KAS Newsletter, Issue 66, Autumn 2005
Written By KAS
nneewwss ll ee tt 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
Issue number 66 Autumn2005
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
Inside
2-3
Hawkinge Iron Age
Settlement
Library Notes
4-5
What’s on
6-7
What’s on
New Books,
Faversham Website
Plaques
8-9
Notice Board
10-11
Churches Competition
Winner
12-13
Letters to the Editor
HRGSTomb
14-15
Furfield Quarry MoLAS,
VCHProject
16
Out of the Shadows:
Into the Light -
Photographs in
Maidstone Museum
HAWKINGE SETTLEMENT
S P A N N E D T W O C E N T U R I E S
IMPORTED GAULISH SAMIAN WITH HUNTING
SCENE BAS-RELIEF, ONE OF THE MANY
FINDS AT THE FORMER AIRFIELD.
Full story on page 2.
continuous occupation and land use.
Many of these enclosures contained structural
evidence, including at least a dozen fourpost
structures, traditionally associated with
grain storage. Two grain storage pits were
also identified in the south central enclosure,
containing large quantities of burnt grain.
Many other pits, identified as waste pits, may
have served this function originally. Several
groups of post-holes would, on initial inspection,
appear to make up at least three large
rectangular stru c t u res, either domestic or
agricultural in function. In the nort h- west
enclosure was located a smaller sub-enclo-
Between May and August 2005, AOC
A rchaeology Group Ltd undertook an
archaeological investigation on behalf of
Pentland Homes on 3.5 hectares of land at the
f o rmer Hawkinge airfield near Folkestone.
This identified an extensive Prehistoric and
Romano-British landscape, located on the
northern side of a small spur which descends
gently to the east. The position, along the
North Downs ridge, overlooks the Channel,
and is c.10km to the north-east and 11km to
the south-west respectively, of the Roman
ports of Dover and Lympne.
Following machine stripping, a plan was
prepared (right) which revealed an extensive
system of boundary ditches defining at least
nine sub-rectangular enclosures, which extend
north and south beyond the site boundary.
Substantial pottery and finds assemblages
indicate two main periods of occupation
The earliest occupation would appear to
be Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age (c.900 -
600BC), although there is a small quantity of
residual material demonstrating occupation in
the local vicinity between c.550 - 400 BC.
The most prominent feature associated
with this earlier phase is a large ring ditch
measuring more than 30m in diameter to the
west of the site, which has two visible
entrances, one to the north and one at the
south-east. The entrance to the north also had
an associated oblique ditch, probably acting
as a corral mechanism for livestock, the terminus
of which produced one of several large
Late Bronze Age loom weights found scattered
across the site. Within the ring ditch enclosure
were scattered numerous post- holes and pits.
The second, and by far the most prevalent
period represented, is Late Iron Age – early
Romano-British (1st century BC – 1st century
AD). Many of the forms and fabric types were
associated with ‘Belgic’ pottery, including
grog tempering and decoration using both
curvilinear grooved and combed or scored
ornamentation.
The most visible and prolific of the features
identified were the sub-squared and
rectangular enclosure ditches. The general
impression is that the enclosures and
associated stru c t u res re p resent a
small agrarian settlement. From the
large quantities of cultural material
associated with the ditches, the
e n c l o s u res appear to have
developed during the Late Iron
Age and continued with later
subdivision into the early
Romano-British period,
representing a period of
two hundred years of
H AW K I N G E
ABOVE: Sub-enclosure
containing hut circle.
RIGHT:
Pre-excavation site
plan
(detailing
features
discussed in
body text).
Autum n 2005 2
sure 14m square, with an entrance to the east.
Within this were several post-holes forming
a possible hut circle, the only one
identified on site.
Given the quantity of cultural
material, this lack
of round houses is
a notable feature
of the
site. It is
tempting to speculate that this could support
previous observations that rectangular buildings
became more common by the latter part
of the Iron Age, and the prospect, at least for
the south-east of England, is that there may be
a correlation between the demise of circular
huts/round houses and the emergence of the
Belgic dynasties (Drewett et al. 1988).
At present we are at the very early stages
of analysis, and this statement is a provisional
account of the excavation. Given the abundance
of material recovered, detailed postexcavation
analysis will focus on further refining
the chronology of the phases of activity
and perhaps addressing issues of regionality
and cultural changes in south-east England
during the later centuries BC.
Mike House
AOC Archaeology
Refs:
Drewett P., Rudling D., & Gardiner M., (1988).
The south-east to AD 1000
Kent Archaeological Society Librar y.
Acquisitions May to August 2005.
Essex History and Archaeology. Vol. 34 2003.
Records of Buckinghamshire. Vol. 45 2005.
Cranbrook Pamphlets:-
Cranbrook Turnpike Roads. 1795-1878.
Watermills and Windmills.
Charities of Cranbrook.
Broadcloth Industry.
Dissenting Congregations.
Inns of Cranbrook.
Cranbrook School.
Dences School.
Bygone Kent. Vol. 26, Nos. 6,7.
Postmedieval Archaeology. Vol. 39 p.1.
Roman Pottery in the Tongeren Reference Collection. Sonja Willens.
Wiltshire Studies. Vol.98. 2005.
Archaeometry Vol. 47 p.2.
Visitation of London begun in 1687. Harleian Society.
Antiquities of Anglo Saxon Cemeteries. Faussett Collection Lecture, Thomas
Wright, 1854.
Southern History. Vol. 26. 2004.
Suffolk Records Society. Vol. XLVIII.
Archaeological Journal. Vol.161. 2004.
STACKS OF INFORMATION 2
In the last KAS Newsletter, I wrote an article , “Stacks of Information?” about
a stack of manuscript note books, bequeathed to us by long dead members of
the Society, and stored for decades in a corner of the Library. Among these are
some 60 note books by V.J.Torr, who died in 1965. Six of these seemed to
contain detailed descriptions of monumental inscriptions in Kentish Churches
and churchyards, most probably copied from an original compilation by the
Kentish Antiquary the Rev. Bryan Faussett (1720-1776). If this were so, then
Torr’s books could contain valuable information on inscriptions on monuments
and gravestones existing in the mid eighteenth century some of which
may by now have disappeared.
Before I could ask Library Volunteers to work to produce from Torr’s books
information on names, dates and locations which could be useful to genealogists
and family historians, I had to investigate further the validity of the
information they contained. To do so, I visited the library of the Society of
Antiquaries, London, in which are housed Faussett’s original four manuscript
volumes on Kent Churches, compiled in 1757-9, with additions in 1775. Spot
checks of comparisons of descriptions of particular churches in our 6 Torr
volumes with Faussett’s account of the same, showed that Torr’s work is a
faithful copy of Faussett’s, except that Torr does not attempt to reproduce
F a u s s e t t ’s beautiful hand coloured illustrations of coats of arms and
hatchments. Torr’s order of presentation of locations in his six books does not
seem to follow Faussett’s, but Torr does cross reference his entries to their
location in Faussett.
A curiosity is that the Antiquaries’ Library also houses seven loose leaf
files in Torr’s handwriting, which contain copies of Faussetts work. Again, a
check showed the entries to be copies of Faussett, and identical with our Torr
copies. It would seem that Torr was indefatigable enough to make two copies
of Faussett!
The Antiquaries’ reference to their Faussett and Torr material in their
catalogue of manuscripts lists the locations covered, but gives no further
detailed information. On this basis, I think it may be useful to ask our library
volunteers to extract from our 6 To rr books, for re s e a rch purposes,
information on names, places and dates.
Dr Frank Panton
L I B R A RY N O T E S
RIGHT: Archaeologists working on a possible
sunken feature building.
3 Autum n 2005
churches in Romanesque Europe Jill Franklin
3 May 2006
Worcester Cathedral: architecture and historiography Dr Ute
Engel
All meetings are held at 5pm in the rooms of the Society of
Antiquaries, Burlington House, Piccadilly. Non-members are
very welcome but are asked to make themselves known to the
Hon.Director on arrival and to sign the visitors book.
Canterbury Archaeological Society Winter Programme
Ramsey Lecture Theatre, Canterbury Christ Church University at
6pm. Visitors welcome.
29 October
The First Benghazi: Excavations at Euesperides, Libya Paul
Bennett
12 November
The Horses of St Mark’s, Venice, and the Politics of Display
Charles Freeman
3 December
Saving the Children of the Perishing Classes: British Industrial
Schools 1854-1932 Dr William Giles
7 January 2006
Some Norman Churches in the Canterbury Diocese Mary Berg
14 January 2006
The Frank Jenkins Memorial Lecture – Annual Review of the
work of Canterbury Archaeological Trust Paul Bennett (note:
Powell Lecture Theatre)
4 February 2006
Houses and Households in 16th century Canterbury D r
Catherine Richardson
4 March 2006
Dover Western Heights Jon Iveson
Tonbridge Historical Society Lectures
27 October, 7.45pm
The Unusual River Crossing at Rochester Paul Oldham
19 November, 2.30pm
Records of the Civil War Michael Gandy
(2 sessions, with refreshments in between. Must be booked,
see below)
5 January 2006, 7.45pm
An Illustrated Walk around the Saxon Shore Christopher Wade
16 February 2006, 7.45pm
The Art & Architecture of Rochester Cathedral Simon Bliss
6 April 2006, 7.30pm
AGM plus lecture (TBA)
All lectures are at the Adult Education Centre, Avebury Avenue,
Tonbridge. For further details, and to book the 2 session lect
u re, contact THS Secre t a ry, Shiela Broomfield on 01732
838698 or mail to s.broomfield@dial.pipex.com.
Autum n 2005 4
KAS EVENTS
KAS History and Archaeology Show
Saturday 29 October , 10am – 4.30pm in Maidstone Museum
and Bentlif Art Gallery.
A flyer for this event (with list of exhibitors) is included in the
Newsletter.
KAS Christmas Lunch 26 November 2005
By popular request the Christmas lunch will again be held in the
Hall of Wye College. Members may arrive at 10.30am in order
to do full justice to the bookstall, to which they are invited to
bring their own publications. The bar will be open from 11am
and the traditional Christmas lunch will be served at noon. An
alternative vegetarian meal is available if pre-ordered. Full
details of the menu are available on request.
After lunch we are to be truly entertained by the Tonbridge
Mummers, newly performing a seasonal Mummer’s play, ‘The
Leigh Combat Play’, plus the Kent Hooden Horse and merry seasonal
songs. Following this we will be welcomed by the
Curator at the Brook Museum who will describe the agricultural
treasures there.
Price is £21.00 (excluding Brook Museum). A booking form is
included as a flyer within this Newsletter.
OTHER EVENTS FROM AROUND THE
COUNTY
TALKS & LECTURES
British Archaeological Association Meetings
2 November
“this little Westminster”: the chantry-chapel at To n g ,
Shropshire Heather Gilderdale-Scott
7 December
‘Bigger Digs – Widening Participation in Archaeology’ Dr
Carenza Lewis
4 January 2006
Breton Craftsmen in Tudor Devon Dr John Allen. A joint meeting
with the Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology.
1 February 2006
The Chapter House Vestibule and Masons’ Drawing Loft at York
Minster Dr Kate Giles
1 March 2006
New facts about the Carolingian Imperial abbey of Lorsch Dr
Markus Sanke
5 April 2006
The aisleless cruciform plan: Augustinian and other canons’
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5 Autum n 2005
C a n t e r b u r y Archaeological Trust 30th Anniversary
Lectures
Tim Ta t t o n - B rown, founding Director of Canterbury
Archaeological Trust and leading architectural historian and
freelance archaeologist.
The Building of Canterbury Cathedral ~ Archaeology and
Architectural Histor y
Thursday 6 October
The great Gothic rebuilding, 1174-1220
Thursday 3 November
The Perpendicular rebuilding 1350-1500
All lectures are in the Grimond Lecture Theatre 1 (GLT1),
University of Kent, Canterbury.
Suggested donation at the door: £3.00 for Friends of CAT, others
£5.00.
Organised by Friends of Canterbury Archaeological Trust in
association with Darwin College, University of Kent.
Centre for Kentish Studies Local History Talks.
19 October
Kent and the Second World War Bob Ogley
17 November
Bridging Two Worlds Peter Ewart. The story of a young Zulu
convert despatched to Victorian England for training as a missionary.
15 December
The Perfect Lady Lee Ault. Looking at the clothes, accessories
and social attitudes of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
19 January 2006
Chatham Historic Dockyard: 400 years of naval history Alison
Marsh.
All talks are held in the Sessions House Lecture Theatre in
County Hall, Maidstone at 6.30pm and last about an hour. Cost
£3 per person. To book, please send cheque payable to Kent
County Council to Centre for Kentish Studies, Sessions House,
County Hall, Maidstone ME14 1XQ, stating which event/s
you wish to attend and enclosing a stamped addressed
envelope.
Crayf or d Manor House Historical & Ar c haeologic al
Society Winter Talks
12 November
Dance Band Days Don Dray
10 December
Quiz and Buffet (additional charge)
14 January 2006
17th Century Men of Science Toni Mount
11 February 2006
Lost Pubs of Crayford & Locality Jim Packer
11 March 2006
Kent Women – Famous, Infamous & Unsung Chris McCooey
8 April 2006
Village Signs in Kent – Designs and Royal Connections Roger
and Carole Smith
All meetings held at the Baker Trust Hall, Maxim Road,
Crayford at 7 for 7.30pm. Non-members are welcome to
attend at a cost of £2 per talk. More information on 01322
551279.
CONFERENCES
Council for Kentish Archaeology
Nelson and Trafalgar: Celebrating the 200th anniversar y
of the battle of Trafalgar .
Saturday 5 November 2 – 5.30 pm at Canterbury Christ
Church University College, North Holmes Road, Canterbury.
Victory and the Road to Trafalgar Richard Holdsworth,
Museum and Heritage Director, Chatham Historic Dockyard.
Nelson and the Trafalgar Campaign P rofessor Richard
Harding, University of Westminster
What if Nelson had lost Trafalgar? Andrew Saunders, leading
authority on Medieval and later fortifications.
Tickets £4.00 available from CKA, 7, Sandy Ridge, Borough
Green TN15 8HP. Cheque payable to CKA, please enclose
SAE.
Building Bridges: A Comparative Approach to Roman
and Medieval Artefacts
28 – 30 October
University of Kent at Canterbury
A joint meeting of the Roman and Medieval Small Finds
Research Groups. Constrained by traditional period sub-divisions,
finds researchers working in the different periods rarely
get the chance to exchange ideas. The conference aims to
address this problem by bringing specialists together to present
innovative research to a new audience. Sessions are
arranged thematically (dress, medicine & healing, writing &
literacy, finds contexts), comparing methodologies and similar
categories of material in both periods re s p e c t i v e l y.
Programme:
28 October 7pm
Interim results from Whitefriars excavations, Canterbury
Mark Houliston
29 October 11am – 4pm
Roman dress accessories in the social context Dr Ellen Swift
New Perspectives on later Anglo-Saxon dress accessories Dr
Gabor Thomas
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CONTINUEDON PAGE 6
copied from the collections at Maidstone, Canterbury and Dover.
It consists of three elements; Nelson’s Kentish connections, the
role of the Cinque Ports in defending the realm, and Kent’s
coastal defences. The exhibition will run concurrently at the
three Archive Centres during October and early November.
The Sikh Community in Gravesend
As part of Black History Month in October, the Centre for Kentish
Studies, Maidstone, will be holding an exhibition on the Sikh
community, featuring stories of the lives and experiences of
individual Sikhs from Gravesend and providing information on
Sikhism and Sikh history.
House History for Beginners
20 February 2006, 10am – 4pm in the Centre for Kentish
Studies, Maidstone.
Includes how to use directories, census, electoral rolls, maps,
parish material, estate papers, rating and taxation records, and
more.
Cost £4 per person to include refreshments (lunch not included).
Tickets available by post (cheque payable to Kent County
Council) from CKS, Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone
ME14 1XQ. Tel: 01622 694363.
Friends of the Canterbury Archaeological T rust
Field Trip to Orkney, 3 – 8 July 2006
Led by Peter Clark FSA, deputy director of the Canterbury
Archaeological Trust, this tour will encompass some of the bestpreserved
and spectacular monuments of all periods anywhere
in Europe, set in a beautiful landscape of gently rolling islands,
seascapes and astonishing wildlife.
Orkney lies at the centre of sea routes between Scandinavia,
Iceland, Northern Britain and Ireland, and has been attractive to
settlers from the Mesolithic onwards. Stone has always been
the primary building material; abundance and ease of working
made it unnecessary to rob older structures to build anew. This
fact, and the lack of intensive arable farming, means that
monuments of all periods have survived largely intact to the
present day. The tour will visit many great sites, including the
Neolithic village of Skara Brae, the stalled cairns of Isbister and
Midhowe, the passage grave of Maes Howe, and Dwarfie Stane
on Hoy, the only prehistoric rock-cut tomb in Britain. Iron Age
b rochs, enigmatic souterrains, the Romanesque monastic
church at Birsay and the round church at Orphir will also be visited.
Peter Clark spent every summer season excavating in
Orkney between 1978 and 1985; he has visited all the inhabited,
and many of the uninhabited, islands, and has an intimate
knowledge of their archaeology.
F u rther details and a booking form will appear in the
January 2006 Newsletter. Meanwhile, it would be helpful if
e x p ressions of interest are made (there is a limit of 35
travellers) to Ann Vine, tel/fax: 01227 721760, or email:
ann.vine@gmail.com.
Autum n 2005 6
The Comfort of Strangers. Anatomical Ex Votos in Romano-
British and Gallo-Roman Religious Practice Dr Iain Ferris
Going beyond Bald: is there an archaeology of Anglo-Saxon
medicine? Dr Sally Crawford
R e s e a rching Roman Seal Boxes: Some methodological
approaches Colin Andrews
Temporary texts and signs of status: the Anglo-Saxon stylus
considered Dr Tim Pestell
30 October
The use of correspondence analysis in examining finds assem -
blages from late Roman urban contexts Mark Houliston
Votive deposition and religious identity in Roman and early
medieval England Dr David Petts
Far from the closed context: interpreting surface scatters of
metalwork Dr Andrew Rogerson
For further information, including accommodation,
go to www.kent.ac.uk/secl/classics/Finds.htm or contact
E.V.Swift@kent.ac.uk, tel: 01227 827898.
OTHER EVENTS
Faversham Society Archaeological Research Gr o u p
Exhibition
8 – 21 November
The findings of the Community Archaeology Project, ‘Hunt the
Saxons’, will be exhibited in the Fleur de Lis Heritage Centre. It
will feature interactive displays and have a volunteer on hand
to answer questions.
10am – 4pm from Monday to Saturday & 10am – 1pm on
Sundays.
Royal Archaeological Institute young archaeologists’ event
10 December at the Museum of London, 11am – 3.45pm.
Dead dogs and Houndsditch: Some finds from the ditch -
es of the City of London
Do you have interested children or grandchildren? This event
offers a full programme, including a guided visit to archaeological
remains, a talk with a re-enactor, a visit to one of the museum’s
galleries, finds handling and all refreshments including
lunch.
Numbers limited to 40 young people, who must be
accompanied by an adult. Cost £3 per child, £5 per adult.
Tickets available from RAI Administrator, Society of
Antiquaries, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1V 0HS.
Website is at www.royalarchaeolinst.org.
SeaBritain 2005 Exhibition
To commemorate the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar as
part of the SeaBritain celebrations this year, the Kent Archive
Service has produced an exhibition consisting of documents
CONTINUEDFROM PAGE 5
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7 Autum n 2005
Windmills – A Pictorial History of their Technology by Rev. Dr Richar d
Hills. 1-84306-189-9. £21.99.
This book, by the former Curator of The Museum of Science and Industry,
Manchester, covers the various types of windmills and their main uses, both in
this country and within Europe. 16 Kentish windmills are included in the text.
Over 450 photographs appear, many not previously published.
Available in bookshops, or direct (no p&p inland) from Landmark Publishing Ltd.,
Ashbourne Hall, Cokayne Avenue, Ashbourne DE6 1EJ, tel: 01335 347349, email:
landmark@clara.net.
The 1258-9 Special Eyre of Sur rey and Kent
Are you interested in 13th century crime in Kent? Published by the Surrey Record
Society, this volume is packed with details about justice, or specifically the lack
of it at local level in the 1250’s. It also offers the opportunity of learning how to
translate the Latin used. Every entry is given in full, both in extended Latin and
in English, making the information held in the original plea roll at the National
Archives easily available to all for the first time.
Cost to non-members of the SRS is £15.00 plus £4.00 postage. Available from
Maggie Vaughan-Lewis, Hon. Secretary, at the Surrey History Centre, 130
Goldsworth Road, Woking GU21 6ND. Cheques payable to the Surrey Record
Society.
Traces of the Templars by George F. Tull.
Reprint of original 2000 edition. An examination of the remains today of the various
properties established by the Knights Templar in England, including the
Preceptory and the church of SS Peter and Paul at Temple Ewell, the church on
Western Heights at Dover, Temple Manor at Strood and various other land holdings
in Kent.
£12.95 plus £1.50 postage, from The King’s England Press, Cambertown House,
Commercial Road, Goldthorpe, Rotherham S63 9BL.
The West Kent Probate Index, 1750-1858, compiled by Dr David Wright.
A master index of wills and administrations to the two probate and two peculiar
courts of the Diocese of Rochester. All the 6,300 or so entries have been brought
together into a single alphabetical sequence, each entry showing the name and
surname of the testator or intestatee, the parish of residence, occupation and/or
marital status. The index is preceded by a comprehensive account of the material
indexed (citing CKS references), a summary of abbreviations, index of parishes,
other locations, and occupations. The entire text of ‘Kent Probate Records –
A Catalogue and Practical Guide’ by the same author, is also included.
Available as a CDRom in Adobe Acrobat, price £12.50 + 50p postage inland, or
£15 airmail, from Dr D Wright, 71 Island Wall, Whitstable, Kent CT5 1EL.
Tonbridge’s Industrial Heritage – a Guide and Gazetteer. Tonbridge
Historical Society. £10.50
A broad survey of the town’s industrial development covering a wide range of
topics including agriculture and allied trades; water and wind power; extractive
industry; metalworking and engineering; manufacturing (including Tunbridge
Ware and cricket ball-making); utilities and services; communications and entertainment,
and transport. Each topic has an historical introduction followed by a
number of gazetteer entries describing surviving sites and artefacts, 98 in all,
plus a further 66 of relevance but where nothing now remains to be seen.
Publication date due before Christmas. Further details from Shiela Broomfield,
Secretary, Tonbridge Historical Society, 8 Woodview Crescent, Hildenborough,
Tonbridge TN11 9HD, tel: 01732 838698, mail: s.broomfield@dial.pipex.com.
N E WB O O K S
Do you know where in Faversham James II was briefly imprisoned in
1688? Or where the pioneer of tea-planting in Assam once lived? Or
where one of the early American cinema magnates grew up? If not,
take a look at the Faversham website, www.faversham.org. The website trust
and the Faversham Society have just completed a joint project whereby you
can now view all the town’s commemorative wall plaques on-line.
The updated page on the website makes it easy to find the plaque you
want, of which there are over 40. Using the ‘menus’ provided on the page, you
can find a particular plaque either by place, person or street, or by using the
interactive map. You can then read the plaque, view where it is and see
where it is located. There are also links to related information on other pages
on the website.
The presentation of the plaques on-line and the interactive map
complement a free-of-charge glossy leaflet, sponsored by Faversham Town
Council and others and available from the Tourist Information Centre in
Preston Street.
View the plaques on-line by going to www.faversham.org/history and
clicking on ‘Commemorative Wall Plaques’.
FAV E R S H A M ’ S
P L A Q U E S G OO N - L I N E
BELOW: 18 Court Street, site of James II’s imprisonment.
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
We are pleased to welcome the following new members:
JOINT MEMBERS
Dunn, Mr J, and Mrs, Heather Bell, Orchard Lane, Kennington, Ashford, Kent, TN25 4DX
Reader, Mr C N, and Mrs, 11 Rushmead Drive, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 9UB
Short Mrs S L, & Mr R C Winn, Beech Cottage, Hookwood Road, Pratts Bottom, Orpington, Kent, BR6 7N
Wood, Mr C A, and Mrs, 14 Compton Terrace, London, N1 2UN
Worrall Ms H, & Mr A Austin, 6 Wood Street, Swanley Village, Swanley, Kent, BR8 7P
JUNIOR MEMBERS
Jackson, Mr R, Breeches Field Oast, Egerton, Ashford, Kent, TN27 9HA
Richardson, Miss S, 13 Oakfield Park Road, Dartford, Kent, DA1 2SR
Williams, Miss P P, 14 Epsom Close, West Malling, Kent, ME19 6NX
ORDINARY MEMBERS
Barden, Mr P C, 74 Maplins Close, Rainham, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 8BG
Beadle, Mrs H, 6 Old Drive, Loose, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 9S
Clifton, Mr S, The Cobbles, The Priory, East Farleigh, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 0EX
Ellis, Mr M G, 42 The Quarries, Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 4NJ
Finch, Mrs J, Hillcrest, St Helens Lane, East Farleigh, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 0JY
Fitzgerald, Mr M, Heronden, Staplehurst Road, Frittenden, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 2EA
Jennings, Ms S, 1 Clifton Gardens, Clifton Road, Whitsable, Kent, CT5 1DQ
Shepherd, Mrs J, 17 Court Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 7EB
Shuff, Dr R, 2 Stratton House, Stratton Terrace, Westerham, Kent, TN16 1RL
For all correspondence relating to membership please contact
Mrs Shiela Broomfield, KAS membership, 8 Woodview Crescent, Hildenborough, Tonbridge TN11 9HD.
Tel: 01732 838698. Email: membership@kentarchaeology.org.uk or s.broomfield@dial.pipex.com
Y O UA N DY O U R SOCIETY
COPY DEADLINE FOR THE NEXT
OUR SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS
The Society will achieve its 150th anniversary in 2007. Some committees have been working on
projects to celebrate it, but now we need a group of members to consider other ideas and co-ordinate
these activities.
Would you like to join this group? We think it is important that some members who are not
involved in the day-to-day running of the Society should take part.
Even if you do not want to join the group you may have some ideas we could consider. If so, we
would like to hear from you.
If you are interested, want more information or have any ideas to contribute, please contact
Andrew Moffat, Hon. General Secretary, at Three Elms, Woodlands Lane, Shorne, Gravesend, DA12
3HH; email secretary@kentarchaeology.org.uk; or telephone 01474 822280 or contact the President,
Chris Pout, on 01227 860207.
Autum n 2005 8
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
Outing to Chilham Castle.
A day later described by a tired but happy member
as ‘idyllic‘, began in the shade by Chilham Mill
stream, where Michael Peters welcomed fifty KAS
members. In the area of Julliberr i e ’s Grave, a
Neolithic long barrow, he set Chilham in its time
context. After a coffee break members regrouped in
the church to learn about the families who had lived
at Chilham and influenced both its development and
conservation. This was in preparation for the muchanticipated
visit to Chilham Castle, the Jacobean
mansion in private ownership. A walk around the
exterior brought the party close to the Norman cas -
tle normally hidden from view. Constantly accompanied
by Michael’s expert commentary on the exterior
of the house, the party also enjoyed the views, so
magnificent that almost reluctantly they entered
the house! Tessa Wheeler, who had given her permission,
allowed them to see not only the ground
floor, but also the bedrooms, the ballroom, the period
swimming pool and finally the original 1609
kitchen, where she had provided a delicious English
tea of homemade cakes and biscuits. She was
warmly thanked, as was Michael Peters, for their
contribution to what was truly a wonderful June
day.
Margaret Lawrence
CHURCHES COMMITTEE
The midsummer evening visit was to the churches
of West and East Peckham. At the ancient church
of St Dunstan at West Peckham we were welcomed
by Mr Corfe, who has been a churchwarden ‘on and
off’ since he was 20, and whose father was also
immersed in village life. Mr Corfe did not claim to
have any special knowledge of the art history of the
church but had a fund of interesting stories relating
to the families associated with it in the post-
KAS COMMITTEE ROUND-UP
FIELDWORK COMMITTEE
KAS Wins Grant for Minster Plaster – and your
help is wanted
As we re p o rted in Newsletter no.63, the KAS were
runners-up in the Pitt Rivers Aw a rd last year, for the
excavations at the Abbey Farm villa at Minster- i n -
Thanet. With the award came the opportunity to apply
for a grant, to further study some aspect of the villa.
We are delighted that a substantial grant has
now been given by the Robert Kiln Trust, to support
work on detailed recording and interpretation of the
fragments of decorated wall plaster recovered during
the eight years of excavation. The collection of
fragments has been examined by a wall plaster
expert and assessed as “an important collection”,
both because of the high quality of some of the decoration
and because of the sheer size of the collection;
there are several thousand pieces in all.
The grant will cover the cost of supervision, by
one or more professional archaeologists, of the sorting
and recording process, which can be carried out
by members of the Society. This process will take
place during evening and/or Saturday morning sessions,
at the Broadstairs base of the Trust for Thanet
Archaeology. Sessions will be no more than once a
week and will probably spread out over as much as
a year. We are now putting together a team of volunteers
to do the work and all KAS members are
cordially invited to join the team. You do not have to
commit to regular attendance – any help at all will
be welcome. Whilst we hope that members who
took part in the excavations will join in, you do not
have to have any previous experience or expertise.
There won’t even be any physical hard work!
If you can spare the odd evening or Saturday
morning and would like to join in, please call Mrs
Pip Fisk on 01227 273797, leaving your name,
address and phone number, so that you can be sent
further details in due course.
Chris Pout
Reformation years. The building itself seems likely
to have pre-Conquest origins as there are indications
that the very substantial low tower at the
west end may have been all, or part of, an early
building. The nave was probably added in the 12th
century, the chancel in the 13th and the north aisle
in the next century. The outstanding feature of the
church is the ‘Geary Pew’. This was originally a
chantry chapel founded by Sir John Colepepper in
1409. In the mid-17th century a vault was built in
the ground floor and the large, comfortable pew
with seating for 10 people was erected on top of it.
The Geary family retained the pew for many generations
until 1944. The rood screen and pews are
evidence of a thorough restoration and regeneration
in the 19th centur y.
The party then ventured across country to St
Michael’s church, East Peckham. Here we had the
advantage of an expert introduction by Margaret
Lawrence, who has written a book on the church
and its parish.* There is some evidence of Norman
work in the present chancel, although the major
building programme was carried out between 1287
and 1309 with further work around 1500. Again,
there were major restorations in 1853 and 1863.
This isolated church is now redundant, but cared for
by Church Conservation. There are a number of
interesting memorials, of which the Tw ysden
Memorial in the Twysden Chapel is of particular
interest. The chapel also contains the tomb of a
knight whose armour indicates a date of about
1420. Margaret was kept busy answering questions
and joining in discussion of a number of points for
some time while others enjoyed the tea and biscuits
that had been provided. A delightful and informative
evening!
Mary Berg
* ‘For All the Saints. St Michael’s Church East
Peckham Parish and People’, available from
M a rg a ret Lawrence on 01622 871945 or
margaret.society@virgin.net.
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN
HISTORIC BUILDINGS?
The Society does not have a group studying secular
historic buildings. Our Churches Committee is very
active and its visits to churches are popular. The
Council believes that a committee or group to study
other historic buildings may be just as valuable and
popular and is considering forming one.
The Society was a joint sponsor (with the Kent
branch of the Council for Protection of Rural England)
of the Kent Historic Buildings Committee. Because its
ISSUE IS THURSDAY 1st DECEMBER
work was concerned mostly with making representations
about listed buildings consent applications that
committee has now become part of the CPRE (Kent),
which is more involved in that type of work.
Before making a decision we would like to know
what you think about it. Also, do you have any suggestions
what it could do? Would you like to join the
group? We would like to hear from you.
To give you a chance to hear about our ideas and to
contribute your own, the President and Hon. General
Secretary will be present to talk to you on the following
occasions:
(a) in the Society’s library at Maidstone Museum, St
9 Autum n 2005
Faith’s Street, Maidstone.
or (b) before the Christmas lunch at Wye College on
Saturday 26 November at 11 am.
There is no need to book - just turn up and have your
say. Needless to say, either of them would be pleased
to speak to you about this at other times.
If you are interested, want more information, or have
ideas to contribute, please come to one of these meetings
or contact Andrew Moffat, Hon. General
Secretary at Three Elms, Woodlands Lane, Shorne,
Gravesend, DA12 3HH;
email secretary@kentarchaeology.org.uk;
or telephone 01474 822280.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
K A S C H U R C H E S C O M M I T T E E C O M P E T I T I O N
Autum n 2005 10
St Peter’s is one of the three medieval churches
of the Cinque Port town of Sandwich. In
its churchyard, due west of its west door,
stands a large medieval window. In this short article,
we will examine the window, and find out
something about its history. The churchyard window
is a substantial and high-quality architectural
feature which might easily be taken for granted,
and it deserves closer inspection.
Description of the window
The window itself, in the Decorated style, is large
and free-standing (see below). It consists of
masonry tracery without glass, standing on a chamfered
plinth and supported by narrow modern side
walls. The medieval part is about 8 feet 6 inches (2.6
m) high and 64 inches (1.6 m) across. A hood-moulding
on the side facing the church door suggests that
this is the original front face. The lower half of the
tracery, which is 8.5 inches (21.6 cm) thick, consists
Mr Toby Huitson’s winning entry appears here.
ABOVE: Thomas Elys’ tomb
OPPOSITE: The Medieval Window.
11 Autum n 2005
of two lower lights with trefoil tops. The upper
part has three quatrefoils - one large one above
two smaller examples. The smaller two quatrefoils
are 14 inches (35.5 cm) across, while the
larger one is 19 inches (48 cm) in diameter. The
cusped tracery extends upwards to the sides,
allowing the design to take up the full space of the
rectangle. The design is beautifully proportioned,
and the ratio of its height-to-width approximates
to the famous Golden Section ratio (1 to 1.61).
It has been built from two main stone types.
One is a pale yellow sandstone, similar to Caen
stone. Other sections have been carved from a
light grey stone, packed with shells. The window
is, unfortunately, not in perfect condition, and it
has been patched and repaired. This is particularly
apparent on the inside face, where it has been
re p a i red using several diff e rent materials -
cement (mixed with sand and crushed sea-shells),
together with an orange-buff coloured plastic
stone, and even pieces of brick. Most of the
spaces between the tracery sections have a 1/2
inch (1.3 cm) rebate, which suggests that it was
originally glazed, although no traces of the original
glass survive. These glazing slots are not present
on the lower section of the window, suggesting
that some of this stone may have been
replaced. The central mullion is certainly quite
modern.
The window is framed by a surround of knapped
water-rounded flints and edged with ashlar. On
the inside face of the surround, light yellow and
orange bricks have been used for the fill. The mortaring
of these bricks is the same cement and
aggregate mix that we noted earlier reinforcing
the window tracery, suggesting that these repairs
were contemporary with the building of the surround.
Although the surround as a whole is clearly
modern, it re-uses medieval stone of the same
types as the window, together with blocks of
Kentish ragstone with its characteristic light green
colouring. Some of this stone is carved. To the
sides are pieces of a string-course with a simple
chamfered top and bottom, and below are two
sections of a roll-moulding. These may be older
than the window itself, and could be of
Romanesque or thirteenth-century date. Given
that the adjacent church has vestiges of such
work, and its south aisle is in ruins, it is quite possible
that these roll-mouldings could have been
salvaged from the vicinity.
History of the window
Did the window originate from the church? Reassembled
windows in churchyards taken from an
associated building are known elsewhere in Kent,
such as at St Mary, Ashford, where nineteenthcentury
photographs show large Gothic windows
in the churchyard, reputedly salvaged from the
adjacent late medieval secular College. In our
case-study, we know that it came instead from a
rather different source, as an inscription at the
base of the plinth tells us:
‘This window was formerly in St Thomas’
Hospital, founded in 1392. Presented to the
Corporation by E.C. Byrne, Town Clerk, and erected
here in 1923’.
St Thomas’ Hospital was built by Thomas Elias
or Elys, a merchant draper who was Mayor of
Sandwich twice in the 1370s. The hospital, which
provided accommodation for twelve poor people,
was apparently named in honour of St Thomas
Becket of Canterbury. Thomas was also, of
course, the patron’s own Christian name.
Nothing remains to be seen of the original hospital
building near New Street in Sandwich. This was
demolished in the mid-nineteenth century, although
an engraving, dated 1851, preserves an impression of
its appearance. It shows a long building with several
dormer windows and a projecting wing at one end.
The window now in the churchyard appears in the
sketch, located immediately to the right of the
entrance porch. This shows that, at this time, it was
partially blocked by several courses of bricks. This
may explain why the lowest section of the window
seems to have been renewed. The hospital’s foundation
date of 1392 fits the Decorated style of the
window very well. It could have either been an original
fixture, or perhaps the result of a subsequent
modification made in the early fifteenth century.
A clue to other local work of similar quality survives
on Elys’ tomb, located, appropriately enough,
within St Peter’s church itself. Here, in the North
aisle, where he founded a chantry chapel in the same
year as the Hospital, a central table-tomb recess is
traditionally attributed to Elys. Interestingly, the side
face is filled with four square carved panels, each
with a cusped quatrefoil bearing a central shield (see
above). Strongly reminiscent of window tracery, the
design has been elaborated to fill the entire space of
the square, just as the window fills the whole rectangle.
The two designs look roughly contemporary,
and it suggests that Elys was an important local
patron of high-quality architecture, at the point
where the Decorated style was anticipating subsequent
Perpendicular forms. The churchyard window
would, therefore, serve as a fitting legacy to the man
and his charitable work.
See Roy Tr i c k e r ’s guidebook St Peter’s Churc h ,
Sandwich, Kent (Churches Conservation Trust)
2002, p. 15.
Dear Editor
I noticed on the internet an article by Michael Leach in the Spring
2004 issue of your Newsletter, entitled ‘Evidence of Vi c t o r i a n
Recycling in Archaeologia Cantiana’. At the time I was searching on
‘Mechi and Bazin’. Mr Leach had found some scrap paper with their
names on,inside the binding of Arch. Cant. vol. 5, but had not identified
them. He might already have found out about them from the
saleroom references on the internet, but if not I can offer the following
information.
The 1840 Post Office Directory lists ‘Mechi, John Joseph, cutler,
dressing case, bagatelle and magic strop manufacturer, 4 Leadenhall
Street’. The firm later became Mechi and Bazin, with premises at
112 Regent Street, 48 Glass House Street, 4 Leadenhall Street and
Crystal Palace, Sydenham.
Mechi exhibited at the 1851 and 1862 International Exhibitions.
Envelope and stationery cases were illustrated in ‘Masterpieces of
Industrial Art and Sculpture at the International Exhibition’ by J. B.
Waring, 1862, vol. II, pl.123. One of the partners, C. Bazin, acted as
a Juror for this class. Waring says that the firm was founded by
Alderman Mechi in 1827 and in 1859 his manager, Bazin, was made
a partner.
It is possible that the paper lining the volume was from one of the
international exhibitions.
Incidentally, Mr Leach also mentions Christie, Manson and Woods,
now known as Christie’s, the London saleroom.
Kate Hay
Assistant Curator
Department of Furniture,
Textiles and Fashion
Victoria and Albert Museum
ABOVE: Strand Street house in Sandwich dated by dendrochronology
to 1334.
Autum n 2005 12
Dear Editor
Stacks of Information
Our Society is fortunate to have not only a substantial collection
of Kent antiquaries’ notebooks and files, but fortunate that their
worth is recognised by the splendid indexing work of Dr Panton and
Sheila Wilson. That worth is their quirky nature and information
recorded nowhere else.
However, these are tips of icebergs, for what the Society holds
is in many cases the random parts of much larger lifetime collections
of antiquaries. As death has a nasty habit of breaking up the bestregulated
collections, many Society members will have items complementary
to those of the KAS.
I would suggest that all of us who have such material, or know
of the whereabouts of such, should write to Dr Panton enclosing brief
details and provenance. A huge corpus of information would be built
up very quickly, at no cost, but at enormous benefit to fellow historians
and the KAS indexers.
I was particularly interested to see in the article the name of
Canon Greville Marius Livett, (1859-1951), for I have sixteen of his
field notebooks, from 1888-1902, and some of his correspondence.
These, with many of his papers, emerged at auction in the West
Country thirty five years ago, were bought by the late Cecil Bradshaw
of Canterbury, and emerged again locally at his death in 1991.
As private collectors and antiquaries I believe we should share
access to our collections to serious researchers, subject of course to
reasonable safeguards. Hopefully other KAS members will feel likewise.
John Owen FSA
Throwley
Dear Editor
It was interesting to read (Newsletter no.65) about the ancient
town of Sandwich again and ideas, most not new, about its possible
origins. The Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit teams have carried
out more than a dozen rescue excavations across the town in recent
years, in spite of the inadequate funding. This work awaits funds for
its analysis and publication, estimated at about £30,000.
Meanwhile our surveys and research continue.
The claim, however, that minor variations in the street-levels in
Sandwich are highly significant, must be regarded with caution. The
very same process was tried at Dover in 1969 when similar minor
variations produced the claim that a Roman fort by the market was
“a geographical impossibility”. Our extensive work in Dover, now in
its 35th year, not only found a very large Roman shore-fort in exactly
that position, but also two more forts of the Classis Britannica
nearby.
With stratification in depth varying from 2 – 7m across ancient
D o v e r, minor street-level variations can be totally misleading.
Similarly, our work in Faversham has shown that the stratification
can vary from 1- 8m in depth and that present street-levels can fail
to reflect these major variations. Our work also proved this to be the
case across parts of ancient Sandwich.
Brian Philp
Kent Archaeological
Rescue Unit, Dover
L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R A U T U M N 2 0 0 5
S TM I C H A E L’ S H I D D E N T O M B
ABOVE TOP: The tomb of the woman and baby.
ABOVE BOTTOM: The three skulls at the woman’s feet.
13 Autum n 2005
Whilst searching for medieval graffiti in St
Michael’s church, Sittingbourne, members of the
Historical Research Group of Sittingbourn e
(HRGS) chanced upon a long-lost architectural treasure. In
the north wall of the north aisle, in what was the Bayford
Chapel, they discovered an effigy of a woman. She is lifesize,
recumbent, and occupies the lower shelf of the Easter
Sepulchre, which is now obscured behind the church
organ. She is ‘dressed’ in what appears to be a shroud,
which is open and gapes at the torso. Her right arm is now
missing but once held a swaddled baby, and her left hand
holds her exposed breast, as if preparing to breastfeed.
The shroud is gathered above her head and her hair is visible
at either side of her face. At her feet are three skulls,
now barely visible. The location and enlargement of the
church organ has meant that she has been obscured from
public view for more than a century. No-one knows who
she was; descriptions of her in old church publications are
very vague. Initial investigations suggest a 14th century
date. Could she be the wife of one of the de Nottinghams,
who held Bayford Manor, Sittingbourne, in the 13th and
14th centuries? Do the skulls, and the fact that the lady’s
ribs can plainly be seen, indicate a Black Death victim?
The graffiti survey continues; one piece uncovered
shows a group of interlocking circles, depicting St
Katherine, patron saint of travellers. Chaucer mentions
Sittingbourne in his Tales; it is interesting to speculate that
this might be the first tangible evidence of the visits of pilgrims
on their way to and from Canterbury.
Alan Abbey
made available both online, via the VCH website, and in paperback as part
of a new VCH Studies series of accessible local histories.
Andrew will be based in the Medway area, and will initially focus his
research on eight parishes in the lower Medway valley (Aylesford, Burham,
Cuxton, Frinsbury, Halling, Snodland, Strood and Wouldham), looking specifically
at processes of industrialisation during the 18th and 19th centuries
and its impact on the local environment, society and economy. Special
feature was an Iron Age ditched enclosure that was possibly defensive
in function. It was 123m long and over 46m wide, with
ditches 3 to 3.5m wide and up to 1.5m deep. At some
time this enclosure was divided with a line of
closely-spaced postholes; a second parallel
line of postholes 3.50m away may relate
to buildings. The enclosure was
later extended a further 14m
towards the east, with a new
ditch being dug.
In the early Romano-
British period, a new
shallow ditch surrounded
the earlier Iron Age
e n c l o s u re, however,
whether this earlier
one had been
t o t a l l y
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F U R F I E L D Q U A R RY FINDS
V I C T O R I A C O U N TY
Autum n 2005 14
Between 6th April and 22nd July this year, a team from the
Museum of London Archaeology Service (MoLAS) excavated an
important site at Furfield Quarry, Brishing Lane, Boughton
Monchelsea. This work was in advance of a residential development
on a part of the site known as the East Field, and was on behalf of
George Wimpey, South London. Along the
south-eastern edge of the site, and outside
the area of redevelopment, exist
the remains of substantial eart hworks,
provisionally dated to the
late Iron Age. These have not previously
been investigated and
were recorded by MoLAS to
allow the local authority
to formulate a longterm
management
p ro g r a m m e ,
e n s u r i n g
t h e i r
c o n s e rv a t i o n .
These eart h w o r k s
a re probably associated
with the Boughton Camp, a late
Iron Age oppidum, located c.1.5km to
the west, and other earthworks c.800m to the
south, and c.1.9km to the north-west of the current site.
The earliest features uncovered on the excavation site were a
series of undated shallow curvilinear ditches, probably enclosures
related to stock management. There were also traces of the eaves
gully of a large roundhouse, c.12m in diameter. The most prominent
Dr Andrew Hann has recently been appointed as Kent Team Leader for
the Victoria County History’s ‘England’s Past for Everyone’ (EPE) programme,
and started work on 1st September. EPE is a new venture for
the Victoria County History, to help widen access to, and involvement in, the
writing and use of the VCH’s parish-by-parish local histories. The aim is to
provide accessible, reliable and engaging local history materials for life-long
learners, volunteers, schoolchildren and young people. The research will be
dump of pottery, possibly from a nearby kiln, and several others which
contained charcoal and whole pots. At present it is not known if these
were funerary deposits or if there is some other explanation. All this
Roman activity appears to be part of an agricultural/industrial settlement
and is perhaps an element of the same local villa estate whose
bathhouse was discovered in a nearby quarry in 1841.
Finally, in the post-medieval period, a well-built building with ragstone
walls, possibly a barn, stood 18m long and 7.5m wide.
Ongoing work on the assessment will undoubtedly throw more light
on the history of this important site.
Tony MacKinder
MoLAS
infilled at this time is unknown. Postholes revealed two large aisled
buildings; these buildings are thought to be barns, and one of them
had been built over an infilled section of the Iron Age enclosure.
Some distance away was a large, robbed, stone-built structure that
may have been a corn drier or malting oven. Other features within the
enclosure included a well, ragstone footings and other posthole
buildings. There were also several interesting pits; one with a large
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
H I S T O RY P R O J E C T
15 Autum n 2005
OPPOSITE BELOW: The site plan.
OPPOSITE ABOVE: Roman building, possibly a large corndrier, under
excavation.
BELOW: The post-medieval building.
attention will be paid to linkages between the older maritime and newer
industrial sectors, although the relationship between these local
communities, the port city of Rochester and the naval base in Chatham will
also be examined. This research will be published as a paperback volume,
‘People and Work in the Lower Medway Valley, 1750-1900’. In the longer
term it is hoped to broaden the chronological and geographical scope
of the research, one possibility being a study of early modern Rochester
and its neighbourhood.
A central aim of the EPE programme is the involvement of local people
in researching and writing the history of their own communities, and thus
there will be plenty of opportunities to get involved from an early stage of
the research. Andrew will be pleased to hear from anyone who is interested
in the project and would like to know more. He can be contacted on
01634 202724, or mobile 07776 183310, or by email at ha81@gre.ac.uk.
Published by the Kent Archaeological Society, The Museum, St Faith’s Street, Maidstone, Kent. ME 14 1LH
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
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
Copy deadline for the next issue in January is Thursday December 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.
ABOVE:
1 Gun battery, HMDockyard, Sheerness, c.1870
2 Maidstone museum, c.1920
3 Family group, location unknown, c.1900
4 Boy and dog, unknown location, c.1910
5 Junction of King Street and Church Street,
Maidstone, c.1880
6 Starre & Crowne Hotel, Goudhurst, c.1920
7 High Street, Maidstone, c.1920
8 Maidstone Gas Company, Middle Row,
Maidstone, c.1925
Autum n 2005 16
1
5
6
8
7
Over 660,000 artefacts and specimens jostle for space in Maidstone
Museum and, sadly, many items go unseen for years. These hidden
gems include a collection of over 4,000 glass-plate negatives, most
deposited over 100 years ago by local photographers.
Very few of these negatives have been printed, so the collection
has remained inaccessible. That is until the Maidstone Camera Club
offered to help. Their members spent hundreds of hours laboriously
scanning the images and removing blemishes to restore the pictures
to their original splendour.
Over 800 plates have been scanned so far with 200 of the best
printed as superb black and white images. There are busy Kentish
street scenes, hop-pickers at work, Victorian picnickers at the beach,
dock workers unloading sailing ships, long-demolished buildings and
labourers toiling on farms, all captured in amazing detail.
These wonderful images are being exhibited at the Museum in a
temporary exhibition called ‘Out of the Shadow; Into the Light’. The
Camera Club will continue working on the collection until all 4,000
negatives have been copied and preserved for posterity.
The Museum’s Manager, Simon Lace, said “The exhibition is a
great example of how museums can bring history to life. The negatives
were inaccessible and forgotten. Now, thanks to the efforts of a
dedicated team of local enthusiasts, we can offer our visitors an
amazing glimpse into the lives of their ancestors”. He added “To have
attempted this project using commercial photographers would have
been ruinously expensive. The local Camera Club, full of highly skilled
amateurs, has provided a way for us to bring this important resource
to a wider audience. Without their help we could never have achieved
it and without our willingness to provide access to the collections
they could never have had so much fun!”
This exhibition runs until 29 January 2006. Open Monday to
Saturday 10.00 - 17.15; Sundays 11.00 - 16.00. Admission is FREE.
For more information phone
Maidstone Museum on 01622
602838 or visit the website at
www.museum.maidstone.gov.uk
Maidstone Museum & Bentlif Art Gallery
OUT OF THE SHADOW; INTO THE LIGHT
2
3
4