KAS Newsletter, Issue 89, Summer 2011
Written By KAS
2-3 Making Waves i
4-5 Queensborough Castle
Remembering Lydd's Dead
6-7 What's On
8-9 You and Your Society:
Committee Round Up
10-11 Committee Round Up
Notes from the Archl
12-13 Kent Records & N
Newlands Chapel
14-15 Newlands Chap
Visit to Cheven
ISSUE NUMBER 89
SUMMER 2011
Fragment of 'retlcella' glass from the East Kent Access excavations
By Rail: High Speed 1
Perhaps the only project ro rival the
East Kent Access Road in either scale
or archaeological discoveries is High
Speed 1, the UK's only high speed
railway line. With other archaeological
practices, Wessex A r chaeology
undertook a significant part of the
excavation and post-excavation works.
The various publications are all nearing
completion.
Most recently, the popular
publication 'Tracks and Traces: the
archaeology of High Speed J' was
published, taking the reader along the
route from the magnificently restored
St Pancras International Station to the
Anglo-Saxon cemetery near Folkestone.
If you would like to buy a copy, please
contact High Speed 1 at info@
highspeed I .co. uk.
Focusing on Kent, the four volumes
about Springhead and Northfleet
are available for pre-order
from Oxbow B ooks and
will be delivered to the printers
in August. The post excavation
works have been a vast undertaking
by the joint venture of Oxford and
Wessex Archaeology. We hope you
enjoy reading about it all.
By River: Bishops Palace
From one of our largest excavations to
one of our smallest! At Halling, anyone
who walks their dog by the river will
have seen some big changes at the
Bishops Palace. Until recent years che
site was the location of a busy ferry
crossing across the River Medway. The
popular beaury spot is now being
landscaped by Valley of Visions
Landscape Partnership Scheme to create
a modern communiry space reflecting
rhe historic roots of Halling. We
recently undertook an evaluation on
rhe sire, monitored the construction of
a new path and hosted an open day
during the excavation for local residents.
The ruined walls and mysterious
mounds at the Bishops Palace are
By Road: East Kent
Access Update
The lase two issues of the
Newsletter have featured this
excavation, one of rhe largest
ever undertaken in the country.
The journey is now beginning
through post-excavation. The
assessment report has just been
completed, setting out the aims and
objective of analysis and the scope of
the dissemination.
Some beautiful objects have been
uncovered, including (above) this finely
decorated 'reticella' glass, which would
have come from a drinking vessel. It
tantalising clues to a
fascinating past stretching
back for at least 1,000 years.
The first mention of the name
'Halling' is in an 8th century
charter and the name is
thought to mean 'hall
dwellers.' The Bishops Palace
itself may have been built by
Gundulph in 1077, bur rhe
ruins visible today may be
slightly lacer, belonging to the
12th century. The site had
fallen into disrepair, although
some of the original hall
survives because it marks the
boundary of the churchyard.
The archaeologi cal
investigation found little evidence for
rhe medieval occupation of the site, as
it had been disturbed by the nearby
cement works in the 19th and 20th
century. An imposing tram
embankment was builr across the sire
at this rime, and this has been
is almost certainly an import and dares
from the mid to late Saxon period (c.
AD 650-1066). The decoration is
formed by applying rods of different
coloured glass to the surface of
che vessel.
Visigothic brooch, found in the High
Speed 1 excavations
incorporated into the new landscape
design with tunnelled footpaths and
walkways. The open day was a great
success, with over a hundred people
seeing archaeology in action, and
learning something new about a place
they had visited countless times before.
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk - Summer 2011 - KAS Newsletter I 3
D uring the fourteenth century,
the small fishing settlement
of Binney was chosen by
Edward III as the site of his new castle.
Alongside it was founded the planned
new town of Queenborough, named
after che king's wife, Queen Philippa
of Hainault. The cascle seems to have
been built as a refuge from che Black
Death for the ageing king, but its
technologically advanced concentric
circular design embodied the most upto-
date military chinking, responding
to the new threat from artillery. Its
complement of cannon suggests that
it also had a defensive role. There are
few other large round structures known
from the medieval period, though
Edward's own abandoned building of
1344 at Windsor to house his round
table, and the slightly earlier Majorcan
Castle Bellver in Spain, are both
interesting parallels.
The new town was granted the wool
staple for ten years to encourage its
growth bur soon declined once the right
to export wool reverted to Sandwich
in 1377. The medieval street and
tenement plot layout, focused on
Queenborough Creek and the Swale,
is still visible in the town today.
In the end, the castle only saw
military action during the Cade
rebellion, when the garrison repelled a
small attack, but it continued in use
until rhe seventeenth century. In 1650,
deemed to be no longer suited to the
warfare of the day, it was demolished
by Parliament. Affected in pares by the
neighbouring railway and
Queen borough's Vi ctorian
development, the cascle sire received
little archaeological attention until it
became the subject of an episode of
Time Team in 2005. Their geophysical
survey and trenching work identified
the castle layout and walls for the first
time and enabled an estimate of the
structure's size to be made. Time Team
also found masonry remains and a
Second World War air raid shelter
built to serve the nearby school.
Now a public open space, the cascle
mound is to be brought to life again
with new planting to mark the walls
and gates, alongside a programme of
fieldwork, research and education
involving the whole community.
4 I Summer 2011- KAS Newsletter- www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
There will be numerous opportunities
for everyone who wants to get involved.
We'll be digging deep in the archives
to uncover Queenborough's history on
a training day at the Centre for Kentish
Studies. Then, we'll be putting that
information to good use when we dig
for real at the site, excavating the sites
of the new tree pits and monitoring the
creation of new flower beds. The trees
are located over Time Team's locations
for the castle gates and our fieldwork
will help refine, or perhaps even
challenge, their conclusions.
Local people will also be researching,
designing and creating artwork for new
permanent information boards at the
site, telling the story of life in the castle.
Finally, there will be a guided walk
taking in all the sights of historic
Queenborough, looking to appreciate
the setting of the town and the cascle
as well as teasing out its medieval roots.
Queenborough Primary School will
also be involved in the project with
visits and activities from a community
archaeologist.
For more information and to
register your interest, you can visit
,.
. -
I
·..
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- , : ,,. ; ::,._ .a.! .. ----- ,. ..
- J ... · ---.,. - ;. .. :,r_
http:/ /www.kent.gov. uk/leisure_and_
cul cure/heri cage/ getting_involved/
queenborough_castle_project.aspx
or email queenboroughcastle@kent.
gov.uk
The project has received funding
from the Heritage Lottery Fund and
Kent County Council. The project
is a partnership between Swale
Borough Council and Kent County
Council Regeneration & Economy and
Heritage teams.
"° ,.,
..
Plan of Qucenborough Castle. (Clopham and Godfr,y/
Remembering Lydd's dead byTerreena Bellinger
Lydd church,
known as the
"cathedral of
the m arsh",
contains a
w i d e a n d
i m p r e s s i v e
r a n g e o f
m e m o r i a l s
chat date from
the medieval
period to the
present day. These commemorative and
dedicatory items, including tombs,
plaques and brasses, have been the
subject of a recently completed research
project funded by the Romney Marsh
Research Trust.
A new survey of the monuments
has updated and expanded the previous
records made by Leland L. Duncan,
Thomas Cobb and Bryan Faussett, and
includes full tr anscriptions,
photographs, and surname lists, as well
as monuments now probably lost. My
full report has been made available
online at www.rmrt.org.uk. One of
the Appendices (VI) lists 104
monuments of various kinds not
recorded by Duncan, Cobb and
Faussett. There is also a link to this
website from the KAS's own research
pages under Lydd Church Monumental
Inscriptions.
From the 13th century the Godfrey
family formed part of the social elite
in the towns of the Cinque Ports
confederation, their increased prosperity
and social standing manifest in the
memorials commissioned to praise their
dead and still-living family members
in Lydd church from c. 1430. Several
of their monuments have survived.
Along with testamentary and other
manuscript records these memorials
have formed the basis for a paper, coauthored
with Or Gill Draper, in which
the commemorative culture of the late
medieval and early modern period is
examined. The full article, "'My boddye
shall lye with my name Engraven on
it': remembering the Godfrey family
of Lydd'', can be found in Romney
Marsh: Persistence and Change in a
Coastal L owland (eds. M. Waller, E.
Edwards and L . Barber), Romney
Marsh Research Trust, 2010, 117-40.
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk - Summer 2011- KAS Newsletter I 5
WHAT'S ON
KAS EVENTS
KAS Aeldwork Committee
Two ONE DAYTRAINING COURSES on
PRACTICAL SITE SURVEYING
(Same course on both days)
Location: The Roman Buildings at Gallants
Business Park, Lower Road, East Farleigh,
Maidstone. TQ 72805345
Course 1-Wednesday 3 August
Course 2 - Saturday 6 August
From 10am - 4 pm each day (lunch 12.30 to
1pm - please bring a packed lunch). Cost £5
per person (pay on the day).
Subjects covered:
» Detail Surveying
» Base lines and offset methods of booking
detail
» Triangulation and Traverse Surveys
» Tape alone
» Triangulation using theodolite and tape
» Triangulation and traversing using electronic
distance measurement (EDM)
» Calculation of co-ordinates (please bring a
scientific calculator if you have one)
» Basic Site Levelling
» Plan Drawing
The course will be limited to two groups of three
on each day. Further courses will be run if there
is sufficient demand. To book contact Mr
AJ.Daniels, BSc. on 01622 757536 or email
a.daniels249@btintemet.com
KAS Historic Buildings Committee
ONE DAY WORKSHOP In conjunction with
the Wye Rural Museum Trust
Saturday 10 September
Held at the Agricultural Museum at Brook,
nearWye
This workshop will give practical experience in
building interpretation & recording. Three
workshops will cover the following topics:-
» Understanding timber framing and
construction - Jane Wade
» Reading and interpreting a building - Peter
Seary (Canterbury Archaeological Trust)
» Recording a building - George Denny RIBA
In addition, Shella Sweetinburgh will be
discussing, with examples, documentary
sources relating to Medieval Buildings.
The day will be run in two sessions, morning and
afternoon, and the workshops will be repeated
in each session. Participants will be asked to
choose two of the three sessions.
It will also be helpful if you could bring the
following items:-
» measuring tape
» clip board
» note book
» torch
The cost for the day is £12. You are advised to
bring a packed lunch. An application fonn is
available on the Society's web site or direct from
Mike Clinch on 01322 526425, or from 2
Parkhurst Rd, Bexley DAS 1AR or email
mike@mikeclinch.co.uk
KAS Churches Committee VISIT
St Peter and St Paul, Luddesdowne
& St Mary Magdalen, Cobham
Saturday 24 September
Please meet at 1.45 for 2pm start at
Luddesdowne, St Peter and St Paul (postcode
DA13 0XE; grid reference TQ 669 661 (fQ6666)
The church is off a country lane and is not visible
from the road, but there is a sign. There is a
church car park. We will then move on to
Cobham, St Mary Magdalen (postcode DA12
3DB; grid reference TQ669 683 (fQ6668)). The
church is highly visible in the village, opposite
the Leather Bottle Inn. Parking is at The Meadow
Room (the village hall) a couple of hundred
yards or so down the road. There are maps
linked from the churches' website:
http:/ /www.cobham-luddesdowne.org/
location.html
The cost of the visits is £5, to include tea and
biscuits at Cobham. Please register by emailing
or telephoning the Church Visits Secretary,
Jackie Davidson - jacalyn.davidson@btintemet.
corn or 01634 324004
Dates of all visits this year can be found in the
diary at www.kentarchaeology.org.uk.
KAS Historic Buildings Committee
HISTORIC BUILDINGS CONFERENCE
Accommodation in Medieval and
Early Modem Buildings
Saturday 15 October
Harrietsham Community Centre, 9.30am for
10am until 4pm.
Main talks:
» The House Divided - the use of internal space
of buildings as revealed through archaeology;
Andrew Linklater(Canterbury Archaeological
Trust)
» The Provision of Services in Medieval Rural
6 I Summer 2011 - KAS Newsletter - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
and Urban Kentish Houses; Sarah Pearson
(author of The Medieval Houses of Kent: an
Historical Analysis)
» Towards a Material History of Early Modem
Accommodation - houses, objects and daily
routine; Catherine Richardson (University of
Kent)
The day will also include short accounts of
research projects.
Admission - £10. Buffet selection lunch - £7
(vegetarian option included, but we are unable
to cater for other special diets). Tea and coffee
provided on arrival and at the end of the
Conference. Deadline for applications Monday 3
October. Further details will be included with
tickets.
The booking fonn is on the Society's website.
For those unable to access this, please send
your cheque, payable to 'Kent Archaeological
Society' to: Mr D Carder (KAS), 53 The Ridgeway,
Chatham, Kent ME4 6PB. Please ensure you
state your name, address, tel no, number of
tickets & number of lunches (including any
vegetarian options). Please enclose a SAE
for return of tickets or tell us you will collect
on the day.
KAS LECTURES IN THE LIBRARY
From Monday 19 September
Life In England 1901-1939
Mornings 10.15 - 12.15
A time of war, social conflict and depression, but
also rising living standards for many people.
Topics will include the beginnings of the Welfare
State under the Liberals, 1906-1914; the home
front in the First World War; unemployment and
the great depression; housing; education;
leisure.
The Making of Europe, 410-1453
Afternoons 2.00 - 4.00
In this period, foundations were laid which
continued to influence European affairs down to
the twentieth century. Topics will include the fall
of the Roman Empire in the West and the
'barbarian' migrations; the rise of Islam; the
Empire of Charlemagne; the Vikings, Nonnandy
and Sicily; the Medieval Papacy; the Crusades;
France; Gennany and eastern Europe; the
Renaissance; the Byzantine Empire.
Cost is £80 for 20 sessions. Please contact Joy
Sage at the museum or on 01622 762924.
One-Day Conference held jointly by KAS
and the Friends of the Centre for Medieval
and Early Modern Studies, University of
Kent
LATER MEDIEVAL KENT
Saturday 10 December
9.55am (register from 9.30) to 5pm
Grimond Lecture Theatre 1, University of Kent,
Canterbury campus
Programme (2 lectures per session):
» The Aristocracy: Dr David Grum mitt & Richard
Eales
» The Economy: Professor Mavis Mate & Dr
Gillian Draper
» The Church: Dr Elizabeth Edwards & Dr Robert
Lutton
» The Town: Sarah Pearson & Dr Sheila
Sweetin burgh
Tickets £12 (lunch NOT provided - see campus
outlets). Further details and to book (by 2
December): Claire Taylor, Centre for Medieval
and Early Modem Studies, Rutherford College,
University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NX;
c.l.taylor@kentac.uk or 01227 823140.
Cheques should be made payable to 'UNIKENT'.
EVENTS AROUND KENT
FESTIVAL OF BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGY
16 - 31 July
Festival events in Kent are being held at
Folkestone, Shome, Dartford, Tunbridge Wells,
Birchington, Rochester, East Far1eigh, Dover,
Orpington, lower Higham and Bexley. Go to
www.archaeologyfestival.org.uk to find out
more. Details of 3 events appear below.
EAST FARLEIGH ROMAN VILLA
OPEN DAY Sunday 31 July
11.30am - 3.00 pm.
Site tours, displays of finds, poster displays and
geophysics demonstrations. Tours throughout
the day - tum up at any time.
Access is through Lower Gallants Business Park
(ME15 OJS), on Lower Road (B2010), Just west
of its junction with Gallants Lane, through a big
green gate. Drive down the track for c150
yards, through a green metal gate, tum left
through outbuildings onto open field to park
within a few yards of the excavation.
SHORNE WOODS ARCHAEOLOGY PROJECT
EXCAVATION, TOURS & FINDS DISPLAYS
From the 9 - 31 July, we will be investigating the
remains of Randall Manor, In this, our sixth
season.
Run as a community archaeology dig, local
schools will be Joining volunteers to excavate
the remains of the main building of the Manor,
once owned by the de Cobhams of Randall.
Visitors are very welcome and Guided Tours will
run dally, with displays of Finds on site at the
weekends. We look forward to welcoming many
members of the Society on Tours of the dig this
summerl Please note - Tours will not run on
Monday 18th or 25th.
If you would like to find out more about the
Project and the Dig, please contact Andrew
Mayfield at andrew.mayfield@kent.gov.uk or
07920 548906.
See www.kent.gov.uk/randallmanor and www.
facebook.com/ archaeologyinkent where
Andrew will be posting daily updates from the
Dig.
CROFTON ROMAN VILLA, Orpington
Life In the Roman Villa
Wednesdays 20 & 27 July
Fridays 22 & 29 July
Visit the Villa and discover what life was like
there 1,800 years ago. Claim your FREE book on
'Excavations in West Kent', covering 30 local
sites with drawings and photographs. Normal
opening times and charges.
CRAYFORD MANOR HOUSE HISTORICAL
& ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Saturday 8 October - Meals and Manners in
Shakespeare's Time by Shirley Newton
Saturday 12 November - Pepys Hereabouts
by John Swindell and Lesley Veach
Saturday 10 December - An Audience with
Queen Victoria by Anne Carter
Saturday 14 January 2012 - Migration Triangle;
Calico Printing on the Cray, the Lea and the
Wandle by David Cufley
Saturday 11 February 2012 - The Suburban
Home Front in the Second World War by Mike
Brown
Saturday 10 March 2012 - Traditional Kentish
Building Materials by Richard Filmer
All meetings are held at The BakerTrust Hall,
Maxim Road, Crayford at 7pm for 7.30pm.
Non-members welcome to attend - £3.00 per
lecture (except December when there will be an
additional charge). Enquiries to Mrs. J.
Heam-Gillham - 01322 551279 or email
janet.hearn-gillham@ntlworld.com
LOOSE AREA HISTORY SOCIETY
Monday 10 October - Hazards of the Journey
Pilgrimage and Travel by lmogen Corrigan.
Monday 14 November - Despatches from the
Home Front by Chris Mccooey.
Monday 12 December - A Shopping trip in
Downe In a bygone era by Barbara Stevens.
Unless otherwise Indicated all meetings are held
WHAT'S ON
at Loose Infant School Hall, Loose Road, Loose,
Maidstone, Kent, starting at 7.30pm.
Non-members welcome. Admission £2.50.
Pay at the door. Free parking In school grounds.
Enquiries 01622 741198 or
www.looseareahlstorysoclety.webeden.co.uk
CROFTON ROMAN VILLA
Ancient Heroes & Legends -
every Wednesday In August
3 August - Romulus, Remus and the Wolf
10 August• King Midas and his Ass's Ears
17 August - Phaeton and the Sun-Horses
24 August• Pegasus, the Prince and
the Monster
31 August• Hercules Holds up the Sky
Sessions at 10.30am and 2.30pm. For 5 -11
year olds. No booking required. Children to be
accompanied. Entry £4.00 per child,
accompanying adult free.
Fun with Pots - every Friday In August
Find out about Roman pots and have some real
fun making your own 'Roman' mini clay pot to
take home! Sessions at 10.30am and 2.30pm.
For 5 -11 year olds. No booking required.
Children to be accompanied. Entry £4.00 per
child, accompanying adult free.
Open City 2011 - Sunday 18 SEPTEMBER
10.00am - 4.30pm. FREE ENTRY with guided
tours at 11.00am, 2.30pm and 3.30pm
St MARGARET'S HISTORY SOCIETY
Tuesday 20 September, 7.30pm - Life in the
Victorian Workhouse; Peter Ewart
Tuesday 18 October, 7.30pm - Ramsgate in
World War II - 1938 up to and including Dunkirk
Tuesday 15 November, 7.00pm (AGM) • A Little
Bit of Chanting - the story of educating the
masses; Denise Baldwin & Katherine Harding
All talks held In St Margaret's Main Hall, Reach
Road. Visitors welcome, entry £3.00.
CBA SE CONFERENCE
'Policing the Past'
Saturday 12 November
University of Sussex
Focussing on recent work to tackle heritagerelated
crime, the keynote speaker will be Chief
Inspector Mark Harrison of Kent Police. See CBA
SE website for more details & tickets.
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk - Summer 2011 - KAS Newsletter I 7
YOU & YOUR SOCIETY
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
A plea for help! I have spent some time
recently cleaning up the membership
database and would like to know if any of you
know the whereabouts of the following:
life Members
A Cronk, 0X7 6DG
P H Kinslow, TN21 9JU
E P Mount, PE26 1NE
Major S EL Phillips, CT15 68B
J W Walker, ME9 88B
Ordinary Members
D Crowther, CT15 5JX
P M De Paris, DT10 2LX
SA Marsh, BT19 HU (Northern Ireland)
R Sherratt, TN15 6TB
Their Newsletters and Archaeologia Cantiana
have been returned to me marked 'gone
away' or 'not known at this address'. If you
can give me any clues please do so soon.
An Extra Task for the
Membership SecretarySupervising
Ballots!
by Shiela Broomfield
I must admit chat this was one pare
of che duties of che Membership
Secretary chat I did not relish, bur
in the event it proved not co be as
onerous as I had first feared. As you
know, we had an election this May for
the important post of President of KAS.
Once I knew this was going to happen,
I warned my team of eight scrutineers
( elected at the 2010 AG M) chat their
skills would be needed. Because rwo of
the elected scrutineers had asked co
stand down, rwo more were elected by
the KAS Council so chat the required
number of at least four were available.
To save a considerable amount of
coses the ballot papers and return
envelopes were printed in my house - all
in accordance with the rules laid down
in the Constitution. We then met in
the KAS library to pack these with the
Spring Newsletter in plenty of time.
I am very pleased to welcome the following
new members:
Joint Members
Mr and Mrs R Coleman, Sutton Valence
Mr & MrsJ Howe, Eastry
Ordinary Members
Mrs D Dann, Chatham
Miss C E Hawes, Canterbury
Mr G Hutchinson, Dover
Mr J Jennings, Reigate, Surrey
Dr Labon, Canterbury
Mr SW Lawley, Northenden, Manchester
Mr M Newton, Strood
Mrs S White, Sevenoaks
Mr BJ Wright, Cliffe, Rochester
This list is somewhat shorter than usual, so
please spread the word about KAS and
distribute application forms when you visit
museums or attend conferences and other
meetings. There should be some in the KAS
library, or ask me for some.
Shiela Broomfield, 8 Woodview Crescent,
Hildenborough, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 9HD
telephone: 01732 838698 email
s.broomfield@clementi.demon.co.uk
Over the next few weeks my kind
postman staggered to my front door
with bundles of ballot envelopes. These
I kept unopened ready for the team co
re-assemble, co open and then count
the ballot papers on the Friday before
the AGM. We again assembled on the
following morning to count any ballot
papers that were handed in before the
AGM. The final vote was Ian Coulson
- 231, Frank Panton 107, with only 3
spoilt papers. It was good to see chat
both candidates had good backing. I
am so very grateful for the support and
hard work given by the stalwart band
of scrutineers, making the task an
enjoyable event.
AGM 2011
The splendour of the Guildhall
Museum in Rochester High
Street set the scene for the
Society's AGM in May 2011. The fifty
five members that attended were
welcomed by the President, Chris Pout,
who then presided over business items
relating to 2010. Following a derailed
8 I Summer 2011- KAS Newsletter - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
report on Finance, he announced the
result of the election for the new
President: Ian Coulson had been
elected as President. Retiring after six
years in office, Chris Pout handed the
meeting over to the new President, and
immediately stepped down.
Six officers were declared elected -
the office of Hon Excursions Secretary
was, however, left unfilled after the
retirement of Mrs Joy Saynor who had
held this post for many years. President
Ian Coulson welcomed six members
co the Council, four who had been
re-elected and rwo new ones. After the
conclusion of formal business the
audience were entertained, informed
and amused by three presentations: Dr
Andrew Richardson gave an overview
of the Town-Unearthed project of
Folkescone, Professor David Killingray
elucidated the subject of Publishing
Kent's Past and Rod LeGear completed
the session with a lively and fascinating
report about Chislehurst Caves.
The most likely location for the AGM in
2012 will be Canterbury and nominations
for members to the Council must be sent to
the Hon. General Secretary (email:
secretary@kentarchaeology.org.uk) by the
first day of March 2012.
Living through the
Reformation at St.
Dunstan's, Canterbury
by Jose Gibbs
Once again the KAS Churches
Committee managed co combine
beautiful weather with a well-organised
event to produce an interesting and
stjmulating day. 94 people made the
journey to St. Dunstan's church.
Committee chairman, Mary Berg,
opened the day by welcoming everyone,
especially the many who were not KAS
members, and thanking the team from
St. Dunstan's who were co provide
refreshments. She gave especial thanks
CHURCHES COMMITTEE
Visits to Lullingstone
& Eynsford
by Toby Huitson
On a glorious afternoon on the lase day
of April, some 30 people congregated
in north-west Kent for two visits. The
first was to Sc Botolph, Lullingstone,
witin the castle boundary. Its interior
is a fusion of the Gochie and Classical
styles. A striking feature is the unusual
rood screen
w i t h i t s
carvings of
pomegranates
and the Pechey
rebus. For
these reasons it
is usually dated
co between
1 502 a n d
152 2, although it sparked interested
discussion as co which parts might be
original.
Philip Lawrence shared his expertise
about the impressive chancel brass inlay
commemorating Sir William Peche
(1487). There is also sixteenth-century
glass in the nave and chapel, both
figurative and armorial. The north
to Sheila Sweetinburgh and Jacqui
Davidson for all their work in preparing
for the day.
A l a s d a i r
H o g a r t h ,
Chairman of the
'Friends of Sc.
Dunstan's',
spoke on the
history of the
church prior to
the reformation,
showing how it responded to political
and architectural changes. First
recorded in 1030, it may be the earliest
church to have this dedication and was
perhaps preceded by a preaching cross
COMMITTEE ROUND UP
chapel contains a fine Tudor monument
to Sir John Peche with an effigy and
finely-carved canopy. The church owes
much to the Queen Anne period,
including its porch, bell turret,
miniature font, raised roof and plaster
ceiling, and even the chancel arch.
Like Lullingstone, Eynsford once
had two churches, the other long since
lost. Eynsford represents picturesque
Kent at its best, with the river Darent
and castle ruins nearby. Sc Martin's is
a fascinating building
on an unusual uphill
sloping site. It has a
fifteenth-century font
and a spacious
chirteench-cen tury
south transept. On the
north side there is a
Tudor chapel to St
Katherine with a 'green
man' corbel and evidence for a lost
chapel. The most surprising feature of
the church is its large chancel with its
apse. From the outside this appears to
be pure Victoriana, but it is original,
if heavily re-fenestraced. The Norman
origins of the building are clear in the
west door with its spiral and zig-zag
columns and chip-carved tympanum
at the key position just outside the city
walls on the roads to London and
W h i t s t a b l e .
Following the
m u r d e r o f
Thomas Becket
in 1170, it was
ideally sited to
profit from the
thousands o f
p i l g r i m s ,
including Henry
II, who flocked to Canterbury. In1 525
William Roper, son-in-law to Sir
T homas More, added the Roper
chancel. By 1535 (just before the onset
of reform) the church looked externally
above. All in all, these two buildings
are well worth visiting.
Special thanks are expressed ro Joy
Saynor for her enthusiastic and
knowledgeable inuoductions to both
churches, to those who made the
delicious tea at Eynsford and homemade
shortbread, and to exchurchwarden
Frank Rogers for
opening Eynsford church for us.
The next Churches Committee visits take
place on Saturday 24 September - details
are on the 'What's On' pages.
much as it does today, but internally
very different, with gilded statues, four
altars with expensive frontals, relics of
saints and illuminated books.
Professor Ken Fincham of the
University of Kent then outlined the
religious changes of the 16th century
that were to bring about upheaval of
all kinds, the consequences of which
are still with us, for example, abbey
ruins, Tyndale's Bible and the Book of
Common Prayer.
Following lunch, four workshops
gave the opportunity co look at the
church building and 16th century
documentation relating to Sc.
Dunstan's, such as the Churchwardens
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk - Summer 2011 - KAS Newsletter I 9
COMMITTEE ROUND UP continued
Accounts. Using copies of these, we
looked for evidence of the changes
outlined in the morning. We also had
the chance to see (but not handle) some
of the original books brought by Jacqui
Davidson from the Cathedral Archives.
Over in the church Ken Fincham and
Imogen Corrigan talked us through
the various changes by pointing out
how the liturgy influenced the layout
of the church.
Thank you to Mary Berg and her
committee fo r organising a day that
brought to life the many upheavals and
changes that the ordinary person in the
street experienced in the space of 40
or so years.
HISTORIC BUILDINGS COMMITTEE
by Angela Davies
Over the last few months Committee members have been finalising the
arrangements for two events:
» The Workshop on Building Interpretation and Recording to be held in conjunction with
the Wye Rural Museum Trust at the Agricultural Museum in Brook on Saturday, 10
September 2011.
» The Autumn Historic Buildings Conference to be held in Harrietsham Village Hall
on Saturday, 15 October 2011.
More details of both events can be found in the What's On section of this Newsletter
Looking further into the future, following in Joy Saynor's footsteps, the
Committee is planning several visits in 2012, the first of which will take place
sometime in the spring. More information will be given in the next Newsletter.
Also, preliminary discussions have taken place on the feasibility of a project
studying a group of buildings in one area. The aim of the project would be to tie
in the buildings with any documentar y evidence that can be found relating to
their construction, owners or tenants.
Repairing 'The Comarques', High Street, Deal
by Pernille Richards
In the afternoon of Sunday 4
December 1943, the Germans
shelled Deal. Among the properties
damaged was 'The Comarques' in the
High Street. W.P.D. Scebbing had
noted this house as a good example of
architecture from the first half of the
18th century back in 1937. An
architect by training, Scebbing took a
keen interest in the old buildings of
Deal and one box in the KAS collection
contains papers relating to this. In
some cases he is merely documenting
architectural derails, but in other cases
the papers reflect Scebbing's active
involvement in local matters relating
to historic properties. In 1943
Scebbing became involved in the
process of repairing The Comarques
as he considered it of architectural
merit. Box 14 contains correspondence
between Scebbing and the owner, Mrs
Gladys Hulke, who was residing in
Surrey at the time, as well as other
parties involved in the process.
The road to repair was to prove a
long one. Initially the house was made
secure and some debris was removed
under the direction of the Borough
Surveyor. In February 1944 Scebbing
organized a visit to the building by
people from the Minis cry of Works in
order to obtain their support for the
preservation of the house. Once the
agreement to save the house had been
secured the process of applying for a
licence for the repair works from the
War Damage Commission began. This
required the employment of the
architect Fawcett Martindale, further
surveys and paperwork. It had all the
complications of any large insurance
10 I Summer 2011 - KAS Newsletter - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
claim and wartime conditions did not
aid matters. Progress was slow; it was
lace April 1944 before the builders
Denne & Son commenced clearing
more debris.
The repair work was co be limited
to the essentials to prevent further
deterioration of the building. This
proved to be a sticking point, as the
owner's view of what constituted
essential repairs differed from the view
of the Ministry of Works. Stebbing
also championed the view that the
repairs should be made in brick, which
although initially more expensive than
wood, would prove more durable.
Protracted negotiations rook place to
sort out the derails. The combination
of bureaucracy and wartime conditions
makes for some surreal paperwork. In
May 1944 Stebbing informed Mrs
Hu.Ike that she would have to carry
some expenses for the survey of the
building and for worm-damaged
timbers exposed by the shell as: "The
War Damage Commission in such cases
say the decay was not caused by the
enemy and so expect the owner to bear
that pre-war trouble." Mrs Hulke was
initially aghast: "It is incredible to me
that the War Damage Commission
disclaim their responsibility for wormeaten
timbers, after all it is due to war
damage they have been exposed, and
their replacement made necessary. .. "
However, she did accept responsibility
for the timbers. Mrs Hulke's letters
provide interesting information on how
the house was arranged and past
alterations made to it. Mr and Mrs
Hulke had central heating installed in
1926 and later Mrs Hulke split the
Fig 1. The Comarques - 1943
Fig 2. The Comarques - present Day
house into three flats. Many
details are given as to the location
of kitchenettes, bathroom
facilities etc. The seven pages of
repair specifications and plan
made by Fawcett Martindale in
June 1944 are also of interest,
showing what was damaged in
each area.
Finally, in July 1944, things were
ready for Denne & Son to price the
job. The cost proved too high for the
Ministry of Works to accept and a new
phase of negotiations started. In
December 1944 it briefly looked as if
the house might be classed as too
damaged to rebuild. Once agreement
had been reached the labour shorrage
caused delay. The years 194 5 and 1946
passed without repairs. Mrs Hu.Ike was
seriously concerned about the property
-_.:'°'
. -"
,...._
. -
by this stage. Finally, in July and August
1947, reconstruction was underway
and Mrs Hulke was reassured that the
new bricks would mellow in time and
fit in with the old ones. There are no
more letters after this point, but the
serene facade of The Comarques was
eventually restored and the house is
today a visual asset of Deal's
Conservation Area. It has just been on
the market after being in the same
family, descendants of Mrs Hulke , for
over 250 years.
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk- Summer 2011- KAS Newsletter I 11
Kent Archaeological Society
Kent Records (New Series)
Volume 5. ISBN 978-0-906746-75-2
SUBSCRIPTION VOLUME 5, parts 5 & 6
Members and non-members of the Society are invited to subscribe to the forthcoming parts of the Kent Records (New Series).
Please send a cheque/money order in serling_ for £11.00, made payable to Kent Archaeological Society for your subscription to
yolume_ 5, parts 5 &_6. Because of_the d1fflcult1es and fluctuations of exchanging currencies, all remittances MUST BE made only
in sterling. Please include your title, name and address. This should be sent to Kent Archaeological Society Ashton Lodge
Church Road, Lyminge, Folkestone CT18 8JA
' '
incere apologies for the delay in producig yolume 4, part 10. I am currently working on part 10 which is the name and place
index to the whole vlme, together with a limited subjec! index conjointly with title pages and contents listing for binding. Future
parts of Volume 5 will include further early Kent Feet of Fines and more lost Sandwich Muster records.
Duncan Harrington
SALE ITEMS
Volume 1 (10 parts, 448 pp., 1990-95). Due to poor storage whilst held by another company, the staples have rusted; these are
offered to subscribers free, paying only £3.50 for postage and packing.
Volume 3 ISBN 0-906746-50-7 (1999-2007). Parts 1-11; £27.50 (includes p&p), normally £55. Tenterden Tailor's Accounts,
Shipboume T itle Deeds, Hearth Tax Constables' returns, A Seventeenth-Century inventory for Westenhanger Castle and Sturry
Court with a 1559 survey of the manor, Faversham's Assessment for a ship for the Counter Armada of 1596 and piracy document,
Inhabitants of West Kent 1487, Faversham Fines 1295-1610 & an appendix of fines taken from some Borough accounts, material
from the Public Record Office Feet of Fines and comment on Concords of Fines. There is an introduction to the Early Kent Muster
Rolls and a transcript of the 1545 listing E101/61/ 40 & ElOl/65/27 from the NA (PRO). There are introductory sheets for the
volume, contents for Volume 3, and a name and place index to Volume 3, parts 3-10 (the Tenderden Tailor's accounts parts 1-3
were indexed in Vol. 3/3).
Volume 4 Parts 1-9 (2004-2010). £22.50, normally £46.50. A calendar of the Kent Feet of Fines for Edward VI, Mary and Philip
and Mary; Eastry 1801 census; Feet of Fines Richard II, some now lost Elizabethan Musters for the Town of Sandwich.
Volume 5 Parts 1-4 (2010-11). £22.00. 'Some Title Deeds relating to Tonbridge Town and parish 1476-1869' and Feet of Fines
for Henry IV and Henry V. Copies available at £5.50 each.
Email queries to: booksales@kentarchaeology.org.uk.
NEW BOOKS
New from the Kent
Archaeological Rescue Unit
lhe Norman Fortified Manorhouse
at Walmer
12 pages+ plans, sections, pottery
drawings & colour plates. Kent Minor Sites
Series No 21. £5.00 + £1 p&p
Describing work on this scheduled
monument, a substantial flint-built
fortified structure, surviving in pares
co a height of 7m and dating from
about AD 1120. It consisted of a
lower cetlar with adjacent storage
rooms, an upper Great Hall with
solar rooms, the latter being
approached by a stair in a substantial
forebuilding. It was originally
enclosed by a dry ditch, which also
enclosed the present church as part
of che manorial complex. The manor
house is in private hands.
The Iron Age Farmstead
at Snodland
16 pages + plans, sections & pottery
drawings. Kent Minor Sites Series No 22.
£5 +£1 p&p
Excavated just ahead of sand
quarrying and destruction, this site
consisted of a sub-rectangular
ditched enclosure with at lease two
entrances. Boch within and
externally were 12 pies, mostly for
storage. Outside was the outline of a
round house. The pottery dace-range
12 I Summer 2011 - KAS Newsletter- www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
suggests about 120BC to AD50. A
small amount of Roman pottery was
also recovered from a nearby feature.
The Major Iron Age Riverside
Fort at Woolwich
48 pages + plans, sections, finds
drawings & colour plates. Kent Special
Subject Series No 19.
£6+ £1 p&p
Dealing with the discovery and
partial excavation of a major Iron
Age defensive site on the south bank
of the Thames. Two large defensive
ditches, marching chose of some
hillforts at over 35 feet wide, were
found; also two round-houses, pits
and pottery. The site dates back to at
lease 250BC, when ir muse have
controlled access to the London
Basin and is estimated to have
covered 15-17 acres. It was
reoccupied in the fourth century, as
substantial deposits of pottery and
coins have been found in the upper
fill of the Iron Age ditches. This
phase may have related to laceRoman
defensive measures
protecting Londinium.
All the above are available from KARU,
Roman Painted House, New St, Dover en 7
9AJ. Cheques payable to KARU.
Victorian Herne Bay
an illustrated history -
Mike Bundock
ISBN 978-1-9046 61-15-3
48 pages, art paper, 120 greyscale
images. £7.50, post free.
The book uses a collection of images
from the collection of the Herne
Records Society, all predating 1901,
to show the rich and varied history
NEW BOOKS
of the area. Many have not previously
been published. The book commences
with an introductory history and
follows with three sections of
individually captioned images covering
the seafront, the pier and the town.
Available from Pierhead Publications,
PO Box 145, heme Bay CT6 8GY, email
sales@pierheadpublications.co.uk,
tel 01227 370971.
Newlands Chapel, Charing
by David Carder
In 1911 H. Bensred of Bearsred
wrote a shore account of Newlands
Chapel near Charing (Arch. Cant.
29, pp. 85-6), with plan and drawings
of internal elevations. 100 years later
the author and Roger Cockett visited
the chapel to review Bensred's account
and to record changes made since his
time.
This was presumably the manorial
chapel of an adjacent manor house, but
is now in secular use and ownership,
and has probably been so for centuries.
It comprises nave and chancel with a
blocked two-bay arcade, presumably
opening originally into a lost south
aisle. The fabric has been much altered
and rebuilt, the last major restoration
apparently being in 1967 /8,
but sufficient detail survives for
the building to be dated with
reasonable confidence.
Although the walls have
been shortened, destroying the
window-heads, the springing
points of the arcade arches
remain, apparently in situ,
allowing the original wall
heights to be estimated at about 5.3
metres, 1.3 metres higher than at
present.
Bensted's plan and drawings are
reasonably accurate, but his description
and analysis must be challenged,
although some details now visible may
then have been covered. He tries to
attribute an early 13th century date to
the building, but this cannot be
justified.
The building materials are accurately
described, except that some of the
internal jambs of the east windows are
apparently of Caen stone rather than
www.kentarchaeotogy.org.uk - Summer 2011- KAS Newsletter I 13
Newlands Chapel, Charing continued
chalk. Caen srone quoins survive in rhe
north-west and north-east corners, bur
much of the fabric is now brick.
The chancel contains a piscina with
a very slightly pointed head, probably
13th century and almost certainly nor
an original feature. There is a later
aumbry on the north side.
There is no clear evidence for a
chancel arch - the "destroyed arch"
shown on Bensted's plan does not seem
to correspond to any extant feature.
The inside and outside wall surfaces
contain much graffiti, including
pilgrim's crosses, one or rwo red wall
paintings, and possibly some apotropaic
symbols (to ward off evil spirits).
Various items of carved stonework
are not mentioned by Bensted, so were
probably added after his time. These
include a Caen-srone shaft and capital,
in the north-east corner of the nave,
and a re-set capital with leaf decoration
in the nave north wall. Their detail does
not match anything else 111
the building, so they may have come
from elsewhere.
Some of the window jambs shown
on Bensted's plan no longer exist, and
it is not clear that Bensted actually saw
the south chancel window (dotted on
his plan) - he may simply have assumed
there was one opposite that in the
north wall.
The most notable features, which
provide good dating evidence, are the
pillars and responds of the arcade and
the north doorway. Rather elaborate
for a small, remote manorial chapel,
they perhaps were re-used from
another site.
The arcade east-west responds have
keel mouldings, not the round
mouldings shown on Bensted 's plan.
Keel mouldings appear after about
1150. The capitals appear ro have been
re-cut and/or added in modern rimes.
The north doorway is clearly
Norman, the semi-circular head having
a roll moulding with bobbin
ornamentation. In Bensted's account
and in the I 952 listing description it
was blocked, but is now open. It is
remarkably unweathered, so its
authenticity is in doubt, but perhaps
it was in store for a long period before
re-assembly in its present location.
Bobbin ornamentation is rare - the
author does not know of any in Kent
- but St Albans Cathedral has a similar
example. Originally in the monastic
slype, it is now in rhe south transept
and has been dared c. 1155-60. I
understand that it also appears in the
west facade of Ely Cathedral, and in
the parish churches at Hellingly
(Sussex) and Kirton-in-Holland
(Lincolnshire).
Overall, a dare of c.1180 for
Newlands Chapel would fit the
evidence of the arcade and north
doorway, bur it could be later if these
were re-used.
My thanks to the owner, for
providing access; to Mary Berg, for
helpful suggestions; and to Ron Baxter
of the CRSBI (Corpus of Romanesque
Sculpture in Britain and Ireland) and
Sarah Pearson, for the locations of
bobbin ornament.
14 I Summer 2011 - KAS Newsletter - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
HAVE YOU JUST
JOINED THE SOCIETY?
Do you wish you could
collect all the back issues
of Archaeologia Cantiana?
Now you can have 125 volumes
of Archaeologia Cantiana at the
amazingly low cost of £31 for
individual members and £76 for
institutional members on the KAS
Sesquicentennial DVD.
To order your copy, send a cheque
payable to Kent Archaeological
Society to Peter Tann, 42 Archery
Square, Walmer, Deal CT14 7HP.
T he visit to Chevening in April
was a great success. We were
welcomed by Colonel Richard
Brook, Administrator at the house for
twelve years. He ushered us into the
gracious space of the sitting room, we
were served delicious coffee and cakes
and given a fascinating introductory
talk on the house and regaled with
amusing stories. We learnt that we were
privileged to be among only three or
four groups of visitors allowed access
each year, as the house is well used by
the Foreign Secretary, William Hague,
and the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick
Clegg, who share the use of the house
- together with official guests who are,
from time to time, entertained there.
The Colonel was cheerfully assisted by
Wayne Parsonage who, with his wife,
is in charge of the care of the house
and extremely knowledgeable in his
own right.
The estate was originally the family
seat of the earls of Stanhope, bequeathed
to the Nation, together with an
endowment, by the 7th and lase Earl
Stanhope. Entitlement to use of the
house is governed by the Chevening
Estate Act which determines who may
live there and how it is to be
administered. The estate is run by a
Board of Trustees under the direction
of the Lord Pri vy Seal, who is the
principal trustee and chair ex officio.
He is assisted by members appointed
by the government together with locally
co-opted trustees - noted for their
expertise in land-management, farming,
forestry etc. Colonel Brook talked
about the history and architecture of
the house (built in c.1620 on the site
of an Elizabethan man or), the
management of the estate and the part
played by its three farms.
We learnt about the restoration of
the house. One odd feature of the work
was the removal of the mathematical
tiles which had been affixed to the
bricks on the front of the building. The
iron pins holding the tiles had rusted
with dire consequence for the bricks
underneath, necessitating the
reconstruction of the brick wall! The
decoration and
paintings in the
house were of a
high standard
the portraits
mostly having
connections with
the Stanhopes and
Pitts. One of the
most impressive
features of the
house was the
magnificent
cantilevered
staircase built of
Spanish oak and deal, and the views
from the windows were magnificent.
The Victorian basement was of great
interest: the laund ry with its lead pipes
and wooden sinks; the drying room
with its huge airers suspended from
the ceiling; the antique drying racks in
a heated wooden cupboard; and even
a bomb that fell through the roof and
failed co explode in the cellar - thus
saving the house! Indeed the basement
echoed with the ghosts of the past.
This visit co Chevening was truly
memorable. Arranged by Joy Saynor
on behalf of KAS, it was her last in her
role as Excursions Organizer. We thank
Joy for arranging this visit, and for the
many others organized by her over the
years.
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk - Summer 2011- KAS Newsletter I 15
Searching for the
administrative origins
of early medieval Kent
b
I n Kent, as elsewhere in England,
w e face the most elementary
questions in understanding the
territorial and adm iniscracive
organization of the county. How old
are the systems of local government:
the shires, lathes, liberties, and
hundreds? Where do they come from?
How did the courts of these territories
work? 'Landscapes of Governance:
assembly places in England AD 400-
1066' is a three-year project supported
by the Leverhulme Trust, which aims
co address these questions by bringing
archaeology, place-names and written
sources together for the first time in a
comprehensive national research
project. W hat is more, the project is
actively seeking co involve local groups
in identifying possible sites and
submiccing chem for inclusion in an
on-line database.
The project will determine the
broader issue of the constitution and
structure of early medieval governance
in the English landscape through a
study of the spacial character and
If undelivered, please return to
S. Broomfield, 8 Woodview Crescent,
Hildenborough, Tonbridge, KentTN119HD
Copy deadline for the next Issue is 1st Sept 2011
nomenclature of a fundamental, yet
neglected, aspect of governance and
civil society; places of political, social
and judicial assembly and their
associated districts. Assembly sites were
important at many levels of early
medieval society- royal, regional, local
and urban - and they provided a means
whereby royal and official prerogative
met with local concerns. Place-names
of assembly sites and their associated
districts indicate varying origins, in
some cases referring to pre-Christian
gods, including Woden and Thor, while
other terms relate co monuments of
earlier ages, such as burial mounds and
standing scones. Other meeting-places
are named after seemingly mundane
features such as crossroads, bridges and
settlements.
Only a dozen or so English assembly
sites have been investigated through
detailed archaeological survey and
excavation. One of the best examples
is the site of the early Anglo-Saxon
cemetery of Salcwood, near Folkescone.
Burial at the site continued from che
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.
16 Summer 2011 - KAS Newsletter- www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
fifth into the eighth century, after which
the same location became the meetingplace
of the hundred of Heane,
continuing in this use until at least
1279.
Studying meeting-places and their
surroundings can reveal much about
their relationship to other social
functions and places. Form, layout,
accessibility and view-shed are among
the attributes to be examined by the
project.
The research will generate a range
of publications and a comprehensive
web-based resource (the 'Online
Anderson') listing all of the meetingplaces
of Anglo-Saxon England.
Resources designed co enable local
groups to become involved by recording
assembly places are available on the
project website (hccp:/ /www.ucl.ac.uk/
archaeology/ project/ assembly/). If you
would like co become involved, or
would like more information on the
project, contact Dr Stuart Brookes at
s.brookes@ucl.ac.uk
EDITOR: LYN PALMER
55 Stone Street, Tunbridge Wells, KentTN12QU
Telephone: 01892 533661 Email: eveiyn.palmer@
virgin.net or newsletter@kentarchaeology.org.uk
Published by the Kent Archaeological Society, Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Gallery, St Faith's Street, Maidstone, Kent ME14 lLH.