KAS Newsletter, Issue 64, Spring 2005
Written By KAS
ver the last six months Wessex
Archaeology have excavated a fascinating
Bronze Age and Anglo-
Saxon site for Millwood Designer
Homes in advance of their new housing
development in Cliffs End, Thanet. The
Issue number 64 Spring 2005
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
discoveries on the site have shed new
light on Bronze Age burial practices and
provided the archaeologists with a few
puzzles to chew over.
The earliest remains on the site
appear to belong to the Early Bronze
Spring 2005
1
Age (c.1800 BC). At this time a number of
impressive barrows were erected on the
site, focused on the brow of a hill or ridge
extending as a peninsular into the mouth
Inside
2-3
Cliffs End
Library Notes
4-5
Gordon Ward
Funds &Grants
6-7
Lectures, Courses,
Conferences & Events
8-9
Notice Board
10-11
New Books
Resistivity Meter
12-13
Letters to the Editor
Saxon Shore
Ringlemere
14-15
Concealed Garments
16
Recording Kent
nneewwss ll ee tt ee rr K E N T A RC H A E O LO G I C A L S O C I E T Y
C L I F F SEND
C O N U N D R U M
continued on page 2
STOP PRESS
Your AGM information
(and Annual Report) is
inside - we hope to see
you there.
Spring 2005
2
CLIFFS END,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFS END,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFSEND,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFSEND,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFSEND,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFSEND,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFSEND,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFSEND,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFSEND,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFS END,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFS END,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFS END,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFS END,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFSEND,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFSEND,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFSEND,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFSEND,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFSEND,
RAMSGATE
CLIFFSEND,
RA
the individual appears to have been
thrown face down into a relatively shallow
sloping scoop with hands tied at the
wrists across the chest (below). Another
was buried with their lower arms missing.
A possible ‘family’ group of four
adults and one juvenile were buried in a
discrete pit within the quarry. One of the
group, an elderly male, was buried holding
a piece of chalk to his mouth in his left
hand, whilst his right arm was outstretched
with his index finger pointing in
the direction of the barrows on the hill
(front page).
Radiocarbon dating of one of the
skulls indicates that the burials took
place at around 1000BC. This discovery
has very important implications for our
understanding of Late Bronze Age funerary
practices, as the general rite at this
time was cremation burial. The discovery
has raised many questions: Why was this
group selected for inhumation burial? Did
they meet traumatic deaths as part of the
Late Bronze Age funerary rite? Why was
one burial apparently chewing a piece of
chalk … could he perhaps be the quarryman?
Hopefully some of these questions
will be answered in the forthcoming post
excavation works.
In the late 6th century AD, as is seen
on a number of sites in Kent, an Anglo-
Saxon community established an inhumation
cemetery on the brow of the hill,
close to and respecting the Early Bronze
Age barrows, which must have remained
a prominent feature in the landscape
some 2500 years after their construction.
At the centre of the cemetery, which comprised
at least 12 graves, was the burial
of a woman, suggested by the discovery
of a necklace of polychrome glass beads
and a small knife. Surrounding her were a
number of male ‘warrior’ burials furnished
with shields, spears and swords.
On the eastern slope of the hill a
series of Anglo-Saxon pits were excavated.
The majority of the pits each contained
a slab of burnt sandstone in their
lower fill and considerable quantities of
shellfish in their upper fills. All the pits
had been deliberately backfilled in the
same manner and clearly had some connection
with a ceremonial or feasting
activity. A known practice is to pre-heat a
stone in an open fire and slowly cook the
shellfish on the heated stones.
Altogether the site has provided a
series of remarkable discoveries which
will be discussed in the archaeological
text books for years to come.
Richard Greatorex,
Wessex Archaeology
of the former Wantsum Sea Channel. The
barrows, some of which were surrounded
by two or three ring ditches, appeared to
have central burials although no skeletal
material survived. Two of the burial pits
contained post-holes, suggesting the
presence of a burial chamber, a rare discovery,
while one grave contained a
cache of over one hundred flint tools.
These tools appear to have been buried in
two bags and have been described by
Wessex Archaeology’s Phil Harding as
falling within the ‘Premier League’ of rich
early Bronze Age burials in Britain.
While the barrows alone are an
important and fascinating discovery, it is
the Late Bronze Age (c.1000 BC) discoveries
which have fired the imagination of
the archaeologists. At that time, while
the bar rows were still an important part
of the landscape, the focus of activity
appears to have moved to the lower eastern
slope of the hill. There, two large
‘midden pits’, two large horseshoe
shaped enclosures, and towards the very
bottom of the slope, a substantial brickearth
quarry subsequently re-used as a
burial ground, were discovered.
One of the horseshoe-shaped enclosures
sur rounded a concentration of pits
and post-holes (yet to be fully interpreted)
and may have acted as a focus for Late
Bronze Age ceremonial activities. This
‘midden pit’, so named for want of a better
description, contained a huge assemblage
of Late Bronze Age finds, possibly
the largest found so far in Kent, which
included pottery, quern stone fragments,
bronze ingots, animal bone and occasional
fragments of human bone. Within its
layers, a buried soil horizon suggests,
that for a time at least, the slumped fills
were covered in vegetation before being
sealed by a hillwash deposit. While there
are a few rare parallels for such a feature
elsewhere in Britain, the Cliffs End findings
are believed to be the first in Kent.
The most important findings on the
site were the Late Bronze Age quarry pits.
Initial assessment of the quality of the
brickearth from the quarry suggests that
the material is unlikely to have been used
for the making of pottery, rather it would
have more likely been used in the construction
of daub walls for Bronze Age
round houses. The evidence of buried
soils within the fills of the quarry suggests
that it was probably not open for
more than a period of one hundred years
and possibly only a matter of decades.
Within the hollows of the quarry pits,
no less than 14 inhumations have been
recorded and lifted. The majority appear
to be female burials, some of which may
reflect a traumatic death. In one burial
continued from page 1
Spring 2005
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Society Vol. IV 2004.
‘Copperas’. Canterbury Archaeological Trust Occasional Paper
No. 2.
Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History Vol. XL p.4. 2004.
Place Names of Leicestershire. EPNS Vol. LXXXI.
Britannia Vol. XXXV. 2004.
Journal of Roman Studies. Vol. XCIV. 2004.
Archaeometry Vol. 46 p.4. 2004.
Medieval Archaeology Vol. XLVIII 2004.
Cornish Archaeology 2000/1.
Society of Antiquaries Journal Vol. 84. 2004.
Review of National Monuments and Records Part 1. English
Heritage.
3 Romnean Papers; ‘A Smashing Time’, ‘The Kings Evil’, ‘The
Ship Fresco’.
L e i c e s t e r s h i re Archaeological and Historical Society
Transactions Vol. 78. 2004.
Nomina. Vol. 27. 2004.
Post-medieval Archaeology Vol. 38 p.2.
Societe Jervaise. Annual Bulletin 2004.
Prehistoric Society Proceedings. Vol 70. 2004.
Maidstone 1905/6. Pikes County Series.
Church Archaeology Vols. 5 and 6.
Country to Suburb; Bexley Area Development 1800-1996.
Archaeologia Aeliana Vol.XXXIII 2004. Newcastle upon Tyne.
Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 150 2001 (2004).
Trier Zeitschrift 64 Jahrgang 2001.
Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. Vol. 132.
Funde und Ausgrabungen im Bezirk Trier No. 34 and 35. 2002
and 2003.
The KAS has in store surplus copies of Archaeologia Cantiana
of the following issues:
88, 90, 94, 98, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 113, 114, 115, 116,
119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124.
KAS members may purchase these at £5 per copy.
Apply to the Hon. Librarian, Frank Panton, by emailing
DR.FH.PANTON@grove-end-tunstall.fsnet.co.uk.
or telephoning 01795 472218.
Archaeology International 2003/4. Institute of Archaeology.
Yorkshire Archaeological Journal Vol. 76 2004.
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Proceedings No. 133 2003.
Monumental Brass Society Bulletin No. 97 Sept. 2004.
Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Soc. Proceedings
Vol. 147 2003.
Cambridge Archaeological Soc. Vol. XCII 2004.
John Kirby’s Suffolk, His Maps and Roadbooks. Suffolk Records
Soc.
Bygone Kent. Vol. 25, Nos. 9, 10, 11, 12. Vol. 26 No. 1.
Kent Family History. Vol. 10 No. 12.
Archaeometry Vol. 46 p.3. (Aug. 2004).
Kent Settlement (Poor Law) Records p.1. East Kent (Canterbury
Diocese).
Romano-British Religious Centre of Vagniacis, at Springhead
(Victor Smith).
‘Tracks and Traces’- Archaeology of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
East Grinstead; Society Bulletin No. 83; Museum Bulletin No.15.
English Heritage London Region Archaeology Quarterly Review
(Winter 2004).
‘For All the Saints’. St. Michaels Church, Peckham, Parish and
People.
‘Ulcombe’s Story’ – Ulcombe History Society.
Memories of the School of Horton Kirby.
Parish Portrait; Memories of Willington, Otham and Langley.
Stansted in Kent.
‘A year in depth’- 2002/2003 report, Hampshire and Wight Trust for
Maritime Arch.
Material Hefte Zur Archaologie im Baden-Wurttemburg. Heft 69.
2004.
Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol. 157 2004.
Transactions of the Monumental Brass Society Vol. XVII p.1.
Transactions of the Woolhope Club. Vol. L. p.II.
Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological
L I B R A RY NOTES
ADDITIONS TO LIBRARY
SEPTEMBER 04 TO JANUARY 05
ARCHAEOLOGIA CANTIANA
www.kentarchaeology.ac
A lot of changes have been made to the site behind the scenes,
but they are only visible to those who work on the site.
A new catalogue of items deposited at Kent Archives will be the
next addition to the site. This will prove to be a very valuable
research tool enabling researchers to search the many documents
deposited by the Society. A catalogue of artefacts owned by the
Society is to be added to the site.
A new link will be provided from the site to the forum.
A new project has been established to provide an online
dictionary of the Kent Dialect.
We intend to add a directory of freelance researchers. Any
member of the Society who trades as a researcher may advertise on
the site free of charge. Please email your details as you wish them
to appear on the site. Please give your name, specialisms, address,
telephone number, email address and website. Send your email to
kentarchaeology@btconnect.com with the heading ‘Researchers’.
Denis Anstey
Project Manager continued on page 4
Archaeologia Cantiana Online
All the individual Contents Pages, listing the title of every article
contained within Volumes 1 to 24 of Archaeologia Cantiana,
can be accessed on the Society’s Website.
Now all five Index Volumes, covering Vol. 1 (1858) to Vol.
109 (1991), have also been added and can be searched for
information.
By January 2005 there were over sixty individual articles
from early volumes on the website. Then in February, Aaron
Meyer from Florida, U.S.A., very kindly offered to help with typing
more articles for the website. In just two weeks he typed
up the text from four volumes of Archaeologia Cantiana and
emailed them to me. The text was then pasted into individual
WebPages based on the pages in Archaeologia Cantiana. Any
pictures or drawings were scanned and added to the website.
So, in just a few weeks, Volumes 14 (1882), 55 (1942), 57 (1944)
and 58 (1945) were made available to you as Society Members,
more? Perhaps: belatedly recognising
the attractions of her cupboard, Mrs
Hammond wrote later to Ward (18 Jan
1936) saying the state of her memory
was such that receipts were mandatory
for documents removed.
The Antiquaries Journal of July
1936 contains an item on the King
Stephen charter and seal giving credit
to Gordon Ward as the source and for
his suggestion of a date of November
or December 1141. Amongst his
papers there is a typed note on the
charter proposing specifically 7t h
December 1141, which displays good
detective work and historical knowledge
in arriving at that conclusion. The
seal and charter were last reported in
1969 and have since disappeare d
(Cronne and Davies, 1969).
As well as Hardman, Dr Ward’s circle
of Kent antiquarians who had some
involvement in Nonington included
Arthur Hussey, W.P.D. Stebbing, Frank
Tyler and Boys Richardson. In correspondence
and meetings between
themselves and also with the British
Records Society, they exchanged
advice and views, translating texts and
building up collections of material.
In July 1936, Hardman, excited
and emboldened by information on
Nonington that Ward had provided for
him, wrote to him about his new
thoughts and completes his letter ‘In
fact it encourages me to tell a story to
the guileless archaeologists who will
come on 9 September which will excite
your derision’. This referred to the KAS
8 6t h Excursion on We dnesday,
September 9th 1936 to Adisham Church
and Nonington.
The Excursion Programme text was
certainly something of a wonder. One
highlight was St Albans Court, built by
George Devey, and identified as the
fourth successive house on the site, a
dubious view propagated by W. P. D .
The LIBRARY NOTES in the
Winter Newsletter show the
breadth and depth of Gordon
Ward’s interests. One vignette
may exemplify this and the
Kentish world he worked in.
A fellow KAS Council member
with Gordon Ward at that time was Dr
F.W.Hardman, Clerk to Walmer District
Council, who was then engaged in rewriting
the handbook to Nonington
church.1 The Hammond family had a
heavy presence in the church from
1525 onwards, as Hasted re m a r k s
(Hasted, 251-262). Their seat, St
Albans Court, was developed from a
manor well established in the 790s,
granted to the Abbey of St Albans in
1097 and in the possession of the
Hammond family from the 1520s until
1938. In 1935 Mrs Ina Hammond, the
widow of the last of the male line, was
in residence.
Hardman writes to Ward of looking
with Mrs Hammond, over tea, at a
print of St Albans Court (10 Nov 1936).
Elsewhere, (26 July 1935) Hardman
thanks Ward for letting him examine
his ‘priceless exercise book of
Nonington deeds’, cavils over Ward’s
translation of a charter and suggests a
candidate for the next KAS Council
vacancy: they worked closely together.
Gordon Ward himself had identified
that Mrs Hammond had the charter,
sealed by King Stephen, confirming
the grant of St Albans (or the Manor of
Eswalt or Easole as the Abbey knew it)
to the Abbey in 1097. Mrs Hammond
wrote to Ward (4 Oct 1935) that in
addition to that document, ‘perhaps
you might like to come over and look
over a cupboard which is full of old
documents... and certainly you can
have the loan of any document I have’.
Could an antiquarian have asked for
Stebbing in a (now lost) manuscript
quoted by the English Heritage National
Records office. It also mentions an
(unlocated) Nunnery Farm and draws
attention to the ‘fine Tudor bell tower’
incorporated in the stables, something
which would have delighted Georg e
Devey who built it in 1869!2
These episodes illustrate the richness
and variety of material which
Gordon Ward spotted, accumulated and
promoted as he pursued his interests in
recording sources and documents, the
originals of which may now be lost. He
and his friends and contacts have left a
treasure trove for us; their opinions may
not always stand up to modern research
but the materials are invaluable. Well
done KAS, in enabling our access to this
archive.
Peter Hobbs
Old St Albans Court, Nonington.
Suggestions for further reading:
Jill Allibone, George Devey, Architect,
1820-1886, (British Architectural
Library, 1991).
I.A. Cronne and H.S.C. Davies (eds.),
Regesta Regum Anglo-Normanorum,
1066-1154, (Oxford, 1969).
E. Hasted, The History and
Topographical Survey of the County of
Kent, 2nd ed. (1797-1801), IX.
P. Hobbs, Old St Albans Court, Arch.
Cant., (2005), CXXV.
1 In practice Hardman added little to
the Notes produced in 1912. The present
Church Guide written by Dr Charles
Coulson in 2004 sets new standards .
2 George Devey is celebrated for his
work at Penshurst Place and as an
important influence on the Arts and
Crafts Movement. His hallmarks are giving
the impression of a medieval building
by using stone under brick and by his
support for English craftsmen, the unwitting
progenitor of mock Tudor.
Spring 2005
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LIBRARYNOTES
& GORDON
WARD
LIBRARY NOTES
& GORDON
WARD
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& GORDON
WARD
LIBRARYNOTES
& GORDON
WARD
LIBRARY NOTES
& GORDON
WARD
LIBRARYNOTES
& GORDON
WARD
LIBRARYNOTES
& GORDON
WARD
LIBRARY NOTES
& GORDON
WARD
LIBRARYNOTES
& GORDON
WARD
LIBRARYNOTES
& GORDON
WARD
LIBRARY NOTES
& GORDON
WARD
LIBRARYNOTES
& GORDON
WARD
G O R D O NWA R D
continued from page 3
and to the whole of the world to discover
more about the history and archaeology
of the county of Kent! By the time
you read this article, there will be more.
You will find a list of the individual articles
from early volumes put up so far at
the bottom of the ‘Arc h a e o l o g i a
Cantiana Introduction’ page.
If you would like to help with this
work please contact Ted Connell at
ted. connell@ btinternet.com or telephone
01474 872763.
To access Archaeologia Cantiana
online, log on to the Society’s website
at w w w. k e n t a rc h a e o l o g y. o rg . u k ,
click on ‘R e s e a rc h’, then click
on ‘Archaeologia Cantiana’.
Kent Maps & Tithe Award
Schedules
Good progress is being made with typing
up the tithe award schedules, with over
sixty now up on the website and many
more in preparation. A special ‘thank
you’ to all those people who have supplied
copies of their own research for
making them available, and to those that
are typing up further schedules for the
website. To view the work carried out so
far, log on to the Society’s website at
w w w. k e n t a rc h a e o l o g y. o rg . u k , c l i c k
on ‘Research’, click on ‘Kent Maps &
Tithe Award Schedules’.
The Society’s Website continues to
g ro w, with over 11,000 webpages
containing information on Early
Wills, Monumental Inscriptions, Place
Names etc.
Ted Connell
research, the amount you are applying
for, any additional funding anticipated
and proposals for publication. You
may be asked to name a referee with
whom the Committee could consult. If
successful, you would be expected to
account for the money spent and give
a copy of any article, pamphlet etc, to
the Canterbury Arc h a e o l o g i c a l
Society’s Library.
Mrs C M Short
(Hon. Sec. Grants Committee)
3 Little Meadow
Upper Harbledown
Canterbury
CT2 9BD
he Society has limited funds
available with which to supp
o rt individuals re s e a rc h i n g
the archaeology and history of
the Canterbury district. It is
envisaged that grants would
not normally exceed £500 each
and are awarded annually. Preference
will be given to work resulting in
publication.
Please apply in writing to the Hon.
Sec. of the Grants Committee (address
below), as soon as possible, and in any
case not later than 30 June 2005. Your
letter should mention your qualifications,
the nature and length of your
Spring 2005
5
T H E K E N T
H I S T O RY
F U N D
C A N T E R B U RY A R C H A E O L O G Y
S O C I E T Y R E S E A R C H &
P U B L I C I T Y G R A N T S
FUNDS,
GRANTS &
MYSTERIES
FUNDS,
GRANTS &
MYSTERIES
FUNDS,
GRANTS &
MYSTERIES
FUNDS,
GRANTS &
MYSTERIES
FUNDS,
GRANTS &
MYSTERIES
FUNDS,
GRANTS &
MYSTERIES
FUNDS,
GRANTS &
MYSTERIES
FUNDS,
GRANTS &
MYSTERIES
FUNDS,
GRANTS &
MYSTERIES
FUNDS,
GRANTS &
MYSTERIES
FUNDS,
GRANTS &
MYSTERIES
FUNDS,
GRANTS &
MYSTERIES
he Kent History Fund, administered
by the Publications
Committee, awards grants
to assist serious re s e a rc h
leading to publication.
Applications are invited from
local history societies affiliated to the
KHF (Kent History Federation) or KAS,
and from individuals who are either
members of KAS or of a local history
society affiliated to either the KHF or
KAS. Professional historians and postgraduates
are not eligible to apply.
Anyone wishing to apply should write
to Dr J M Gibson, 27 Pine Grove,
Maidstone, ME14 2AJ, requesting an
application form.
MYSTERY OBJECT FROM ULCOMBE
Any suggestions would be welcomed on the purpose of this stone object which
was found whilst fieldwalking at Ulcombe. The dimensions are 17cm long x 12cm
wide x 10cm in depth.
The stone appears to be of quartz? type composition which is unlikely to be local to
the area. The most noteworthy features are a series of ‘peck’ marks on the ‘upper’
surface in an irregular arrangement. One side is slightly curved and the ‘base’ is
flat. It has the appearance of being ‘ancient’. It may be a type of quern or millstone
but is not near a known mill site. It was, though, found within 100 metres of both an
Iron Age and a Romano-British site.
Any ideas would be very gratefully received,
Neil Aldridge, 31 Forge Lane, Headcorn, Kent, TN27 9QN.
archaeoworld@ukonline.co.uk
Free Canterbury
Archaeological
Trust publication!
Are there any KAS members out there
who teach in Kent? You can receive a
free copy of the Trust’s latest annual publication
‘Canterbury ’s Archaeology’ by
writing to: Marion Green, Education
Officer, Canterbury Archaeological Trust,
92a Broad Street, Canterbury,
Kent CT1 2LU or mailing to :-
mariongreen@canterburytrust.co.uk. We
are always interested to hear from others
in the teaching profession, so do tell
us what area of education you are
engaged in.
The free report (A4, 72pp) shows you
what CAT has been doing, not just in the
city, but throughout Kent – excavations,
finds studies, historic building surveys
and educational activities including the
final phase of Whitefriars THE BIG DIG.
Normal retail price £5. So come on –
write in and claim yours!
Archaeologia Cantiana
Complete Set For Sale – Volume I
(1858) to Volume 123 (2003). A
rare opportunity for an institution
or an individual to purchase a
complete set in good overall
condition, price to be negotiated.
Please contact the editor
(contact details on back page).
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
Spring 2005
6
KAS Churches Committee Visit
Monday 20 June
You are invited to visit the two West Kent churches of West
and East Peckham on the evening of Monday 20 June, meeting
at West Peckham at 6.45pm. Tea & biscuits will be provided
at East Peckham. Cost of the tours is £2 (students £1)
with tea extra at £1.
A booking slip for this visit is enclosed; it would be helpful
if return was made by 10 June.
KAS Visit to Chilham Castle
Thursday 23 June
Chilham Castle was sold in 1997 and became a private residence.
This was in contrast to its previous history when the
grounds laid out by Capability Brown had always been
accessible to the public, and the Jacobean house itself had
been used for filming.
N o w, however, the new owners, Mr and Mrs Stuart
Wheeler, whilst still preserving their privacy, envisage using
their home to raise funds for a particular charity. The good
news for KAS members is that a number are to be shown
around the house. For architectural details of the house
read Buildings of England, North East and East Kent,
Pevsner (ed).
Fuller details of the visit are not available at the time of
going to press, but if you would like to register interest
please contact Margaret Lawrence on 01622 871945 or
email to margaret.society@virgin.net.
KAS Summer Excursion 2005
‘Looking at Lincolnshire’
We will be visiting Lincolnshire on a 5 day excursion, from
13 – 17 June inclusive, staying in a 3 star hotel. Our coach
will take us to various places and we hope to visit some or
all of the following; Lincoln Cathedral and the Roman colonia
and medieval city, Gainsborough Old Hall, Tattershall
Castle, Belton House and Woolsthorpe Manor (Newton’s
home). We also hope to have a guided tour of Stamford and
nearby Burghly Hall.
Full details can be obtained from the Hon. Excursions
Secretary, Joy Saynor, Friars, 28 High Street, Shoreham,
Sevenoaks TN14 7TD,
email: saynor.shoreham@amserve.com.
KAS One-day Conference
Visualising Four Kentish Villages
Saturday 15 October 10.30am – 4.30pm
Following the successful one-day conference last year,
another event has been organized to take place in the
Church Barn at Charing. ‘Visualising Four Kentish Villages’
will look at East Peckham, Kemsing, Loose and Charing.
Charge for the day, including tea or coffee, will be £5. A
booking slip for this event is enclosed.
University of Kent Annual Darwin Lecture
‘Archaeology, Genetics and the Origins of Linguistic
Diversity?’ by Professor Lord Colin Renfrew.
Friday 22 April at 6pm
Brabourne Lecture Theatre, Keynes College, University of
Kent at Canterbury. Admission is free and all are welcome.
Time Team: ‘Adults only’ Archaeology or
Children’s TV?
An Evening Lecture by Time Team’s Carenza Lewis
Saturday 7 May at 8pm.
D a rwin Lecture Theatre 1, The University of Kent at
Canterbury.
The talk will review 12 years of the Channel 4 archaeology
series to see how often evidence relating to children or
childhood has been discovered during the filming and how it
has been presented to the family TV audience.
Although the lecture is a part of the Archaeology of Infancy
and Childhood Conference (see Conferences Section),
admission is free and all are welcome. All enquiries to Mike
Lally at ML81@Kent.ac.uk
The Archaeology of Infancy and Childhood
Between 6 – 8 May
Darwin College, University of Kent at Canterbury.
With over 30 academic papers and 3 poster sessions relating
to the role and worth of infants and children within the
archaeological record, the Department of Classical and
Archaeological Studies invites you to register your place at
the conference. In attendance will be many of the world’s
leading ‘childhood’ researchers. Papers will cover many cultural
examples of infancy & childhood, with presenters travelling
from all over the world. A practical ‘Child’ Osteology
Workshop has also been arranged in association with the
conference.
For full details, including registration, schedule and a list of
c o n f i rmed abstracts, visit the conference website at
WH A T’S ON
KAS EVENTS
CONFERENCES
LECTURES
OTHER EVENTS FROM AROUND
THE COUNTY
>
h t t p : / / w w w.kent.ac.uk/secl/classics/Childhood.htm or
email Mike Lally at InfancyChildhood2005@Kent.ac.uk.
Registration for the conference will be £16 (including a wine
reception and conference refreshments), with an additional
£10 registration fee for the osteology workshop.
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 the University’s
Canterbury Campus starting at the end of September this
year. 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,
C a n t e r b u ry CT2 7NZ, tel: 0800 9753777, email:
info@kent.ac.uk
Heritage Garden Party , Mere House, Mereworth
25 June, 2.00 – 5.30 pm
Kent Archaeological Society member Andrew Wells and his
wife are opening their garden at Mere House, Mereworth
(off the A26, midway between Maidstone and Tonbridge) to
exhibit a range of interests and skills illustrating all that is
best in Kent’s heritage. The garden, featured in The English
Garden, February 2005, is an appropriate and attractive setting
for this, centred on the 18th century house (not open).
This event coincides with Andrew Wells’ year as High
Sheriff of Kent.
The aim of the event is to promote interest in a number of
o rganisations with complementary aims and ideals.
Exhibitors will include the Campaign to Protect Rural
England Kent Branch, the Friends of Kent Churches, the
Historic Houses Association, the Kent Gardens Trust, and
the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.
Members will also have an opportunity to discuss their
restoration techniques and skills with several leading local
conservation specialists, who will be working on various
projects during the afternoon.
Entry will be free to members of the Society and their
friends. Refreshments will be available throughout the
afternoon. The garden is accessible for wheelchair users.
It is re g retted that dogs are not allowed. To gauge
numbers, members interested in coming should write to
Andrew Wells at Mere House, Mereworth, ME18 5NB or
email (andrewwells@mere-house.co.uk). Tickets will not be
needed.
Sheppey Local History Society
Guided Walks in & around Sheerness
Monday 4 July and Friday 29 July, at 2pm & 6.30 pm on
both days.
With this year’s ‘Sea Britain’ theme in mind, the walks will
cover the personalities associated with Sheerness’ maritime
past, alongside the town and dockyard’s expansion. The life
of ordinary seamen and townsfolk in the 19th and 20th centuries
will not be forgotten.
Walks leave from the railway station forecourt in Sheerness.
No advance booking is required. A charge of £1.50 will be
made for Society funds
Faversham Society Open House Scheme
Saturdays 2, 9 & 16 July, from 11am – 5pm
Over 20 historic town centre properties open to view.
Admission by programme with detailed notes on each (£7 on
the day, £8 in advance) from Fleur de Lis Heritage Centre,
Faversham ME13 8NS (01795 534542 or faversham@btinternet.
com).
Crayford Manor House Historical & Archaeological Society
Trip to Peterborough, Saturday 11 June
Coach departs at 9am. Cost approx. £20.00.
Trip to Faversham, Saturday 9 July
To coincide with the Open House Scheme (above). Cost
approx (but no more than) £19.00.
Further information and booking from Mr L Davies, tel:
01322 525335.
NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGY WEEK 2005
This year, the Council for British Archaeology have decided
to extend the usual National Archaeology Days into a weeklong
celebration of archaeology. Look out for events near
you posted on www.britarch.co.uk, or in the local press.
Here’s one not to miss!
B.C.UK
Prehistory - ‘life b4 txt’
Sunday 24 July in the Museum of Kent Life, Sandling
from 11am – 4.30pm
A family fun-filled archaeology day, focusing on the period
before the Romans. Living History groups will set up camp
– try flintknapping or bronze axe-casting; lots of free activities
for young & old including food tasting, creative crafts &
mini-excavation; exhibition of local history and archaeology
groups; Carenza from Time Team speaking.
Entry is free for all children 16 & under (normally £4.50),
adults £6.50.
Spring 2005
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CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
EVENTS
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CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
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CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
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LECTURES,
CONFERENCES,
COURSESAND
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CONFERENCES,
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Thank you for sending me your subscriptions either by post or bankers order. Please check your bank statements to make sure
that your bank is sending the correct amount only once a year. If you have not yet sent your subscription to me please do so
as soon as possible so that you will not miss out on your copy of Archaeologia Cantiana.
If you are going to conferences, meetings etc. please help to publicise KAS by putting out a pile of application forms in a
prominent position. I have plenty here, so do get in touch for your supplies.
Shiela Broomfield
I am pleased to welcome the following new Members:
AFFILIATED SOCIETIES
Historical Research Group of Sittingbourne, Mr P Talbot HRGS, c/o 27 Canterbury Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 4SG
The Isle of Thanet Archaeological Society, Crampton Tower Yard, The Broadway, High Street, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 2AB
JOINT MEMBERS
Beeby, Mr D I, and Mrs, Two Kiln Oast, Church Lane, Newington, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 7JX
Cozens Mr M J & Mrs D G, 33 Dunes Road, Greatstone, New Romney, Kent, TN28 8S
Cridge, Mr J M, and Mrs, Henden Place, The Green, Woodchurch, Ashford, Kent, TN26 3PF
Hart Mr P C & Mr A W Hart, 3 Yew Tree Close, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 2L
Kefford, Mr R H, and Mrs, Gould Farm Oast, Mill Lane, Frittenden, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 2DT
Sharpe Mr S J & Mrs C Dawes, 6 Orchard Cottages, Hampstead Lane, Nettlestead, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 5H
Soderland Ms L & Mr N Baldey, 78 Linksfield Road, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent, CT8 8HF
Young, Mr P, and Mrs, 80 The Landway, Bearsted, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 4B
JUNIOR MEMBERS
Mitchell, Mr L, 10 Oak Road, Five Oak Green, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 6TA
LIFE MEMBERS
Lister, Mr I, Wildwood, Bitchet Green, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 0N
ORDINARY MEMBERS
Allen, Mr P, Danemead, Waterloo Road, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 3JQ
Ball, Mrs L, 16 Granville Road, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 1QB
Baxter, Mrs P, 2 Stanmore Court, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3DS
Bayford, Mrs J, 19 Wingrove Drive, Grove Green, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 5SP
Bowman, Mr G, Donjon House, 12 Worthgate Place, Castle Row, Canterbur y, Kent, CT1 2Q
Burgess, Mr R A, Barn Owl, Dwelly Lane, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 6QE
Chapman, Mrs S, 14 Discovery Road, Bearsted, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 8H
Clark, Mrs J, 2 Margaret Villas, Maidstone Road, Matfield, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 7JR
Clucas, Mr P, 24 Tudor Drive, Otford, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 5QP
Cousins, Mrs J V, Little Croye, The Avenue, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 3EL
Edmeads, Mrs L R, Oaklands, Rye Lane, Dunton Green, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 5JD
Edwards, Mr J C, Fairways, Back Lane, Ightham, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 5AU
Grebby, Mrs J, Giles Farm, The Pinnock, Pluckley, Ashford, Kent, TN27 0SY
Hooker, Mrs R, 59 Thornton Place, Horley, Surrey, RH6 8RZ
Knight, Mrs P G, 355 Maidstone Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 3P
Lee, Mr D A, Mountfield, London Road, Crowborough, Sussex, TN6 2TR
Livingstone, Ms L, 29 St Swinthins Road, Tankerton, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 2HU
Luxford, Ms E, 66 Cromwell Road, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 1NL
Mayfield, Mr A, 58 Thorpe Avenue, Tonbridge, Kent, TN10 4PR
McFarland, Mr D G, Selby Oast, Howland Road, Marden, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 9DH
Palmer, Mr A F, 20 Prospect Park, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 0EQ
Powell, Miss J, 24 Offham Road, West Malling, Tonbridge, Kent, ME19 6RA
Raraty, Dr M, 41 Bridge Down, Bridge, Canterbur y, Kent, CT4 5BA
Taylor, Mr P N, 9 The Platt, Sutton Valence, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 3BQ
Tomaszewski, Dr N E, 12 Stoney Road, Dunkirk, Faversham, Kent, ME13 9TN
White, Mrs S, 7 Victoria Crescent, Dover, Kent, CT16 1DU
Winfield, Mr R, Willowdene, 122 The Street, Adisham, Canterbury, Kent, CT3 3JT
The address for all correspondence relating to membership is – Mrs Shiela Broomfield, KAS Membership, 8
Woodview Crescent, Hildenborough, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 9HD. Tel: 01732 838698.
Email: membership@kentarchaeology.org.uk or s.broomfield@dial.pipex.com.
Spring 2005
8
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MEMBERSHIPMATTERS
Copy Deadline for the next issue is We
You and Your Society
Canterbury District schools is progressing
well (Issue No 63) and CAT is soon to
p a rtner Canterbury Museums for
National Science Week with a 3-day
event, ‘Skeleton in the Cupboard’ wher e
schools and public will see what can be
learnt from human and animal remains.
A big plasma screen presentation of burial
excavations at various Kent sites will
add a techno dimension!
North Downs YAC has been looking
at the history of guns (which included firing
a miniature cannon!) and learning
about publishing from the new editor of
the National YAC magazine, ‘Yo u n g
Archaeologist’, who hosted a group session.
Other events are planned for the
summer.
Ian Coulson is, as usual, extremely
busy promoting History and Archaeology
throughout the county and is involved in
many diverse projects and events;
‘ Veterans Remembered’ (oral history
involving Kent pupils and WWll veterans)
and assisting with plans for a Local
History Shop in Folkestone’s High Street
(a regeneration project) are but two of
them. Society members continue to contribute
to their website where 65 tithe
schedules are now posted for easy
access. The committee’s chairman will
give a presentation at the AGM in May
and a display will be set up for this
year’s History and Archaeology Show at
Maidstone Museum in October.
Bob Spain is retiring from the
Council and from the Education
Committee. Members thanked Bob for
his contribution and Paul Oldham for his
constant support of the Education
Committee during his term of office as
President. We wish him well.
Marion Green
Hon Secretary
‘Tour de force’ is hardly adequate to
describe Professor Nigel Saul’s performance
on March 12 at St Helen’s
Church, Cliffe. Prof. Saul was the main
speaker at the Churches Committee’s
T h e re might be a third
c h a m b e r. Members of the Kent
Underground Research Group are currently
carrying out a survey of
the site.
Keith Parfitt re p o rted that
Canterbury Archaeological Trust are
carrying out a survey of the topography
of Sandwich, this to assist with
the study of the Saxon and Medieval
town. Already a contour map of the
town has been produced, the spacing
of the contours set to suit this lowlying
coastal town.
Andrew Richardson (Finds Liaison
Officer for Kent) reported that a gold
disc, dating to the Beaker period, had
been recovered at Cobham.
Equipment
Shiela Broomfield reported that
some of the Society’s equipment is
being put to very good use by pupils at
Meadow School, Southborough.
If any of the ninety one new
members who joined the Society last
year have talents they would like to
share, or have ideas to suggest, they
are invited to meet the Publicity and
Membership Committee to hear of the
vital work contributed by the members;
for example, the Membership
Secretary, and the Newsletter Editor.
Support would be given to someone
who could use technology to promote
the public awareness of the Society –
many sources have already been
assembled awaiting use. Please
phone me for the date of the next
meeting or for a convenient date to
meet.
M a rg a ret Lawrence, email to
m a rg a re t . s o c i e t y @ v i rgin.net. or tel.
01622 871945.
Keen members made it to the
Maidstone meeting, despite the
snow! The ‘CAT Kits’ project for
The Committee last met on
Saturday 22 January and will next meet
on Saturday 23 April, under a new
C h a i rman, Professor David Killingray.
The Committee has approved the digitisation
of Archaeologia Cantiana, as part
of the 150th anniversary celebrations of
the Society in 2007. That year will also
see the publication of a second and special
volume of Archaeologia Cantiana,
the contents of which are currently being
finalised by the Honorary Editor.
Other publications nearing completion
will focus on Faversham and
Hadlow. A revised Grant Application
Form for the Kent History Fund has been
approved. The Committee is considering
the possibility of awarding an annual
prize for the best PhD on Kentish archaeology
or Kentish history.
This is the final report from Dr John
Whyman, previous Chairman of the
Publications Committee. Dr Whyman
has been on the Publications Committee
for 31 years, since January 1974; long
service indeed.
Excavation and Recording
Abbey Farm: The Society propose to
apply for a grant from the Robert Kiln
Trust towards the cost of a report on the
painted plasterwork. To this end, Chris
Pout has sought advice about the plaster
from Steven Rickerby of the Courtauld
Institute. To make his assessment, he
visited the Thanet Arc h a e o l o g i c a l
Society’s HQ at Broadstairs, where the
plasterwork is held, on the 8 February.
Over the winter months, members
of the Dover Archaeological Group have
been washing the recovered pottery and
worked flints from last year’s excavation
at Ringlemere. This site has produced
considerable quantities of Gro o v e d
Ware pottery, and flints.
Ground subsidence at a site to the
south of Sittingbourne has led to the
location of a two-chambered chalkwell.
Spring 2005
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KAS COMMITTEE ROUND-UP
is Wednesday 1st June - to usual address
You and Your Society
PUBLICATIONS
COMMITTEE
EDUCATION
COMMITTEE
CHURCHES
COMMITTEE
FIELDWORK
COMMITTEE
MEMBERSHIP
COMMITTEE
continued on page 10
yard, the first instalment of a project
designed to promote wider enjoyment
of the building and its tre a s u re s .
Leaflets include Ecology, The Windows,
The Clocks (each £1), The Historic
Churchyard, History & Monuments, The
Bells (each £1.50), The Organs, The
Brasses, and The Misericords (each £3).
A whole set costs £12.00. All prices
include p&p. Available from The
Vicarage, Newton Road, Faversham
ME13 8DY.
Spring 2005
10
District Local History Society. £5.00
The detailed story of the six roads
that led to Cranbrook and the system
intended to raise money for their maintenance
and improvement. Interesting
information on toll houses and gatekeepers
is given; also the fate of those
who tried to avoid payment ‘by passing
through the fields’.
Available from Cranbro o k
Museum, Carriers Road, Cranbro o k
TN17 3JX.
Iwade – Occupation of a North
Kent Village from the Mesolithic to
the Medieval Period by Barry Bishop
and Mark Bagwell. Pre-Construct
Archaeology, Monograph 3. £14.95
Following excavation at this entry
point to the Isle of Sheppey, this report
charts periods of intense activity and
times of neglect. “The authors are able
to portray Iwade as a microcosm of
wider social changes.... integrating the
site into a wider regional context”
David Yates, Dept of Arc h a e o l o g y,
University of Reading.
Available from PCA, Unit 54
Brockley Cross Business Centre, 96
Endwell Road, London SE4 2PD tel:
0207 7323925 email: info@pre-construct.
com.
St Mary of Charity, Faversham -
Built to InSpire.
A series of heritage booklets and
leaflets about the church and church-
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A Study in Woodlands
Archaeology: Cudham, North
Downs by Sue Harrington.
Archaeopress, BAR British Series 368.
1 84171 601 4. £25.00
An examination of the woodland
banking in the parish of Cudham, to
establish the phases of expansion and
contraction of the woodlands in the
Medieval period. This was with particular
re g a rd to the anomaly evident
between two re f e rences; from the
Domesday Book suggesting extensive
ploughlands and from a post-Medieval
one suggesting extensive woodlands.
Investigation included sampling survey
of the banking, place-name evidence
and documentary sources.
Cranbrook’s Turnpike Roads 1759 –
1878 by Alan Sanders. Cranbrook and
N E WB O O K S
The Churches Committee is again
promoting an essay competition. This time
the subject is an archaeological, architectural,
historical or aesthetic feature in
a Kentish churchyard (excluding the
church itself and not botanical). Essays of
between 500 and 1000 words in length
should be sent to:
Mary Berg, KAS Competition
5 Orchard Street, Canterbury CT2 8AP
The prize is £100. Entries will be
judged on clarity and liveliness of
description of the feature rather than on
academic excellence. Entries are open
to KAS and non-KAS members. All ages
welcome! Please tell your friends and
any societies or groups with which you
are concerned as we wish to attract
entries from as wide a cross-section of
the community as possible.
The final date for entries is 15 July
2005. Good luck!
He covered all possible aspects, from the
use of the nave and chapels to the individual
physical features, including how
the building had been enlarged and
altered as its use had changed. The audience
of over a hundred people then
moved up to the chancel – or as near to
it as possible – where Prof. Saul gave
the last of his three talks. Again, he used
the present building to illustrate his
points and to describe the architectural
features found in the chancel.
Throughout the day, the level of rapport
between speaker and listeners was
of a height not often reached, with questions
being dealt with seriously and sympathetically.
Prof. Saul had prepared his
contribution very well and it was very
hard to believe that this was his first visit
to St Helen’s! When the KAS President,
Paul Oldham, proposed a vote of thanks
to Prof. Saul, the applause resounded
round the large church for some time. A
truly memorable day.
Mary Berg
study day, ‘Reading a Church’ with the
building itself as the visual aid. Firstly,
Chair of the Churches Committee, Philip
Lawrence, set the scene by painting pict
u res of Cliffe and its surro u n d i n g s
through the ages using examples from his
own research. He brought the area to life
for the audience and gave us wonderful
pictures of the sort of people who lived at
C l i ffe and worshipped at the churc h
through many changes, both physical and
liturgical.
Prof. Saul’s first one-hour lecture led
on perfectly from Mr Lawrence’s introduction
and dealt with the church and the
parish. He spoke of how churches came
into being, how they were built and paid
for, the Reformation in the 16th century
and the Victorian contribution. After an
excellent lunch provided by the parish and
a little time to explore the church, the
audience was seated in good time for Prof.
Saul’s talk about the Nave and Chapels.
continued from page 9 CHURCHES COMMITTEE
COMPETITION
square test pit within the main settlement
area; could this be a ditch around a
sacred site, particularly given its rectangular
shape?
Further RM work located the causewayed
gate to the main Iron Age settlement.
There appears to be a bar/bank
directly in front of the entrance, possibly
with a stone abutment holding the original
palings, for the reading was exceptionally
high. The old name of the field is
‘Mouldstone Gate’ so it does not preclude
the possibility that there was some
fancy stonework involved! There is evidence
of Romanization from Samian
scraps found amongst Iron Age pottery in
a trial pit. We anticipate more findings
when the barley is cut later in the year.
Our excavation then moved to the
site of the medieval chapel where we dug
a narrow trench across the area and
extended it in slots to try and find the
walls. Most of the walling was robbed
out but 15cm depth of rubble with mortar,
wall plaster fragments and floor tile was
found (fig 2), together with a few scraps
of window glass and leaded edging.
Within the rubble was the skeleton of a
modern pig, possibly buried early last
century. Kent peg tiles and a piece of the
floor tile lay underneath it, and it had
been weighted down with a large piece
of iron slag and wall stones (fig 3).
Lesley Feakes
Lenham Archaeology Group
he new KAS resistivity meter
(RM) is a great improvement on
the old one. That one refused to
work for us on some of our sites,
even if one gave it some coercion
with the rubber mallet, (yes, it really was
a recommended practice!). It may have
been unable to cope because our Lenham
Heath sites have a dense, hard iron pan
some 50cm beneath the sandy soil. The
new one, we find, switches up into high -
er range automatically to cope with this.
Our most recent investigations have
been on a medieval Chapel site (1296),
and an Iron Age settlement lying close by.
Using the RM in the summer, when the
subsoil sand is like the Sahara, gives a
very high reading, and tends to mask the
true situation. Winter investigation is
therefore better, and during the short
farming slot this winter, we worked hard
to cover as much of the site as possible.
There is much demand for use of the
machine and we had to vie for booking
with the Otford and Dover Archaeological
Groups, and the University of Kent!
Our work using the new RM revealed
almost the same shape as images on aerial
photographs; was this a possible rectangular
ditched area? Certainly it is a
feature lying outside of the main Iron Age
settlement area. Our excavations of the
site had some success; the feature
shown so clearly is a ditch, but was at a
depth of 130cm. This deep detection by
the RM was more likely to be the
absence of the iron pan as much as the
presence of a ditch. For, when we sectioned
the feature, in the area to the east
of the ditch the iron pan is in evidence,
but to the west it appears to have been
removed. Finds indicate quite clearly an
Iron Age date for the ditch, with pottery
sherds interspersed with iron slag and
pieces of charcoal. The presence of several
worked flint flakes at the bottom
layer indicates the ditch could have earlier
origins, and may have been re-cut on
an older one, but it is difficult to say.
Close to the pieces of Iron Age pot was
one piece of ironstone, unremarkable till
it was lifted and then one could see it
had a natural form exactly like that of a
female breast! (fig1). The possibility that
it was buried as an offering to the Earth
goddess becomes likely. There were far
less sherds and iron slag in this ditch
compared to the number found in a 1m
Spring 2005
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The tiles are highly glazed with clear,
black, or yellowish green,not unlike the
glazing colours used at Boxley Abbey
1
Dear Editor
We believe that the ruins we have indicated on the map (1st ed OS), at approximate NGR 615850, 150110, are those referred to in
medieval times as Sir Garwynton’s Chapel (or St Radigund’s more latterly). Elderly people in the village still refer to the ruins as
‘the monastery’. The site has become a confusing picture as follies have been created out of recycled flints and tipping has taken
place. If any member of your Society can shed further light upon the history of these ruins we would be delighted to learn from
them.
Not far away, at NGR 615500, 147000 is a farm now called Fryane Park. In medieval times this was referred to as Holyrood and,
again, I wonder if any of your members can help unravel the history of this place.
The village south of Stelling Minnis is
now known as Rhodes Minnis. In the
18th century it was referred to as Roods
Minnis; can anyone explain the cause of
this origin?
I can be contacted at the address or
telephone number below. Thank you.
Colin Robbins
Secretary, Stelling Minnis & Upper
Hadres Historical Society
C/o Church Lane Cottage
Harvest Lane
Stelling Minnis
Canterbury
01227 707552
Spring 2005
12
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T H ES A X O NS H O R E :
AV I E WF R O MT H E
O T H E RS I D E
n Monday 7th Febru a ry,
Sophie Vanhoutte of the
State Archaeological Service
for Flanders visited the
University of Kent to give a
talk on her excavations at the Roman
‘Saxon Shore’ Fort at Oudenberg.
The fort now lies a few kilometres
inland from Ostend but was at the head
of a lagoon in Roman times. The site
was occupied in the mid-Roman period
and was then developed with the construction
of a series of large forts equivalent
to the great ‘Saxon Shore’ forts at
R e c u l v e r, Richborough, Lympne and
Portchester. There are associated civilian
settlements outside the fort and
important Roman cemetery remains. The
c u rrent excavations have taken place
over several years and are now coming to
an end. They have yielded much new
information, allowing the conventional
phasing of the development of the fort to
be reassessed. Environmental evidence
was exceptionally well-pre served,
including wells with spectacular timber
construction.
An audience of 80, including many
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
SPRING 2005
Sophie Vanhoutte and Steve Willis display a poster of the Oudenberg excavations.
KAS members, enjoyed the talk, which
was followed by a reception hosted by the
University’s Darwin College. Other lect
u res, seminars and conferences are
planned by the University to encourage
the complementary study of archaeology
on both sides of the Channel. Details will
appear in future Newsletters.
Spring 2005
13
MORE
RINGLEMERE
DISCOVERIES
MORE
RINGLEMERE
DISCOVERIES
MORE
RINGLEMERE
DISCOVERIES
MORE
RINGLEMERE
DISCOVERIES
MORE
RINGLEMERE
DISCOVERIES
MORE
RINGLEMERE
DISCOVERIES
MORE
RINGLEMERE
DISCOVERIES
MORE
RINGLEMERE
DISCOVERIES
MORE
RINGLEMERE
DISCOVERIES
MORE
RINGLEMERE
DISCOVERIES
MORE
RINGLEMERE
DISCOVERIES
MORE
RINGLEMERE
DISCOVERIES
n the summer of 2004, archaeologists
resumed excavations at
Ringlemere Farm near Sandwich,
where the now famous Bronze
Age gold cup was discovered. The
new excavation (Trench 5) was
funded mainly by the British Museum
but other significant contributions came
from the Kent Archaeological Society
and the British Academy. Supervisors
f rom Canterbury Archaeological Tru s t
led the team and were joined by staff
from the British Museum for some of the
time.
Much of the digging was carried out
by volunteers, notably from Dover
A rchaeological Group, several other
local societies and the arc h a e o l o g y
d e p a rtments of various Universities.
In order to maintain public interest in
the excavations, regular re p o rt s
appeared in The Ringlemere Director’s
D i a ry, published on the Canterbury
A rchaeological Tru s t ’s website (see
www.canterburytrust.co.uk ).
Trench 5 was the largest so far, but
work throughout much of August and
September was hampered by heavy rain.
Despite this, much significant new information
was re c o rded, including evidence
of a hitherto unknown early
Anglo-Saxon cemetery.
The Anglo-Saxon Cemetery
The post-Roman re-use of prehistoric
burial mound sites is becoming
increasingly familiar. However, given
the lack of Anglo-Saxon graves from the
previous four trenches, it looked unlikely
that this would be the case for
Ringlemere. Moreover, the discovery of
a sunken hut cut into the northern edge
of the mound during 2003 suggested
that local Anglo-Saxon populations had
instead chosen to use the mound for
habitation. Such a simple picture was,
h o w e v e r, dramatically overt u rned in
2004 when no less than thirteen burials
of Anglo-Saxon date were discovered on
the south side of the bar row.
Eight of the burials were inhumations
of more or less typical Kentish form
but the remaining five consisted of inurned
cremations - a burial rite rarely
encountered in east Kent during the
early Anglo-Saxon period. Preliminary
inspection of the urns and grave goods
structed. Its inhabitants used highly dec -
orated Grooved Ware pottery and the
assemblage of such pottery fro m
Ringlemere now stands at over 4000
sherds, by far the largest from Kent and
one of the largest from south-east
England. Trench 5 revealed a series of
associated late Neolithic pits. Of particular
interest was one surrounded by an
area of heavily burnt clay which clearly
represented a hearth.
With the completion of Trench 5
about half the area of the Ringlemere
barrow has now been excavated. There
are still important questions left unanswered:
no clear evidence has yet come
to light for the original provenance of the
Bronze Age gold cup. Moreover, we
have no close dating evidence for the
construction of either the ditch or the
mound; this leaves some uncert ainty
about the relationship between the monument
and the gold cup.
Ploughing continues to erode the
upstanding remnant of the Ringlemere
barrow and it is intended to excavate the
whole of the monument in future seasons.
Planning for a 2005 excavation is
now in hand and volunteers will again be
welcome.
Keith Parfitt
(Canterbury Archaeological Trust)
Stuart Needham
(The British Museum)
indicates that some are of fifth century
date. Objects recovered from the inhumations
included two fine glass claw
beakers, decorated beads, iron knives
and belt buckles.
The Barrow Mound and Ditch
Many centuries of ploughing have
removed all but the base of the prehistoric
barrow mound. A further section of
its surviving turf core and outer envelope
of orange clay was examined. This produced
another significant collection of
late Neolithic pottery and struck flints,
derived from a pre-barrow occupation
site.
The ditch around the mound was
located in its expected position, which
largely confirms that the diameter of the
enclosed area was a massive 41.50
metres (136 feet). Excavation of the
ditch revealed that it survived to over
two metres deep and around five metres
wide. Stratigraphy within the ditch fill
yielded strong evidence for the former
presence of an outer bank. The ditch
seems to have been completely silted
and invisible by the Roman period when
its upper levels were being ploughed
across.
Pre-Barrow Features
Survival of the barrow mound has
served to preserve evidence of earlier
activity beneath it. A late Neolithic settlement
had existed on the site some
centuries before the mound was con-
MORE IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES
AT RINGLEMERE FARM
The Ringlemere site.
ric pieces (most with a knot in the middle),
sections of horse harness, pieces
of leather gloves, a 17th century
receipt, buttons, clay pipes…the list
goes on. Were the shoes deposited as
a fertility charm, as well as for spiritual
protection? We’ve all heard of the little
old lady that lived in a shoe, who had so
many children she didn’t know what to
do. Shoes are still tied behind wedding
cars to this day.
We looked in this chimney’s opposite
number with high hopes, but found
just a single high quality piece of fine
fabric at the bottom of a pile of dust
and debris. The disparity was astonishing.
In this room though, we found
many items under the floor boards; a
shoe by the fireplace along with many
children’s marbles from all periods, a
freemason’s skillet and clay pipe (some
floorboards had been cut to form a
‘grave’ as part of a masons ritual and
we now believe the Plough to have
been the earliest masons lodge in
Sittingbourne). Further into the room
we found a group of three 17th century
items - a ladies bodice, a child’s bonnet
and a pair of men’s underpants (opposite
page). Despite all being heavily
repaired at various times they were in
excellent condition. We know who
owned the building at this time, and
C O N C E A L E DG A R M E N T S
Spring 2005
14
CONCEALED
GARMENTS
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o most of Sittingbourne’s inhab -
itants the Plough Inn was a
rather run of the mill building. It
had an archetypal Vi c t o r i a n
façade and an aspect and position
that hardly caught the eye.
East Street, despite being part of the
great Roman road, was a relative economic
backwater compared to
Sittingbourne’s ‘High Street’. The building
was not listed, nor had any form of
preservation order upon it, so when it
was sold for demolition and redevelopment,
few took much notice.
Sittingbourne, however, is blessed with
many people who do recognise their
town’s heritage; they took a closer look,
and I was fortunate enough to be invited
to take part.
It was apparent from the start that
the building was far older than was
generally imagined; initial stru ctural
surveys dated the oldest section to the
17th century. Further investigations disc
o v e red other important period features,
but none were deemed important
enough by English Heritage to warrant
preservation. It became a race against
time to record and save what little we
could.
During an earlier survey we had disc
o v e red a mid to late 17th century
ladies shoe under the floorboards in the
oldest section. It lay
east/west and sole
down, a few feet
from the front wall.
This wall had been
replaced at the very
beginning of the 18th
c e n t u ry when the
new east range was
constructed and the
building completely
re f ronted. The shoe
was placed at this
point as an offering
to the house spirit
and to spiritually ‘reseal’
the building’s
perimeter against
any evil. It was sole
down to keep the
luck from spilling out
and purposefully
damaged (some
would go so far as to
say sacrificed) to
make it unusable
again. It seems only single shoes were
deposited in this way, so the devil
couldn’t wear them. Shoes were commonly
used as they took on the shape of
the owner, becoming a part of them;
hats and gloves were used for similar
reasons and almost always ‘sacrificed’
too.
This first find indicated that others
might also be found, and we made an
ongoing documentary study and took a
series of measurements, drawings and
photographs. It was to be a year, however,
before we were allowed to survey
more invasively. The opportunity to do
this was presented suddenly, as the
building changed hands and the demolition
order given! We made contact
with the new owners, SEEDA, who gave
us permission to carry out a deeper survey;
we had just two and a half days.
We began by examining the 17th
century ‘axial’ chimney which had been
hidden by early 18th century boarding.
Here we found a second shoe, high
above the mantel. Between the shoe
and the original mantel, was a deposit
of finds some 3 feet deep and 4 or more
feet across, mixed in with centuries of
dust, debris and rodent nests. It took all
the time we had been allocated to clear
just this one area. Here we found 5
more shoes, a tricorn hat, dozens of fab-
A shoe found on the site.
The HRGS were recently awarded a
Heritage Lottery Funding ‘Awards for
All’ grant of £4,806 which will be used
to purchase equipment to further their
research. Author of the above article,
Alan Abbey, Chair of the Group, says
“March saw our first anniversary and
we’ve come a very long way in a short
space of time thanks to our members
and sponsors. Several major projects
are being planned; this new equipment
will make their undertaking possible
sooner and allow us to ‘step up a gear’
in taking local history further into the
community”.
to consider whether the building had
been divided into gender specific areas.
Do the fireplace finds, with their more
f e rtility-based artefacts, indicate a
ladies room, whilst the ‘protective’ finds
under the floorboards identify that room
as belonging to the man of the house?
The study continues. The clothing is
now with the conservation department
at Southampton University for further
work. If you have found, or know of,
such concealed garments, please let me
know.
Alan Abbey
Historical Research Group of
Sittingbourne
Spring 2005
15
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there are two main families as candidates
responsible for deposition. The
couple who first owned the building lost
many children; they sold the property
after the death of their fifth child. Could
the clothes be celebrating their first surviving
child and be keeping the family
together in their new house? Or could
the bonnet belong to a lost child, with
the adult clothes keeping that child
close to its parents? The other candidates
are a couple that remained childless;
was the bonnet a way of attracting
a child to the relationship?
Lifting the floorboards in the room
with the artefact-packed fireplace found
nothing! The balance of finds has led me Below:Some of the items of found clothing.
RECORDING KENT’S 20th
CENTURY DEFENCES
Spring 2005
16
guns, visual and acoustic detection, and
e l e c t ronic and telephonic coord i n a t i o n
systems. Even civil defence was introduced.
During WWII, feared ‘Blitzkre i g ’
attack by dive bombers and tanks in an
invasion was to be countered first by stoplines
of pillboxes and ditches, and subsequently
by anti-tank islands and fortresses,
mobile infantry, armoured forces and
fighter bombers. Whereas stoplines are
well known, the sites from the second
method have been little studied. Current
research demonstrates that anti-invasion
defences embraced more points of resistance
than had been supposed. Air
defence elaborated the methodologies
from WWI with the injection of radar,
automation and information technology.
Civil defence was embedded in the community
but has been little archaeologically
studied in Kent; similarly, the industrial
infrastructure. Defence sites show astonishing
variety, also including road, rail and
beach obstacles, anti-landing devices for
planes, minefields, fougasses, radar and
intelligence-gathering stations, airf i e l d ,
RECORDING
KENT’S20TH
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DEFENCES
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DEFENCES
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RECORDING
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DEFENCES
RECORDING
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RECORDING
KENT’S20TH
CENTURY
DEFENCES
fter CBA’s and the Defence of
Britain Pro j e c t ’s epic studies of
Britain’s 20th century defences and
earlier site-logging by the Kent
Defence Research Group, you might
think that there is little more to learn
about this subject. But discovery is far
from over.
Kent County Council’s strategic
study of Kent’s defences, ‘Kent’s Defence
Heritage’ (2001), suggested that much
more needed to be done to gain a complete
geographical distribution and
understanding of such sites within the
county. Through a project called the
Historic Fortifications Network, an
alliance of fortified sites, towns and
regions in Kent, Nord-Pas de Calais
(France) and West Flanders (Belgium),
KCC have commissioned me to design a
methodology for recording 20th century
military and civil defence sites. An application
for European Union funding for a
new phase of the Network has been submitted,
and, in the event of its success,
KCC will now be able to begin to survey
the entire county over a period of years
on a ‘district by district’ basis. If the
application is unsuccessful then the
process will still be pursued, although it
will inevitably take a much longer time.
This could highlight sites for conservation
and inform heritage tourism and
promotion initiatives; there may also be
linked educational publications.
Our 20th century defences are not
beautiful, but they are historically important
as symbols of a determination to
safeguard our freedom. It is in this context,
as well as in consideration of the
effects of new weapon systems, tactics
and strategy, that the 20t h c e n t u ry
defences of Kent deserve to be adequately
studied, better understood, and
valued.
The 20th century marked separation
from the past, introducing new technologies
in warfare, including attack from the
air, whether by airships, aeroplanes or
ballistic missiles, as well as the enmeshing
of the general population in the wareffort.
Anti-invasion defences of WWI
drew on a late-19th century frame of reference,
with massive (still little-known),
trench systems inland of the coastal batteries.
Bombing attack from the air,
h o w e v e r, led to profound innovation:
fighter planes to intercept, anti-aircraft
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
searchlights, sound mirrors, air raid shelters,
wardens’ posts, barracks and naval
bases – the list is too long to complete
here. Indeed, the structures of war were
part of the land and townscape and
imposed themselves on the daily experience
of everyone. The ensuing Cold War,
with computers and bunkers, saw
fundamental changes – again, insufficiently
studied.
Defence sites continue to be
threatened by deterioration and development-
led demolition, so comprehensive
re c o rding is imperative. After pre s s
appeals for further information, fieldwork
will hopefully start this year. This will
involve following up documentary
s o u rces by visiting the country s i d e ,
towns and coast. Vanished sites will be
logged too, to paint a complete picture.
T h e re may also be opportunities for
historical and archaeological groups to
become involved, as local knowledge can
be invaluable.
Discoveries are ahead, so watch this
space!
Victor Smith
Copy deadline for the next issue in July is Wednesday June 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
Anti-tank obstacle at Chatham.
Notice of the Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the Society will be held on Saturday 21st May 2005 at 11.00
a.m. in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall, High Street, Maidstone. The meeting will be in the
Council Chamber on the first floor. The entrance is through the Tourist Information Office.
The agenda and other papers accompany this notice.
Each Affiliated Society is entitled to send one of its members (who is also a member of this
Society) to attend the meeting.
Please address any enquiries about the arrangements to the Hon. General Secretary, Mr A.I.
Moffat at Three Elms, Woodlands Lane, Shorne, Gravesend, DA12 3HH, Tel. (01474) 822280,
email secretary@kentarchaeology.org.uk.
Programme and Timetable
10.30 a.m. Arrival, coffee in the Beauvais Room and a chance to see the stalls and displays.
11.00 a.m. Annual General Meeting in the Council Chamber - see agenda
Presentations by: The Churches Committee
The Newsletter Editor
Mr Ian Coulson on Archaeology in Education
There will be no afternoon activities but the Society’s library in Maidstone Museum will be
open and members will be present to welcome you and show you the collections and facilities
available.
K E N T A RC H A E O LO G I C A L S O C I E T Y
A N N UA L G E N E R A L
M E E T I N G 2 0 0 5
AGENDA
1. STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
3. MINUTES of the Annual General Meeting held on the 15th May 2004
(a) Approval of the minutes
(b) Matters arising from the minutes
4. REPORT & ACCOUNTS FOR 2004: The Annual Report and the Statement of Income and Expenditure and the Balance Sheet will be
presented and are enclosed with this notice.
5. ELECTION OF OFFICERS: The following Officers, duly nominated by the Council, will be declared elected under rule 25 (c):
President: Mr C.R. Pout, B.A., M.A.
Hon. Editor: Mr T. G. Lawson, M.A., Dip.Kent. Hist.
Hon. Treasurer: Mr R. G. Thomas, B.A., F.C.A.
Hon. General Secretary: Mr A.I. Moffat
Hon. Librarian: Dr F.H. Panton, C.B.E., Ph.D.
Hon. Membership Secretary: Mrs S. Broomfield, Dip. Arch.
Hon. Excursions Secretary: Mrs J.M. Saynor, M.A.
Hon. Curator: Dr M.C.W . Still, Ph.D.
Vice President: Dr F.H. Panton, C.B.E., Ph.D.
6. ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL: The following will be declared elected under rule 25(c):
Mr E.P. Connell*
Dr. J.M. Gibson, Ph.D.
Mr R. Higgs *
Dr A. Richardson, B.A., Mphil., Ph.D.
Mr A. Ward, M.A. *
Those marked * are retiring members of the Council eligible for re-election under rule 26
7. ELECTION OF AUDITORS: Messrs. Reeves & Neylan.
8. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
9. PRESENTATIONS
(a) The Churches Committee and its work, by Chairman Philip Lawrence
(b) The Society’s Newsletter by its editor Lyn Palmer
(c) Archaeology in Education by Chairman of the Education Committee, Ian Coulson
INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEETING
How to get to the meeting
The Town Hall is in the High Street. The entrance is through the Visitor Information Centre. The meeting will be in the Council Chamber on the
first floor.
There are car parks in the town centre. There are good ‘park and ride’ facilities which have car parks at:
Coombe Quarry at Armstrong Road, off Loose Road A229 (route 504),
London Road A20, Allington behind DFS (route 503),
Sittingbourne Road A249 behind the Chiltern Hundreds pub/restaurant (route 506)
Willington Street off Ashford Road A20 (route 501)
Parking is free and the return bus fare is £1.20 per person. Buses run about every 12 minutes from 8 a.m. to 6.29 p.m., the journey time
is about 10 minutes and all stop near the Town Hall. Parking and park and ride leaflets can be obtained from the Visitor Information Centre:
see below.
The two railway stations (Maidstone East and West) are within about 10 minutes walking distance. There are regular bus services which stop
near the Town Hall.
Refreshments
Coffee and tea will be provided from 10.30 without charge before the Annual General Meeting in the Beauvais Room opposite the Council
Chamber.
The Town Hall is in the centre of Maidstone so there are many places for refreshments and meals close by.
More information from: Maidstone Visitor Information Centre (01622) 602169 Email: tourism@maidstone.gov.uk, Maidstone Council web site
www.Maidstone.gov.uk or www.tour-maidstone.com.
MINUTES
MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the Society held on Saturday the 15th May 2004 at 11 a.m. at Christ Church University College, Canterbury in the presence of 61
members.
1. STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
The President emphasised the need to maintain the Society’s profile as the significance of counties was being reduced. It was important that the level of membership had been
maintained as the volunteers working for the Society were its greatest resource. Among the achievements of the year were the successful History and Archaeology Show at Maidstone
Museum (in which over 40 organisations participated) and the continued development of the two web sites which were an increasingly effective way of communicating with members
and making available material which would not otherwise be readily accessible.
2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE were received from 16 members.
3. MINUTES: The minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on the 17th May 2003 (which had been circulated) were approved.
4. MATTERS ARISING from the minutes: None.
5. REPORT & ACCOUNTS FOR 2003
(a) Annual Report: The Hon. General Secretary presented the Report of the Council for 2003 which had been circulated and was approved.
(b) Accounts: The Hon. Treasurer presented the Society’s accounts for the year ending the 31st. December 2003. He said the value of the investments had recovered a little from its
earlier decline and the modest surplus of income over expenditure was largely due to a reduction in the expenditure.
6. ELECTION OF OFFICERS: The following, duly nominated by the Council, were declared elected as officers of the Society under rule 25 (c):
President: Mr P.E. Oldham, M.A.
Hon. Editor: Mr T. G. Lawson
Hon. General Secretary: Mr A.I. Moffat
Hon. Treasurer: Mr R.G. Thomas, M.A., F.C.A.
Hon. Librarian: Dr F.H. Panton, C.B.E., Ph.D.
Hon. Membership Secretary: Mrs S. Broomfield, Dip. Arch.
Hon. Excursions Secretary: Mrs J.M. Saynor, M.A.
Hon. Curator: Dr M.C.W. Still, Ph.D.
7. ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL: The following, duly nominated, were declared elected members of the Council under rule 25(c):
Mr D.G. Anstey*
Mr P.A. Harlow*
Dr R.J. Spain*
* Retiring member of Council eligible for re-election under rule 26.
8. ELECTION OF A PATRON
Dr P.H.G. Draper was elected a Patron of the Society. He had been nominated by Dr C.W. Chalklin, E.P. Connell, R.H. Hiscock, Prof. D. Killingray, Dr M.C.W. Still and M. Waite under
rule 8 and biographical details had been circulated on his behalf.
9. ELECTION OF AUDITORS: Messrs. Reeves & Neylan were r e-elected as the Society’s auditors.
10. OTHER BUSINESS
(a) Scrutineers: The following were elected from the members of the Society to act as scrutineers in any ballots for Officers and Council the next year:
Mr G.S. Avery (Whitstable), Mrs M. Berg (Canterbury), Mr A. Daniels (Maidstone), Mr M. Jenner (Tonbridge), Mr D. Murray (East Peckham), Mr J. Noble (Addington),
(b) The Society’s logo or emblem: Mrs E.A. Palmer, editor of the Society’s Newsletter, explained that the logo did not print clearly because of its ‘fussy’ design and the diaper pattern
behind the horse. She and some other members thought it did not convey an appropriate image of the Society. It was agreed to refer the matter to the Council and members were
invited to write to the Hon. General Secretary with their views.
11. THE LIBRARY AND COLLECTIONS
Following the formal business, the meeting concluded with a presentation on the work of the Library and Muniments Committee by its chairman Dr R.J. Spain assisted by the Hon.
Librarian and Mr D.G. Anstey. It was well received and led to discussion of some of the Committee’s work.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR 2004
The Council of the Society presents its one hundred and forty sixth report and statement of accounts for the year ending the 31st December 2004.
Aims and organization
The Society is established to promote the study and publication of archaeology and history in all their branches, especially within the ancient county of Kent.
The Society’s activities are carried out throughout the ancient county of Kent. It has no staff and its officers are only paid out-of-pocket expenses. It co-operates with its affiliated societies
and the organizations to which it is affiliated or of which it is a member. In particular it co-operates with the Canterbury Archaeological Trust in promotion of education.
Its activities are carried out by the Council, committees and officers.
Review of the year
Annual General Meeting: The Society’s annual general meeting was held at Canterbury on Saturday the 15th May 2004 when the Council’s annual report and the accounts for 2003 were
accepted and Messrs. Reeves and Neylan were re-appointed auditors. The officers and members of the Council were elected; details are set out below under Legal and Administrative
Information. Dr Peter Draper was elected a Patron of the Society. Following the business meeting Dr Robert Spain, assisted by Dr Frank Panton and Mr Denis Anstey, gave a
presentation on the work of the Library Committee which was well received. In the afternoon Mrs Jill Eddison gave a lecture Romney Marsh: Survival on a Frontier.
Fieldwork: Excavation of the Roman villa site at Abbey Farm, Minster-in-Thanet continued under the direction of Mr Keith Parfitt and was attended by 40 members. A feature found in
2003 was found to be a sizeable building enclosing a double chambered drying oven or malting kiln. The excavation was runner up in the annual Pitt Rivers Award for archaeology and
an article on it was published in Current Archaeology. A new TR/CIA resistivity meter was bought and used on several sites. Work started on preparing a list of people to advise metal
detectorists about their sites which will be supervised by Mr Andrew Richardson, Finds Liaison Officer for Kent.
Publications: Volume CXXIV (2004) of Archaeologia Cantiana was published and maintained its usual high standard and good range of papers and book reviews. An Historical Atlas of
Kent, edited by Mr Terry Lawson and Prof. David Killingray and sponsored by the Society, was published by Phillimore and a free copy sent to every member of the Society. A policy was
adopted that most publications will be produced on CD or put on the Society’s web site which should result in a wider circulation at significantly reduced cost. It is recognised that not
everyone would want these ‘electronic publications’ so it will be possible to place advance orders for printed copies produced by ‘print on demand’ methods. Archaeologia Cantiana
will continue to be printed in its traditional form. Several grants were made from the Kent History Fund for local history publications.
Churches: The half day visits to churches continued to be popular with three well attended visits to pairs of churches. The Ideas and Ideals series in the Newsletter, was concluded. A
new venture was an essay competition on an unusual feature in a church; it was won by Mr Alan Moss of Rochester and his entry published in the Newsletter. Several people were
given guidance in their studies of churches.
Library and collections: Computers in the Library were connected by broadband to the Society’s web sites on the internet. Development of these sites continued with addition of articles
on history and archaeology, completion of the Gordon Ward archive index, additions to the index to the Hussey files of genealogical material, papers from past volumes of
Archaeologia Cantiana, material on Kent churchyards and medieval and Tudor wills and the start of a project to add, in conjunction with local societies, Kent tithe award schedules.
Donations of books and visual records were received and a selection of publications from the Society’s stock were offered to help Ramsgate Library recover from a disastrous fire. The
Hon. Curator, in conjunction with Maidstone Museum and the Museum of London, made a preliminary estimate of work needed to conserve the Society’s collections of artefacts and
work will start in 2005.
Education: The Society’s support for Young Archaeologists Clubs was continued with a grant to the North Downs club. The Society continued its support for the work of the Canterbury
Archaeological Trust’s Education Service by contributing a little over 30% of its running costs. This Service had a programme of school visits and support for teachers throughout the
year. It obtained a Heritage Lottery grant to make 60 kits of archaeological finds and materials for schools and it hopes to obtain more funds to extend the project. It participated in the
Dakini Project which produces GIS (digital) teaching materials promoting historic and cultural sites for schools in Kent, Sussex and northern France.
Place names: A study day was held at Staplehurst in which Dr. Paul Cullen and Dr David Parsons from Nottingham University took part. It was a great success and was attended by 90
people. The Place Names Committee continued to monitor work on research and publications on place names.
Membership: Despite 81 new members joining during the year the number of those leaving was slightly greater so the year ended with a membership of 1,164, a small net reduction of
one on the previous year.
Activities for members: A new venture was the History and Arcaheology Show which was held in Maidstone Museum and Bentif Art Gallery in June. Over 500 members of the public
were admitted free and could see exhibits by the Society’s committees and local groups and organisations from around the County. There was a successful five day excursion to Dorset
and a conference on New Perspectives on Four Kent Towns in place of the usual day excursions . The traditional pre-Christmas lunch at Wye College was well attended. Four issues of
the Newsletter contained the usual interesting mix of news about events and discoveries.
Relations with other bodies: The Society appoints members or representatives to a number of other organisations. Regular reports have also been received from the C. B. A. South East
and the Standing Conference on London Archaeology. The Society has regularly been represented at meetings of the Kent History Federation.
Review of financial activities and affairs
The accompanying financial statements for the year ended the 31st December 2004 show the cur rent state of the Society’s finances which its Council considers to be sound. They comply
with the Council’s understanding of the current statutory requirements and the requirements of the Society’s rules.
Investments: The trustees seek, in the management of their investments, a balance between income and capital growth. The Finance Committee oversees the management of the
Society’s investments. The portfolio, managed by USB Laing and Cruickshank Ltd, increased by 8.6% and now stands at £1,014,645. They currently yield 3.8%.. The C.O.I.F. investments,
which currently yield 3.5% per cent, increased in value from £64,326 to £68,624.
Reserves: The Council budgets each year to spend a sum considerably in excess of current income and tries to maintain reserves appropriate to allow this to continue.
The Society relies on its officers and other members giving their time freely to organise its activities. Without those contributions it would have to spend a substantial sum on salaries.
Allen Grove Local History Fund: The Society administers the Allen Grove Local History Fund which was given in the will of the late Allen Grove. Its objects are to promote research,
preservation and enjoyment of local history. These objects are consistent with those of the Society. It is a restricted fund and is invested separately from the Society’s other investments.
In accordance with the terms of the legacy, decisions on how the fund is to be spent are taken by the Society’s officers. During the year four grants totalling £950 were made
towards the costs of producing publications on local history, oral history and preserving local records.
Legal and administrative Information
The Society is a charity registered with the Charity Commission under number 223382. It is an unincorporated association governed by its rules which are published in Archaeologia
Cantiana from time to time and copies of which can be obtained from the Hon. General Secretary. It is also registered as a charity with the Inland Revenue which has made a direction
under section 201 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 which permits certain members (generally those whose employment is related to the Society’s activities) to obtain
income tax relief on their subscriptions to the Society; further details can be obtained from the Hon. General Secretary.
The principal address of the Society is The Museum, St Faith’s Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1LH. However, correspondence should be addressed to the relevant officer.
The governing body of the Society is the Council whose members are its charity trustees and are elected by the members of the Society at its annual general meeting in May each
year. During the period covered by this report they were:
P.E. Oldham President
A. I. Moffat Hon. General Secretary
R.G. Thomas Hon. Treasurer
S. Broomfield Hon. Membership Secretary
F. H. Panton Hon. Librarian
T.G. Lawson Hon. Editor
J. Saynor Hon. Excursions Secretary
M. C. W. Still Hon. Curator
C. W. Chalklin Vice President
L. D. Lyle Vice President
E. Melling Vice President
J. Whyman Vice President
* Denotes re-elected at the annual general meeting on the 15 May 2004; **Retired at the A.G.M. on 15 May 2004; *** Resigned 2 May 2004; **** Resigned 6 June 2004.
The officers (other than the Vice Presidents) hold office for one year, the Vice Presidents hold office for seven years and the other members for four years.
The Society’s main agents and advisers are:
Bankers: National Westminster Bank plc, 3 High Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1XU
Auditors: Reeves & Neylan, 37 St Margaret’s Street, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2TU
Stockbrokers: USB Laing & Cruickshank Ltd, 5 Appold Street, London, WC2A 2DA
Stockbrokers’ nominee company holding the Society’s investments: Productive Nominees Ltd, 5 Appold Street, London, WC2A 2DA.
The Society’s activities are restricted by the terms of its objects set out elsewhere in this report. In particular its area of benefit is mainly (but not exclusively) the ancient county of Kent
which is considered to be the administrative County of Kent, Medway Council and the London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich and part of Lewisham.
The Society’s investment powers are those given by the general law; its rules do not give it any special investment powers. The Council has delegated some of its investment powers to
USB Laing & Cruickshank Ltd in accordance with a scheme made by the Charity Commissioners on the 18th April 1994.
A. I. Moffat,
Hon. General Secretary on behalf of the Council
26th February 2005
D. G. Anstey *
D. Bacchus
E. Boast
D. A. H. Cleggett
E. P. Connell
B. T. Cousins ***
J.M. Hammond ****
P. A. Harlow *
R. Higgs
D. Killingray **
M.T. Lawrence
R. F. Le Gear
K. Parfitt
C.R. Pout
R. J. Spain *
A.L. Thompson **
A.F. Ward
C.P. Ward