees in
the Show elsewhere
in this newsletter.
Over 500 people
enjoyed the Show,
which not only gave
the public a chance to
explore the ways in
which Kent’s past can
be investigated, but
also the opportunity
for those already
involved to meet and
discuss their interest
and work. It is hoped
to hold the event
again in 2006.
Two vertical banners
bearing the
Society’s name and logo
in the corporate colours
of blue and yellow were
bought for the Show,
also bunting in the same
colours. These are available
for use on application
to the Membership
Committee.
Copy deadline for the next issue in October is Wednesday September 1st.
The editor wishes to draw attention to the fact that neither she nor the Council of the KAS are answerable for
opinions which contributors may express in their signed articles; each author is alone responsible for the
contents and substance of their work.
Published by the Kent Archaeological Society, The Museum, St Faith’s Street, Maidstone, Kent. ME 14 1LH
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
Above: Chair of the
Membership and Publicity
Committee, Margaret
Lawrence, and Alec Miles
welcome the Mayor and
Mayoress of Maidstone to
the Committee’s stand.
Below: KASPresident Paul
Oldham introduces the
Mayoral couple to Kent’s
Finds Liaison Officer
Andrew Richardson. Good
to see the Mayoress has kept
her copy of the KAS
Newsletter!