KAS Newsletter, Issue 82, Autumn 2009
Written By KAS
nnee ww ss ll ee tt tt ee rr KENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Issue number 82 Autumn 2009
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
I n s i d e
2-3
Faversham’s 5 Years
4-5
East Farleigh
KAS Library & Website
6-7
Hoskins Report
What’s On
8-9
You & Your Society
AGM Report
Committee Round Up
Report from Council
Paul Ashbee
10-11
Notes from the
Archives
New Books
12-13
Pioneers, Power
Brokers & Saints
Allen Grove Fund
14-15
TTA Dig for a Day
16
County Show
U N D E R S T A N D I N G
O S P R I N G E I N V E S T I G A T I N G
F I E L D S A N D
F L O W E R B E D S
specifically-funded short term pro j e c t s ,
open to paying volunteers and managed by
professionals.
FSARG was set up with a different community
remit, which was to counter the fragmentation
and inaccessibility of archaeological
findings resulting from Faversham being
visited repeatedly by different commercial
units. The professionals do excellent work
but have no time to join everything up once
their job is done. Developer funding means
that non-developmental areas are left uninvestigated.
Finally, the Faversham community
was being left out of the loop – archaeology,
it seemed, had become the business
of developers, their employees and the Kent
Heritage Team. The local feeling was that
something had to be done.
For the first three years, a tightly focused
project was run, with a simple research aim,
to Hunt the Saxons. For two years, the oldest
part of Faversham, Tanners St and Lower
West Street, was investigated. In the third
year, central locations with potential based
Five years ago, a community archaeology
group was launched in Faversham,
the Faversham Society Archaeological
Research Group (FSARG). FSARG’s website,
set up in December 2005, was the first
to use community-archaeology as a domain
name. FSARG also provided Wikipedia with
its first definition of community archaeology,
which started with the deceptively simple
statement ‘by the people, for the people and
about the people’. Nowadays, the term
‘community archaeology’ is everywhere –
our Wikipedia definition is almost entirely
superseded.
Ten years ago, roles for the dedicated
archaeological volunteer seemed to have
disappeared, this loss being an unintended
outcome of the exponential rise of the post-
PPG16 professional sector. Yet according to
Lisa Westcott, editor of Curre n t
A rc h a e o l o g y, in summer 2009 over 300
opportunities were open to volunteers in the
UK. Many of these opportunities were with
FIVE YEARS OF JOINED-UP
ARCHAEOLOGY IN FAVERSHAM
Autumn 2009 2
MAIN COVER PICTURE: Field walking
behind Ospringe Church.
COVER INSET LEFT: The test pit in
this idyllic garden revealed a
post-medieval earth floor and yielded
medieval and Roman pottery.
COVER INSET RIGHT: Excavating a
robbed-out wall of the hospital of St
Mary, Ospringe in the garden of the
Ship Inn.
RIGHT: A modest keyhole behind a late
18th century row of officers houses
associated with a Napoleonic barracks in
Ospringe revealed this impressive
original cess pit.
OPPOSITE: A post-medieval flint
feature in Water Lane, Ospringe.
John Cotter to the early medieval: he sees
production as ceasing in north east Kent
around AD1225. We found shelly ware in
four places along Water Lane, but hardly any
along the Street (Watling Stre e t ) .
Interestingly, the report on the major excavation
of the northern part of the Hospital site
in 1977 gave shelly ware as the main foundation
level deposit, dating it to the 13th-
14th centuries. If we accept Cotter’s dating,
this gives an earlier date for the earliest
buildings of the Hospital, a conclusion which
fits with the latest documentary evidence.
Our most startling success was with the
prehistoric. The archaeology of Ospringe
village is much shallower than that of
Faversham: in Ospringe, 0.8 meters depth
exposes three thousand years or more. In
seven closely spaced locations along the
west side of the Westbrook valley, considerable
evidence for prehistoric settlement was
found. A keyhole behind the former Anchor
pub yielded Neolithic grooved ware, scrapers,
calcined flint, animal bone including red
deer and two aurochs teeth. Another keyhole
further up Water Lane, but at the same
distance from the stream, yielded worked
flints, including cores, waste flakes and
blades, tentatively identified as Bronze Age.
This keyhole was reopened and extended
this summer and is still being worked at the
time of writing, using meticulous coordinating
techniques for every item. A larger
trench near Ospringe Church’s Bier House
yielded a number of possibly early tools,
although this has yet to be confirmed. There
is certainly an important report due in the
near future, contributing to the patterns
emerging along the north Kent coast
FSARG has come a long way in the last
five years. We see ourselves as
complementary to the professional sector,
with our multi site, micro-archaeological fillin-
the gaps approach, very much aware of
our limitations but also aware of our independence
and responsiveness to local
need. We look forward to the opportunities
for learning from others which will arise from
the new KAS landscape project.
Dr Pat Reid
Honorary Archaeologist for the
Faversham Society, Director FSARG.
Medieval Fair. Monthly archaeological
updates are published in the newsletter
of the Faversham Society. Our latest project
involved well attended public meetings at
different stages. Last but not least, we have
been publishing re p o rts and other
data on our website www. communityarchaeology.
org.uk - see this for Hunt the
Saxons . Yes, we found them - in Test Pit 1
behind the Bull Inn (mid-Saxon pot is
shown below).
For the last two years we have been
working on a project called Understanding
Ospringe. Around Ospringe, archaeologists
had concentrated heavily on the Romano-
British site of Durolevum (Syndale), the
Saxo-medieval Stone Chapel and the
Hospital of St Mary Ospringe (Maison Dieu).
Little attention had been paid to the post
medieval, early medieval before the building
of the Hospital in AD1234 (except for the
parish church), or the prehistoric. The last
two became our research priorities.
North Kent shelly ware, very familiar to
us from the Tanners Street area, is dated by
3 Autumn 2009
on documentary evidence and stray finds
were explored. Although looking for evidence
for Saxon settlement, every scrap of
data was processed, re c o rded and
analysed.
These three years involved non-stop
development and training. Desktop skills,
particularly the use of historic maps,
improved enormously. Surveying skills were
developed and refined. Excavation, which
started with one metre square test pits in
gardens, evolved into larger trenches excavated
using single context methods. Finds
processing skills were developed to a high
degree. Field walking, resistivity surveying
and metal detecting were built in and historic
wall structures recorded. All of these
involved an increasingly elaborate recording
system, involving proformas, databases
and visual records of various types which
were used for report writing. Finally, a system
of long term archiving was set up.
Health and safety training was continuous.
Equal attention went into the community
side. All volunteers are locals, with flexible
participation keepng around thirty active
each field season. A core of twenty has
developed specialist skills in e.g. pottery
identification and excavation supervision,
supported by visiting expert trainers. Over
the five years, we have dug in 41 gardens
(involving households), run open days,
exhibitions, lectures, workshops and
Archaeological Road Shows at the annual
Autumn 2009 4
ROMAN BUILDINGS AT EAST
FARLEIGH; AN UPDATE
Excavations at the west end of
building 3 cleared an are a
8m by 5m, revealing what
appears to be a workshop, with a
2m-diameter hearth occupying the
NE quadrant of this. The fire had
been so intense as to burn out the
stones in the west wall, causing it
to be patched at least twice, conveniently
(for us!) using pink,
instead of the original pale yellow,
m o rt a r. The floor, a deep red in
c o l o u r, was covered in ash and
extended over the demolished wall
of building 2. A large inverted pot
was built into the floor midway
along the south wall and an infant
burial was located in the SW corner
of the workshop. Various pits in
the floor indicated the position of
built-in fittings; however, the function
of the workshop is not yet
known.
Excavations have also continued
on building 5, using machine
excavation of the overburd e n ,
p a rtly financed by a grant from the
CKA. The floor of the building lies
at a depth of 1.5m and the walls
remain to a height of 1m in places.
The inside of the building is filled
to the top of the walls with ragstone
hard c o re and soil. The building
is 13m by 8m with a 3m extension
on the south side. A N-S
t rench across the building
revealed an internal wall, which
f o rms one side of a room. A platf
o rm 1.5m wide and 300mm above
the general floor level had been
c o n s t ructed. The floor consisted of
ragstone covered with a layer of
light yellow mort a r, which has
decayed. A slot 125mm deep in the
f l o o r, 120mm long by 600mm, is
i n t e r p reted as a timber machine
base; possibly a press. The nort h
wall had been pierced by a
2.4m wide opening with semic
i rcular reveals. This had later
been blocked up. The coinage
associated with this building is
mainly from the second half of the
4th century.
The incomplete demolition of this
building left the stubs of the walls
c o v e red and this has left us with an
unusual find. The outside of the
west wall is covered with painted
re n d e r. Although in poor condition,
limited uncovering has re v e a l e d
p a rt of the pattern. The lower
300mm is pink, with a 40mm wide
black strip. Above this the pre d o m inant
colour is white. Both the pink
and the white have been spattere d
with black and red, leaving spots up
to 5mm in size. Some vertical black
lines were also noted. The surf a c e
had been patched with lime plaster
and repainted in places. The surface
may be trying to imitate
marbling. Painting and render was
only present on the west flank. The
ABOVE: Part of the painted render.
B E L O W: Much interest was shown at the
site’s open day in August.
We reported on the excavation of this site by the Maidstone Area Archaeological Group in
the Spring 2008 and Winter 2008 Newsletter; a round-up of this season’s work appears below.
5 Autumn 2009
THE KAS LIBRARY AND ITS
WEBSITE: www.kentarchaeology.ac
render stops 150mm around the
c o rners, which have a 50mm wide
c h a m f e r.
Excavations will continue until
the beginning of October to try and
c o n f i rm the use of the building.
As the Gro u p ’s contribution to
the CBA’s Festival of British
A rc h a e o l o g y, an open day was held
on 2nd August which was attended
by nearly 200 people.
A . J . D a n i e l s
RIGHT: Plan,excluding large main Building 1.
British Library, and a team of volunteers
signed up for a workshop managed by Judy
Buckley, under the supervision of Dr.
Jacqueline Bower. Around half the pages
have already been transcribed and should
appear on the website in 2010 on completion
of the project.
Support by the website team to the most
successful ‘Leisure Learning’ courses on
History and Geoarchaeology in the Library,
open to the general public and organised by
Joy Sage, must be mentioned.
The Web team uses programmes from
the Open Source community, and in re t u rn
they provide educational material on our site
free of charge for personal use, to a steady
stream of visitors.
All this work of creating and running a
website of which the Society can be very
proud, has been achieved by volunteers. A
great debt of gratitude is owed to Denis
Anstey, who as Website Manager masterminded
the whole enterprise, and to his
Website team, particularly Maureen Bennell
and Joy Sage. The Web team is based in
the Library, and may be emailed at
k e n t a rchaeology@btconnect.com. If you
would like to consider volunteering to join the
team, we would be glad to hear from you.
Frank Panton
documents on permanent loan to Kent
County Archives, and a brass rubbing
Catalogue; are all posted and maintained on
the site. Additionally, one of our members,
Mike Cozens, has compiled a dire c t o ry of
East Kent Wills which is on a sub-site
authored by him.
Regarding the second main objective,
the site currently publishes articles under the
head of eArticles and books under the head
of eBooks. Recently, the site has started to
post archaeological reports in a new “e” section,
under the supervision of Maureen
Bennell, a respected field archaeologist.
There is good support for this not only from
groups within Kent, but also from out-ofcounty
contractors. The re p o rts are prepared
in standard form, with an abstract
appearing in Archaeologia Cantiana. We are
keen to assist amateur groups to prepare
their work for inclusion.
The publication of transcribed (and
translated) source material now features as
another of the interests of the site. So far the
Kent Hundred Rolls and the Kilward b y
Survey have been put on the site, and a particular
project centres on the Wotton Survey
c1560, giving details of the family’s holding
of Lands throughout Kent. A digital copy of
this Survey has been obtained from the
In 2003, the KAS Library Committee decided
to set up a website, www. kentarchaeology.
ac, which, despite various crises along
the way, has gone from strength to strength.
The site has two main objectives; first, to
setup and carry searchable databases of
the Society’s collections of books, finds, and
other material accumulated during the 150
years of the Society’s existence, so that not
only members but also the general public
could become aware of, and gain access to,
the wealth of knowledge the Society possesses
on the history and archaeology of
Kent. The second objective is to represent
the Society as an internet publisher of peerreviewed
works under the auspices of the
Hon Editor and his Editorial Board. The overall
intention was to create a site which would
gain recognition as a source of reliable
material.
Regarding the first objective, the KAS
Library bookstock Index (constantly being
e n l a rged), a Visual Records Catalogue (over
20,000 items registered, with a large collection
of postcards, still being added to), a
Gordon Ward Archive (a collection of historical
ephemera relating to Kentish Places), an
A rtefacts Catalogue of finds acquired by the
Society, a section re f e rring to the Society’s
collection of papers, wills, maps and other
Autumn 2009 6
parallel sessions by professional academics,
research students and local historians representing
local history societies around Britain.
The aim of the conference was achieved
with papers that celebrated the wide variety of
questions and key issues in local history,
through a remarkable range of sources and
techniques of analysis. The timing of the delivery
of the papers had to be strictly adhered to,
so that delegates could easily move between
sessions without disturbing the speakers. The
papers were so engaging it was a shame that
there was so little time for further discussion in
the conference auditorium. Not to be deterred,
friendly banter and earnest discussions of the
papers took place during the conference
breaks.
The excellent papers of Dr Gillian Draper,
Dr Sheila Sweetinburgh and Professor David
Killingray and the plenary lecture of Sarah
Pearson highlighted the rich diversity of
local history topics currently researched by
Kent historians and KAS members: from death
in 14th century Rye; Hythe butcher
graziers of the late medieval Kent countryside;
the impact of immigrant communities on
British local history and Sandwich the
‘ completest’ medieval town.
I presented an aspect of local history in
Kent, with the latest approach for PhD students
to outline their research in a poster format. My
poster detailed sources, methodology and a
case study sample, to illustrate Punishment and
the New Poor Law in Kent: with specific
reference to the recording and reporting of
o ffences committed in workhouses 1835 to
1944. This enabled me to discuss my research
and receive constructive criticism in a less
formal setting than delivering a paper at a
conference or seminar.
The conference was very enjoyable,
friendly and thought provoking with pleasant
accommodation and food. One highlight of
many was the Saturday afternoon trips into the
Leicester landscape with excellent guides from
the Centre for English Local History.
After the closing remarks of the conference,
delegates could be overheard asking when the
next conference would be: a fitting tribute to all
the hard work carried out by the conference
organising committee and to the local historians
who delivered the papers.
Mary-Jane Pamphilon, M.A.
Firstly, I would like to thank the Kent
Archaeological Society members for their
generous support in awarding me a bursary
towards the cost of attending the ‘Local
History in Britain after Hoskins’ conference. As
a second year PhD student researching a
regional study of Kent, I found the conference
invaluable with regards to inspiration and
encouragement.
The conference was jointly organised by
the British Association for Local History and the
Centre for English Local History at the
University of Leicester. The aim of the conference
was to ‘celebrate the subject of local
history that W. G. Hoskins helped to create’.
One hundred and seventy five delegates
attended the Gilbert Murray Conference Centre
at Oadby, Leicester. Guests included W. G
H o s k i n s ’s daughter and grand-daughter who
received a warm welcome at the conference
dinner. The conference was divided into the
eight themes of Local History Now; Culture and
Belief; Community and Society; History of Local
History; Family, Population and Migration;
Identity and Belonging; Making a Living in Town
and Country and Sources, Methods and
Techniques. Over fifty papers were delivered in
as whether fathers were present at births,
or what games they played with their child
ren, to gain an insight into the way
f a t h e rhood has, or hasn’t, changed.
They are also interested in hearing
f rom fathers who left families behind to
fight in the Second World War, and fro m
the children they left behind. Another
i n t e rest is the way in which the sexual
revolution of the 60’s or 70’s may have
a ffected family life, so if you were a father
then, they’d also like to hear from you.
Testimony Films has a long track
re c o rd of making oral history documentaries
and specialise in recording the stories
of the older generation. They recorded
the first ever interview with Harry
Patch, when he was 98. If you would like
m o re information about them visit
w w w.testimonyfilms.com. To contact
them about your story of fatherhood
please ask for Janet Mills (re s e a rc h e r )
tel: 01179 257668 or email:
re s e a rch1@testimonyfilms.com.
The editor has been contacted by
Testimony Films, based in Bristol.
Do you have a story to tell about
your own experience of being a father, or
memories of your own father? Testimony
Films are making a television series to be
shown on BBC4, charting fatherhood
over the last 100 years and want to hear
f rom the older generation. They are particularly
keen to speak to those in their
90’s and beyond.
They’d like to explore themes such
LOCAL HISTORY IN BRITAIN AFTER HOSKINS
REPORT ON THE CONFERENCE JULY 2009
A CENTURY OF FATHERHOOD
7 Autumn 2009
Cost £45.00 per person. £10.00 deposit will secure a place.
Please book early as there is a maximum of ten persons per day.
For further details or to book a place email Pip at pips-pad@tiscali.co.uk or
tel: 07961 963893.
Crayford Manor House Historical & Archaeological Society
Saturday 14 November
Embassy Court, Welling – Recent Discoveries Richard Humphrey
Saturday 12 December
Christmas on the Home Front Michael Brown
Saturday 9 January 2010
A Country Christmas Pat Mortlock
Saturday 13 February 2010
Romance of London’s River: Southend to Sonning Tony Farnham
Saturday 13 March 2010
Royal Visits to Kent Colin Breed
Saturday 17 April
AGM & President’s Lecture
All meetings held in the Baker Trust Hall, Maxim Road, Crayford at 7.30pm.
Non members are welcome to attend – cost £3.00. Enquiries to Mrs Hearn-
Gillham, tel: 01322 551279.
‘YOUR VILLAGE’
Valley of Visions is launching a villages project in the Medway Gap and
holding a one day conference in January 2010. For more information please
contact training@vov.kentdowns.org.uk or tel: 07920 548906.
EVENTS ELSEWHERE
CBA South East Annual Conference
DEATH AND REMEMBRANCE: an archaeological viewpoint
Saturday 31 October
10.00am – 17.00pm
Redhill Methodist Centre, Gloucester Road, Redhill, Surrey RH1 1BP
PROGRAMME
Introduction by Andrew Richardson, Chair, CBA SE
Roman period burials in Sussex David Rudling (University of Sussex)
The archaeological evidence for the emergence of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in
South East England Dr Martin Welch (UCL)
The Black Death of 1348-50 in Southern England Prof. Tom James (University
of Winchester)
Pets, Pods and Patriots: 21st Century Trends in Death and Disposal on the
South Downs. Maire McQueeney (Author)
AGM
In their flowing cups: memories, myths and person kinds in Beaker funerary
ritual Dr Paul Garwood (University of Birmingham)
Two 1st Century AD ‘Warrior Burials’ from Ashford in Kent Casper Johnson &
Jim Stevenson (East Sussex County Archaeologist and ASE)
What do funerals mean? Dr Jake Weekes (Canterbury Archaeological Trust)
Questions
Tea/coffee available at breaks.Tickets £20 CBA SE Members, £25 non-members.
Further details available from Steve and Eva Corbett, 4 Ditchling Close,
Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 8LS, email: cbase@scorbett.co.uk, tel: 01273
905004.
EVENTS AROUND KENT
Council for Kentish Archaeology Conference
LOST CITIES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
Saturday 24 October
2.00pm – 5.30pm
Old Sessions Lecture Theatre
Canterbury Christ Church University,
North Holmes Road, Canterbury
Pompeii – Living under the Volcano Dr David Plummer
Cyprus – The Lost Roman Cities Edna Mynott
Leptis Magna – The African Queen Ruth Plummer
Malta – the Pearl of the Middle Sea Brian Philp
Tickets £4, available from CKA, 7 Sandy Ridge, Borough Green TN15 8HP.
Please send SAE. Website www.the-cka.fsnet.co.uk
Loose Area History Society
Monday 12 October
Maidstone’s Fires, Floods, Bangs & Crashes Andrew Clarke
Monday 9 November
Nor the Years condemn – Some War Memorials of Kent & East Sussex Peter
Ewart
Monday 14 December
Medieval Food & Feasting Toni Mount
Non-members are welcome at all meetings, which are held at Loose Infant
School Hall, Loose, Maidstone, starting at 7.30pm. Admission £2.50. Pay at
the door.
Friends of Canterbury Archaeological Trust Talks
Thursday 19 November
Medical practices in Roman Spain Dr Patty Baker (Lecturer in Archaeology,
University of Kent)
7.00 pm. Keynes College, Lecture Theatre 5, University of Kent
Saturday 30 January 2010
Frank Jenkins Memorial Lecture
6.00 pm. Canterbury Christ Church University
Wednesday 10 February 2010
Preview of an exhibition on Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Canterbury
Sidney Cooper Centre, St Peter’s Street, Canterbury 6.00–7.00 pm
Wednesday 10 March 2010
History Underground: The work of the Kent Underground Research Group
Mike Clinch (Secretary, Kent Underground Research Group)
Wednesday 21 April 2010
The Pyramids of Egypt – design, construction and purpose Roger Sharp
Further details: admin@canterburytrust.co.uk or 01227 462062
Bexley Archaeological Group
Two one-day courses on flintknapping
Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November, 9.30am – 4pm
Taught by professional flintknapper Will Lord
Learn how to make arrowheads, handaxes and bladecores with associated
tools such as backed knives, scrapers and burins
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order are paying the correct amount and that those
in arrears have now been taken out of the membership
– this also explains some fall in numbers.
Yes, recruitment of new members is lower than
in some years, but the splendid websites have
helped to turn round this situation and I am gratified
to report that I have had few resignations this year.
Although we shouldn’t rest on our laurels, I know
from personal experience that some other County
Societies are having problems and are having to
raise their subscriptions which is not a good solution
in these straitened times! In common with most similar
societies there has been a gradual decline in
membership over the years. In our case, taking the
last 10 years from 1,476 in 1998 to 1,357 in 2008,
At the 2009 AGM some concern was
expressed at the apparent reduction in membership
numbers over the past few years.
Some of this is due to the fact that members decide
to leave because of downsizing, both of their living
accommodation and annual expenses. Some of
course, unfortunately die, because of the age profile
of the membership. However, the number of members
given in the annual report was inadvertently not
compiled on the same basis as in previous years as
it treated joint memberships as one person instead
of two. It should have given the membership as
1,357.
I have worked hard at cleaning up the database,
making sure that members paying by bankers
reveals a drop of about 8% over the period, breaking
down to less than 1% a year.
Any suggestions for the recruitment of younger
members would be very welcome. I know that Lyn
Palmer and Kate Kersey encourage YAC members
and families to join but there must be other ways of
attracting students as well. The reduced age limit
was raised to 25 to attract those in higher education.
I have plenty of membership leaflets so please
ask me for some to take to any conferences and heritage
events that you are attending. I have just posted
out bundles to approximately 100 venues around
the county but I would be grateful for any suggestions
for other suitable places.
Shiela Broomfield
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
It will soon be time for me to send out renewal letters for 2010 to those of you who pay your subscriptions by cheque. I plan to do this in early December to avoid the
Christmas rush. Please pay promptly so that I can save the Society money by sending out as few reminder letters as possible next year. I know that this is sometimes
unavoidable as the first letters fail to arrive for one reason or another. Occasionally this is because I have not been told about a change of address.
Just as a reminder, the subscriptions are £25 for individual members, £30 for two members at the same address and £10 for junior members – still a bargain and lower
than neighbouring societies!
The address for all correspondence relating to membership is – Mrs Shiela Broomfield, KAS Membership,
8 Woodview Crescent, Hildenborough, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 9HD. Telephone 01732 838698.
E-mail – membership@kentarc h a e o l o g y. o rg.uk or s.bro o m f i e l d @ c l e m e n t i . d e m o n . c o . u k .
We are pleased to welcome these new members:
Affiliated Members
Halling Historical Society
Northfleet History Group
Kent Family History Society (website)
Joint Members
Mr & Mrs K B Bray, Maidstone.
Mr A G Cooper & Miss A M Maiollla, Horsmonden, Tonbridge
Mr & Mrs A Cresswell, Newington, Sittingbourne
Mr & Mrs I J Disbrey, St Margaret’s at Cliffe, Dover
Mr & Mrs M Routledge, Allhallows, Rochester
Junior Member
Mr L Routledge, Allhallows, Rochester
YOU A N D YOUR SOCIETY
Autumn 2009 8
COPY DEADLINE FOR THE NEXT ISS
FALLING MEMBERSHIP?
for the other three places on the Council.
This means there are now several vacancies on
the Council which can be filled at the AGM next
year. We rely on members of the Society volunteering
or putting in nominations. It is not the function of
the Council to nominate members. If you wish to volunteer
or make a nomination please contact the
Hon. General Secretary who will be pleased to give
advice.
At the meeting there was discussion of a num-
As a result of the ballot for Hon. Curator Dr
Andrew Richardson was elected. The other
officers were all declared re-elected in the
absence of any other candidates. Dr J. Gibson was
re-elected to the Council. There were no candidates
ber of matters including recruitment of members,
incorporation of the society, choice of auditors and
risk management. The Council and its committees
will be considering most of the suggestions that
were made.
After the meeting interesting talks were given by
Ges Moody on changes in the Kent coastline, Peter
Clark on proposals to build a full size working replica
of the Dover Bronze Age Boat and Mike Clinch on
the work of the Kent Underground Research Group.
AGM REPORT
Ordinary Members
Miss K Boulden, Aldington, Ashford
Mrs J Clark, London
Mr R W Darby, Istead Rise, Gravesend
Mrs M Kent, Tatsfield, Westerham
Mr R B Lambert, Canterbury
Mr A Nicolson, Sissinghurst Castle, Cranbrook
Mr R C O’Connell, Maidstone, Kent
Mr A Plummer, Cranbrook
Mr D J, Semmens, Sevenoaks
Mr P Slaughter, Northfleet, Gravesend
Mrs S Stratton, Maidstone
Mrs M E Symonds, Broadstairs
Mrs M E Woods, Tonbridge
did Mr Chapman save the building, but he is also is to be given much
credit for preserving it with such sensitivity.
On Wednesday 1 July a group of 30 members went on the second
of the visits to The Grange at Ramsgate. As mentioned in the last issue,
this house was built by Augustus Pugin, and was where he produced
much of his finest work.
Again, thanks go to Joy Saynor for organising such an interesting
series of visits. She is already working on arrangements for the 2010
programme, more information of which will appear in the next issue of
the Newsletter.
arrangements with Heritage Marketing and Publications was no more
successful and has recently been terminated. The cost of holding and
insuring the stock has been more than could be justified so the stock has
been sold to Christine Swift Books of Egerton, apart from a few copies
retained mainly as a reserve stock for the library. However the recent book
‘Hadlow, Life, Land and People of a Wealden Parish 1460 - 1602’ is still
available.
9 Autumn 2009
ISSUE IS TUESDAY 1st DECEMBER
KAS COMMITTEE ROUND-UP
REPORT FROM THE COUNCIL
HISTORIC BUILDINGS COMMITTEE
The very popular 2009 series of visits continued with a trip to
Luddesdown Court and Dode Church on Wednesday 10 June.
Members fortunate enough to be allocated places on the visit greatly
appreciated having the chance of being taken around Luddesdown
Court, accepted as one of the earliest surviving medieval medium-size
houses in Kent. Afterwards, the group went on to the well-preserved
and isolated Dode Church, and was given a fascinating guided tour by
Derek Chapman. This church was de-consecrated in 1387. Not only
PAUL A S H B E E MA, D. Litt, FSA, FRSAI
It is with sadness that we report the death of Paul A s h bee, Patron of the KAS
since 2002.
Paul’s archa e o l ogical work over five decades laid much of the foundations of
archaeological know l e d ge today, particularly of prehistory. Kent in
Prehistoric Times ( 2005) was one of the last publ i c a tions in a prolific output
wh i ch produced around 40 works.
As a te e n a ger growing up in Bea r s ted, Paul’s earliest investigations were at
T h u r n ham Roman Villa and fieldwalking around Detling, inspired by
lunchti me visits to Maidstone Museum. He joined the Royal West Kent
Regiment in 1939, where his ability with the German lang u a ge was put to use
in wartime broadcasti ng. He returned from Germany in 1949 and began
stud y i ng European Prehistory at the Insti t u te of A r cha e o l og y, wo r k i ng with
Mortimer Wheeler on the St Albans exc av a tions. Key sites that he later exc av
a ted inc l ude Fussell’s Lodge, the Amesbury group, a re-examination of
Sutton Hoo with Rupert Bruce Mitford and Halangy Down on the Scilly
Isles. He was also involved in the Experimental Eart h works Projects at
Overton Down and Wa r e ham. He was the first archa e o l ogist at the new
University of East Anglia and had lived in Norfolk since 1968.
T he KAS was represented at his funeral at Che d gr ave Church, Norfolk, by
t he Hon.Editor Terry Lawson and his wife Mary, who were regular visitors to
Paul.
A fuller profile of Paul appeared in Newsletter Issue 56, Spring 2003,
wh i ch can be ac c e ssed online at:
http:// www. kentarchaeology. org. uk/ Newsletter.
The following is a selection of matters dealt with by the Council of the
Society so far this year.
Canterbury Museum was trying to buy a Celtic mirror and brooch
found at Chilham Castle to prevent them being exported and was supported
by the British Museum. If bought they would be exhibited at
Canterbury. The Society offered a grant of £1,500.
Folkestone People’s History Centre asked the Society to support its
application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant to help its community
archaeology project ‘A Town Unearthed’. After hearing a report on it and
following its policy of encouraging volunteers taking part in archaeology
the Council agreed to give its support.
Peter Stutchbury of Lympne has been appointed Assistant Hon.
General Secretary. He will be nominated to succeed Andrew Moffat as
Hon. General Secretary at the next AGM.
Over the years the Council received reports from its members,
latterly Mrs Shiela Broomfield, who were on the Standing Conference on
London Archaeology and CBA South East. In particular it followed the formation
of the new London branch of the CBA and accepted the right to
nominate one of its trustees: Mrs Broomfield was nominated. SCOLA has
now been disbanded and CBA London has taken over its functions. As
Dr Andrew Richardson (our Hon. Curator) is chair of CBA South East
reports will also be received about its activities.
Among matters discussed at the AGM was incorporating the Society
as a company limited by guarantee to protect members of the Council
against personal liability. The Council has discussed this, not for the first
time, and decided to defer any action until the introduction of charitable
incorporated organisations which will be a simpler and more suitable form
of body corporate. The Charity Commission expects to make that form of
incorporation available next year. In the mean time the risk to members of
the Council was considered minimal as they are protected by a comprehensive
insurance policy and the substantial funds held by the society.
For many years the Society has held a large stock of the books that it
has published over the years. Attempts to sell these by offers to members
or through large and small booksellers have not been successful. The
Autumn 2009 10
papers held on the Cobham brasses by the Society
of Antiquaries, London.
Gough Nichols had intended to publish on the
Cobham Brasses. In the G e n t l e m a n ’s Magazine
1841 it says that the monuments have been
“...researched with intention to publish by Mr. John
Gough Nichols. F.S.A.” The 1840-41 letters in Box
17 from Charles Spence urges Gough Nichols to
publish on the Cobham Brasses. The publication
never materialised. Papers relating to the Cobham
Brasses held by the Society of Antiquaries contain a
criticism of the engravings and this is often taken as
being the reason. However, the collection of letters in
Box 17 hints at scholarly disagreements between
J.G. Waller and F.C. Brooke on one side and John
Gough Nichols on the other and these may also be
implicated in the decision not to publish. The
plates were eventually published by F.C. Brooke, and
J.G. Waller published accounts in Archaeologia
Cantiana in 1877 and 1878 after the death of John
Gough Nichols.
Gough Nichols’ large collection of books as well
as the archive of family papers was dispersed after
his death in 1873. The Nichols Archive Project,
undertaken by the University of Leicester, aims to
catalogue the correspondence of the Nichols family
held by various archives in order to aid the study of
the social circle and intellectual pursuits of the time.
The letters in Box 17 could potentially be of interest
to those on the project who study the circle around
the G e n t l e m a n ’s Magazine.
Pernille Richards
1840 to 1866. The majority of letters were written
by Charles Spence, Esq. of the Admiralty (1779-
1869) to John Gough Nichols F.S.A. (1806-1873).
Charles Spence was a Clerk of 1st Class in
the civil department of the Admiralty (Pay Off i c e )
and acquainted with Gough Nichols. In 1840-41
we find him in Rochester and Chatham and in
1844 he is in Devonport, where he gave a talk on
Medieval Brasses, including the Cobham brasses,
at the Mechanics’ Institute. He wrote “A walk
though Rochester Cathedral” in 1840 and a work
on Romsey Abbey. In Archaeologia Cantiana
( Vol. XII, 1878) Waller credits him with being the
first to collect and arrange the fragments of the
Brooke tomb. Spence’s letters show that he took
a keen interest in the restoration project. He did
a lot of practical work and functioned as an intermediary
between John Gough Nichols,
Hammerton, J.G. Waller and F.C. Brooke.
Through his letters we can follow the practical
minutiae of the restoration project, the two distinct
phases, and the questions that were relayed
to Gough Nichols.
John Gough Nichols F. S. A was an eminent
Antiquarian and editor of numerous publications
including the G e n t l e m a n ’s Magazine. He provided
an important link for Clergy and Antiquarians
who were restoring their churches. The letters in
Box 17 document these activities in relation to
Cobham and provide a useful supplement to the
The Cobham Brasses in correspondence to
John Gough Nichols F.S.A.
“I really think it will be a very fine restoration, all
the ancient portions remaining inlaid and clearly dis -
cernable whilst the total ensemble will shew (sic) one
beautiful whole.”
C. Spence, Dec. 1864
St. Mary Magdalene Church in Cobham, Kent
is known for its magnificent collection of
Medieval brasses of the Cobham family and
the tomb of George Brooke, Lord Cobham and
Anne Bray. Amazingly, The brasses and the tomb
survived, although much damaged over the centuries
and the sight we can enjoy today is the
result of restorations undertaken first in the late
1830s and early 1840s and secondly, in the
1860s. The restoration was paid for by a descendant
of the Brooke family, Francis C. Brooke. In
the first phase of restoration the work was overseen
by Charles Spence of the Admiralty and the
research was done by John Gough Nichols, F. S. A.
Mr George Hammerton, who had previously
worked on Rochester Cathedral, restored the
monuments. In the second phase in the 1860s
the restoration work was undertaken by J.G.
Wa l l e r, but still with the involvement of John
Gough Nichols and Charles Spence.
The ongoing archive survey has found an
interesting collection of 31 letters and other
papers relating to the restoration project at
Cobham Church in Box 17. These range from
MEDIEVAL BRASSES IN ST MARY MAGDALENE CHURCH IN COBHAM
ABOVE : A memorandum from George
Hammerton, restorer in the 1830s and ’40s.
N OT E S F ROM T H E ARC H I V E S
11 Autumn 2009
N E W BOOKS
Two New Books on the History of Rye
The Romney Marsh Research Trust are just completing a major thre e
year project looking into Medieval and early-Modern Rye. The outcome
of this is the forthcoming publication of two volumes in November.
Rye Rebuilt: Regeneration and Decline within a Sussex
Cinque Port Town, 1350-1660 by David & Barbara Martin, with
Jane Clebb and Gillian Draper.
A very readable book which discusses the form and fabric of the port
town, concentrating in particular on the old buildings for which the town
is rightly famous. The period covered extends from the French raids of
the 14th century, through the 16th-century boom years to the town’s mid-
17th century decline. Illustrated summaries of over a hundred medieval
and Tudor timber-framed houses are included. Retail price £30.00.
Rye: a History of a Sussex Cinque Port to 1660 by Gillian
Draper, with David and Barbara Martin and Alan Tyler.
This companion volume is an illustrated history of Rye from its origins at
the Norman Conquest until the end of its period of great prosperity under
the Tudor monarchs: This book substantially takes forw a rd our local
knowledge of life in Rye and its hinterlands, covering themes such as
seafaring, piracy, the Yp res tower and defences, the parish church and
pilgrims, and trade and work in the medieval town. The book is an important
contribution to the history of the Cinque Ports in particular and
medieval and early-modern towns in general. Retail price £25.00.
The Romney Marsh Research Trust is extending a pre-publication off e r
to KAS members, giving a generous discount. Both books will be £20.00
each. They can either be collected by appointment after 13 November
from the Secre t a ry (01797 224418) or posted to you at £3.00 p&p per
book. Please make cheque payable to the RMRT and post by November
5 to the Hon Sec RMRT, 41 Mermaid Street, Rye, TN31 7EU, with sae if
you wish an acknowledgment.
Portrait of Canterbury by John Boyle. Edited by Elizabeth Edward s .
John Boyle was Town Clerk of
C a n t e r b u ry from 1942 to
1972, and a Fellow of the
Society of Antiquaries. He
traced the city’s history fro m
the earliest times – its re c o rd
of growth from the Saxon
period onwards; the coming
of St Augustine; the founding
of the cathedral and the
g rowth of the city around it –
to the rebuilding of a third of
the central area after destruction
by aerial attack in 1942.
He also dealt with the lighter
side of life, including festivals
and celebrations, and
revealed many startling and
even sensational anecdotes.
Whilst retaining the voice of the original author aAnUd Th Uis M j uNd2ic 0io 0u 9s
evaluations of the political, professional and cultural society of
Canterbury in the 1970’s, Elizabeth Edwards has updated his portrait
for the 21st century. So much has changed during the past 30 years;
our knowledge of its history considerably deepened through work by
Canterbury Archaeological Trust and the growth of local studies, as
well as sweeping changes to the city’s fabric in response to modern
economic and cultural stimuli. This book puts Canterbury’s rich past
and lively present into perspective, providing insight into its fascinating
history for the contemporary observer by uniting two cities – the
historical one beloved by tourists, and the modern, where re s i d e n t s
live and work.
Published by Phillimore ISBN: 978-1-86077-532-1. 208 pages, 100
illustrations. £16.99. Available from local bookstores or
www. p h i l l i m o re.co.uk.
Speldhurst Church: Its Story and its Wi n d o w s by
Guy Hitchings
This book combines
a history
and a guide to the
c h u rch. Much is
about the wonderful
stained glass
windows, notably
those designed by
E d w a rd Burn e -
Jones for William
Morris & Co and
those designed by
M o rris himself.
The history of various
rebuilds of the
c h u rch is
detailed in
the context
of its surrounds;
the
earliest, probably wooden, version before the Norm a n
Conquest, the 13th century sandstone church with tall and
slender spire, the increase in worshippers after the re s o rt of
Tunbridge Wells came into being in the 17th century, destruction
by lightning in 1791, the reduction of worshippers following
the building of churches at nearby Rusthall and Langton
G reen in the mid 19th century and finally the new building of
1870 which exists today.
The book was published with the aid of a grant from the Allen
G rove Local History Fund through the KAS.
Available from local bookshops or by post from Mr Hitchings,
Spring Bank, Speldhurst, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0PD, for £3.78,
which includes p&p. Cheque payable to ‘Guy Hitchings’
please.
Autumn 2009 12
precedence, marriage and the frequency of Synods.
Indeed at the Synod at Hatfield in 679, the matter of
orthodoxy was again addressed by Theodore.
His reforms had far-reaching effects on the
Church in England. Not only was Theodore an excellent
administrator, but he appears to have been a man
of some physical force, even in his old age. Bede tells
how Bishop Chad preferred to carry out his evangelistic
work on foot for reasons of humility. Theodore,
with characteristic impatience, ordered him to ride if
the journey was to be a long one. When Chad
demurred it is said that Theodore “lifted him onto the
horse with his own hands since he knew he was a
man of great sanctity and he determined to compel
him to ride a horse when necessity arose.”8
His remarkable energy also allowed him to
address education and music in the Church and it
was here that he made his greatest impact. Theodore
and Hadrian founded a school at Canterbury, the site
of which is now lost, at which scholars learned about
the holy scriptures, the art of metre (poetry), astronomy,
calligraphy, medicine, music and ecclesiastical
computation. Theodore’s intellect and the standard of
education offered was so high that students flocked to
be admitted to the school.9 Such a high standard was
achieved that it could be argued that this set the tone
for other centres of learning around the country, subsequently
allowing a child called Bede to thrive academically
in the north and paving the way for England
to be regarded as producing the best academics in
Europe.
Although Bede’s life did coincide with
Theodore’s, they never met (Bede lived from c.673 –
735 and therefore would have been about seventeen
when Theodore died). It is plain from his writing,
though, that he had the highest regard for him.
One of the most remarkable Archbishops of
Canterbury was the 7th one: St Theodore of
Tarsus. As his name implies, he was not an
Englishman, but was born in what is now south-eastern
Turkey in the Greek-speaking province of Cilicia.1
It seems likely that he was a refugee either as a boy
or as a young man and that he went to
Constantinople, a renowned centre of learning and
culture where a man with his scholarly attributes
could thrive. It is thought that he became a monk and
he is next seen at the monastery of St Anastasius outside
Rome, but no record exists of how or when he
came to be there. As far as we know his life had been
one devoted to prayer and study and little more might
have been known had the Archbishop of Canterburydesignate
(Wigheard) not died of plague in Rome
when he went to collect his pallium in 667. This, naturally,
caused a problem, not least because the post
had been vacant since the death of Archbishop
Deusdedit in 664.2
Pope Vitalian first of all nominated Abbot Hadrian
for the job, but he declined and himself suggested
Theodore. This might not attract comment but for the
fact that Theodore was then aged 65; he had more
than exceeded the average lifespan and was being
asked to make a dangerous journey to take on a difficult
province. He agreed on condition that Hadrian
accompanied him, although the truth behind this will
never be known. It may be that Vitalian required
Hadrian to go to make sure that Theodore carried out
his duties in the Roman rather than Greek tradition3
and we will never know if the pope would have been
dismayed or delighted if he could have known that
Theodore would live to be 88, fulfilling over two
decades in the post. He arrived in England on 27 May
669 and (as Lapidge has put it) ‘set about reforming
the English church with the urgency of an old man in
a hurry.’ He was sixty-seven.
The problem facing him was an England in which
emotions were still running high after the so-called
Easter Controversy which had come to a head at the
Synod of Whitby in 664. Although five years had
passed, Christian religious feeling was still split
between the Roman way of practising Christianity and
what might be termed the Celtic way. The administration
of the Church in England was in disarray; some
dioceses such as Rochester, Dunwich and
Winchester lacked a bishop whilst others were of an
unwieldy size, making them profitable to the incumbent
but impossible to administer, Bishop Wilfrid’s in
Northumbria being a case in point.4 Bede tells us that
Theodore “visited every part of the island where the
English peoples lived”.5 He made appointments to
the vacant bishoprics, corrected the position of St
Chad who had not been properly consecrated, rectified
numerous things that were irregular, and was “the
first of the Archbishops whom the whole English
Church consented to obey”, a telling remark revealing
much about Theodore’s charismatic personality and
leadership. “Never”, wrote Bede contentedly, “had
there been such happy times since the English first
came to Britain.”6
Had Pope Vitalian had any doubt about
Theodore’s conformity to Rome, it seems that he
need not have worried. In 672 he called a national
synod at Hertford, the details of which are repeated in
Bede’s History.7 He began by asking the bishops if
they were acting within canonical decrees (they said
that they were) and then laid down rules that would
prevent one man from interfering or practising in the
area of another which still hold true today down to
parochial level. Other matters discussed included
PIONEERS, POWER
BROKERS AND SAINTS
St Theodore of Tarsus, the 7th Archbishop of Canterbury AD602-690
The Churches Committee is always keen to emphasise that its remit encompasses beliefs and people as well as ecclesiastical buildings and artefacts. Accordingly this
series (the first article of which appeared in Spring, Issue 80 this year) focuses on people in our own county whose impact has been noteworthy. The contributors will be
those knowledgeable in their areas of interest. The series will run to about ten articles.
13 Autumn 2009
Recording St Theodore’s death in 690, Bede writes:
“To put it briefly, the English Churches made more
spiritual progress whilst he was Archbishop than ever
before”.10 He then goes on to record the first and last
verses only of a thirty-four verse poem someone else
originally wrote on his tomb, the rather greetings-card
style somewhat detracting from the greatness of
Theodore’s intellect:
“Here lies a holy bishop’s mortal frame:
In Grecian tongue is Theodore his name.
A great high priest was he, the church’s head,
Who in sound doctrine his disciples fed.
....
September was the month, the nineteenth day,
When from the flesh his spirit took its way,
Climbing in bliss to share new life and love
With angel-citizens of heaven above.”
Kent Archaeological Society is offering grants
towards the cost of research, publications,
exhibitions and other projects aimed at encouraging
interest in the county’s local history.
Individuals, groups, organisations and students
can download application forms from
www. kentarchaeology.org.uk or obtain them by
sending a s.a.e. to the KAS’s Hon. General Secretary
at Three Elms, Woodlands Lane, Shorne, Gravesend,
Kent DA12 3HH.
The grants are made from the society’s Allen
Grove Local History Fund and distributed annually in
amounts that usually range from £200 to £400.
Larger sums are available for ‘exceptional projects’.
The deadline for applications for 2010’s grants is
March 31.
In 2009 grants totalling £1,730 were made to:
● Ashford Town Bowls Club (£250), for research
into the club’s history and a centenary booklet
and display.
● Folkestone People’s History Centre (£200),
towards the production of the first of a series of journals
on the town’s history and archaeology.
● Herne & Broomfield Local History Group (£230),
for the cost of producing a booklet ‘Herne Chronicles’
— a collection of myths, legends and facts to celebrate
700 years of the parish.
● Guy Hitchings (£250) for the cost of publishing a
guide to Speldhurst Church and its unique windows.
● Dr Helen Leaf (£200) for research into a collection
of letters written in the 19th century to George
Moore, who had emigrated to America, describing life
in Faversham area.
● The Save the Hadlow Tower Action Group
(£400), for a permanent display about the tower and
its history. The tower is to be restored by the Vivat
Trust and will have a museum and visitor centre on
the ground floor and a holiday flat above.
● Dr David Wright (£200) for research leading to
the publication of a book about Rev. Bryan Fausset of
Canterbury, the 18th century antiquary whose work
included notes on the history and architecture of east
Kent churches.
Allen Grove (pictured right) was one of the county’s
most eminent historians of his generation. He was
Curator of Maidstone Museum from 1948 to 1975,
Hon. Curator of the KAS for 26 years (and its
President in 1987/88) and Chairman of the Kent
History Federation for eight years.
When he died in 1990 he left £26,000 from the
proceeds of the sale of his house to the KAS, with
instructions that the society should invest the legacy
and distribute the interest in ways that would promote
the enjoyment of Kent’s local history.
The first grants were made in 1994. Since then
more than £20,000 has been awarded, mainly to
support the publication of books and booklets but also
for exhibitions, displays in heritage centres, oral
history projects, and establishing archives and
research centres.
GRANTS NOW AVAILABLE FOR
KENT LOCAL HISTORY PROJECTS
He was buried at Canterbury where a modern
stone at St A u g u s t i n e ’s Abbey commemorates
his life.
Imogen Corrigan
Bibliography:
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, M. Swanton (trans. & ed.), Phoenix Press,
London, 2000
Bede, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People, J. McClure & R,
Collins (eds.), Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1969
M. Lapidge, J. Blair, S. Keynes & D. Scragg (eds.), The Blackwell
Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England, Blackwell, Oxford, 1999
P.G. Maxwell-Stuart, The Archbishops of Canterbury, Tempus, Stroud, 2006
1 M. Lapidge, J. Blair, S. Keynes & D. Scragg (eds.), The Blackwell
Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England, p.444
2 Ibid., p.140
3 P.G. Maxwell-Stuart, The Archbishops of Canterbury, p.41
4 Lapidge, Blair, Keynes & Scragg, op.cit., p.445
5 Bede, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People, p.172
6 I b i d ., p.172
7 I b i d., pp.180-183
8 I b i d ., p.174
9 I b i d ., p.172
10 I b i d., p.246
Autumn 2009 14
Bradstow School in Broadstairs, formerly
a private residence known
as Bartrum Gables and later as
Valletta House, has a rich archaeological
heritage. A large hengiform enclosure,
four Bronze Age barrows and a rich
Anglo-Saxon cemetery were excavated
within the grounds of the school between
1910 and 2006. Bradstow School is a
residential specialist school for children
with severe learning difficulties and
autism, operated by Wandsworth
Borough Council.
In April 2009, during an excavation
by the Trust for Thanet Archaeology prior
to the construction of a sensory swimming
pool, a fifth barrow was discovered
along with two prehistoric burials and a
further Anglo-Saxon grave. The relationship
between the Trust and Bradstow
School that developed during the excavation
grew into the idea for the ‘Dig for
a Day’ event held in June 2009. The staff
at the school, led by Headteacher Burt
Furze and the Inclusion Development
Manager Lorraine Hiller, were excited by
the potential to broaden the learning
experiences of their pupils through participation
in new activities and challenges
involving the archaeology of the
site. Preparations for the event were
funded with a grant awarded by the
Education Committee of the Kent
A rchaeological Society in aid of the
Trust’s education activities in 2009. The
participation of the Trust staff on the day
was partly funded by a small grant from
the CBA Challenge Fund awarded to
Bradstow School.
Dig for a Day took place on the 25th
June and enabled over two hundred
pupils from 12 schools across Thanet,
from both the specialist and mainstream
sectors, to participate in archaeological
activities organised by the Trust and
hosted by Bradstow School. One school
f rom Nonnington, Dover also took
part. The Trust and Bradstow School
staff were assisted over the day by
volunteers including members of the Isle
of Thanet Archaeological Society, Kent
Archaeological Society and staff and a
volunteer from Quex Museum.
Six activity zones were set up around
the grounds of Bradstow School
designed to introduce the children to the
basic principles of archaeology. Each
visiting school group was taken around
the zones by a pupil from Bradstow
School acting as a host, assisted by a
member of staff.
Zones 1 and 2 were located at the
front of the school on the playing field
where the first Bronze Age Barrow had
been excavated in 1911. It proved to be
the ideal spot for an introduction to geophysics
and to take part in real survey,
especially as we managed to locate and
plot the extent of the barrow!
Zones 3 and 4 were located within
the site of the recent excavation. In Zone
3, Year 10 pupils from King Ethelbert’s
Secondary School were able to help
excavate a segment of the barrow ditch,
while younger pupils from the primary
schools were introduced to archaeological
excavation by Ges Moody of the
Trust, who told them all about the equipment
used by archaeologists, the finds
made and the importance of Health and
Safety!
In zone 4 children were shown how
archaeologists distinguish different soil
deposits in excavations and had a
‘ DIG FOR A DAY’
at Bradstow School, Broadstairs
15 Autumn 2009
hands-on, or hands in, demonstration of
the difference between clay, sands and
silts, a slightly mucky process for the
willing volunteers! This zone also
allowed the children to explore how
materials decay or survive using objects
placed around a plastic teaching skeleton
laid in the emptied Anglo-Saxon
grave cut. Demonstration of the differences
in body positions between the
prehistoric and Anglo-Saxon graves in
the excavation to Year 11 pupils from the
Royal School for the Deaf resulted in a
lively debate in sign language;
admirably translated by John Handley,
about the belief systems that lay behind
the variations.
Zone 5 introduced the children to the
principles of stratigraphy, learning how
deposits build up over time by constructing
their own mini site using clear
plastic tanks, ‘artefacts’ and soils from
the recent excavations. In zone 6 the
children were shown how to excavate
artefacts from the Tru s t ’s dig boxes,
matching the objects to pictures on identification
sheets before describing and
illustrating the finds on pre - p r i n t e d
recording sheets. Other activities taking
place around the school included mosaic
making and pottery. The Trust provided
printed examples of mosaics from
archaeological sites and large colour
photographs of pots excavated on
Thanet from the prehistoric to the Anglo-
Saxon periods for the children to make
their own copies.
The day proved to be a resounding
success, comments from the teachers
included: ‘There were so many activities,
all appropriate and well thought out and
the children learnt such a lot about
archaeology’ and ‘The people we met
were great and interesting and they
spoke to the pupils at their level’. More
importantly though, the children enjoyed
themselves too and every child, regardless
of their ability, was able to take
some part in an archaeological activity.
The children’s comments included ‘My
favourite thing was when we had to look
in the sand for bits of old things and I
liked it when we saw the real dig’.
Perhaps the most effusive summary of
the day came from a child who commented
‘it was the best school trip ever!’
For those running the activities it was an
exciting and exhausting day but it was
also very rewarding to give so many children
from Thanet an opportunity to take
part in archaeology and to share the
experience with children from very different
backgrounds. For the Trust it was a
significant occasion in fulfilling our aim of
providing opportunities to learn, see and
do archaeology in Thanet.
Emma Boast
Trust for Thanet Archaeology
OPPOSITE LEFT: Some of the 200 pupils who
attended, eagerly awaiting the start of the activities.
AND BELOW: Ges Moody of the Trust introduces
archaeological equipment and finds.
ABOVE RIGHT: King Ethelbert’s School pupils
investigating the newly-discovered barrow ditch.
BELOW: Creating mosaics.
Published by the Kent Archaeological Society, Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Gallery, 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
Email evelyn.palmer@virgin.net or newsletter@kentarchaeology.org.uk
Copy deadline for the next issue in January is Tuesday 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: The Earl and Countess of
Wessex and George Jessel, Chair
of Kent County Agricultural
Society, peruse the KAS stand at
the County Show.
Autumn 2009 16
Out of the blue at the end of May I had a telephone call from
one of the organisers of the Kent County Show offering KAS
a free stand to help
celebrate the Show’s 80th
anniversary this year. Even
though the time scale was
extremely short, this was really
an offer too good to miss.
Several years ago when the
Society attended, the costs
proved to be quite high. I am
grateful to Joy Sage for
putting together the display
boards so that we could tell
visitors to the Show what we
actually do and re p re s e n t .
Chris Pout kindly delivered the
display boards to Detling - this
was a case of calling on any
available resource - Presidents, spouses……….!
We left home at the crack of dawn on the first day so that we
could put up the boards and generally make the stand as attractive
and eye-catching as possible. Very fortunately we were in one of
the permanent buildings as the weather was far from ‘summery’. We
shared the ‘Remembering Kent’ section with other heritage organisations,
ranging from the Agricultural Museum at Brook, Brogdale,
Dolphin Barge Museum, to the Kent Guild of Spinners, Dyers and
Weavers, the County Federation of WIs etc. It was interesting
speaking to others of like-mind as well as spreading the KAS word,
especially in periods of heavy rain when everyone was seeking
shelter in our building!
The Earl and Countess of Wessex opened the Show and made
a special effort to come round and speak to everyone in our
section. The Earl had obviously been very well briefed
and I was impressed by the depth of his knowledge of
a rc h a e o l o g y, presumably gleaned from his bro t h e r’s
interests! With just two of us manning the stand it did seem
a very long day, especially as it then took an hour to even
leave the showground.
On the Saturday two stalwarts of KAS, Chris Pout and Andrew
Richardson, manned the stand
as I had to chair an AGM in
deepest Sussex. They also had
an interesting and busy day. We
were back again on Sunday with
welcome help from Joy Sage
and Vince Burrows. At least this
meant that we could have a
quick stroll round the rest of the
Show, avoiding the showers!
Again we had many visitors and
were able to distribute copies of
the excellent Newsletter as well
as many membership forms. I
coded these and have had a
couple of new members. I am
very grateful to those who
helped, but it highlights the fact that we need many more volunteers
if we are invited in future years. Extra publicity for the KAS can only
be a good thing.
The following weekend we took the same display to the History
Weekend at Sissinghurst Castle – this was part of the CBA archaeology
fortnight which meant that quite a few potential helpers were
occupied elsewhere. Again the manning of the stall over the two
days fell on myself, husband Chris and Chris Pout. We had much
interest from visitors especially with regard to the photographs of
places featuring individuals. We have so far gained one new member
from this – not a very good result but more people should now
be aware of the existence of KAS. One problem was that many of
the visitors to Sissinghurst were from out of the County on coach
tours visiting other gardens and places of historical interest.
Please let me know if you can help at any such events in future
years – it is important that we have more volunteers so that the work
does not just fall on a few willing people.
Shiela and Chris Broomfield
KENT COUNTY SHOW & SISSINGHURST
CASTLE HERITAGE WEEKEND