KAS Newsletter, Issue 90, Autumn 2011
Written By KAS
Your Quarterly Newsletter
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
THE MEDWAY GAP
as never seen before
AUTUMN 2011
Image Copyright Forest Research based on Cambridge University Technical Services and Valley of Visions survey data
KENT
ARCHAEOLOGICAL
SOCIETY
ISSUE NUMBER 90
4-5 Boxley Warren + MAAG open day 6 What’s On
7 Kent History & Library centre 8-9 You & Your Society + Committee Round Up
11 New Books
2-3 Medway LiDAR + Roman Thanet Revealed
10 Discovering Cliffe’s Defences
12-13 Notes from the Archive 14-15 Wolverton display 16 Mystery photo
Page 2-3
2 Autumn 2011 - KAS Newsletter - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
LiDAR Mapping the Medway Gap
Early in April this year the sky
above the Medway gap saw a
helicopter weaving its way to
and fro, scanning the land below
with a laser beam. This was not for
some top secret military purpose,
but for an archaeological survey.
This exciting new technique, now
available to archaeologists, is known
as LiDAR.
The lasers reflect back from the
ground surface below and by using
extremely accurate GPS and
measuring equipment the distance
is measured. Millions of laser beams
are projected and read giving a
highly detailed map of the ground
topography. LiDAR can even map
the ground in woodland, stripping
back the vegetation to reveal hidden
earthworks that would just not be
appreciated from the ground. A
more detailed explanation of the
technology and its applications can
be found at http://www.englishheritage.
org.uk/publications/lightfantastic/
light-fantastic.pdf.
The Medway survey was
commissioned and funded mainly
by the Heritage Lottery Fund
through the Valley of Visions
Landscape Partnership Scheme and
the Shorne Woods Heritage Project.
Additional funds were also provided
by Kent County Council and the
Forestry Commission. The area
surveyed extended from Shorne
Woods in the north to the M20 in
the south and from Meopham in
the west to Bluebell Hill in the east.
That adds up to over 100 square
kilometres, which was surveyed in
a couple of days!
The results have now come in
and they are as exciting as we had
hoped. LiDAR data comes back in
several forms. A ‘surface model’
shows the surface as it would on an
aerial photograph, with trees still
visible. A ‘terrain model’ strips away
the vegetation and shows the ground
surface with earthworks, trackways,
and in the case of Shorne Woods,
the outline of the former quarry and
the working strips within it, the
former route of Watling Street and
the traces of medieval fields and
enclosures around Randall Manor.
Overall the LiDAR has provided
a stunning new tool to help us to
investigate the historic landscape of
this archaeologically rich area. Over
the coming winter Valley of Visions
volunteers and the Shorne Woods
Archaeology Group will be taking
the survey and going out into the
area to examine the features it
shows. If you would like to get
involved then please contact either
Valley of Visions at mail@vov.
kentdowns.org.uk or Andrew
Mayfield at Shorne Woods - andrew.
mayfield@kent.gov.uk. The results
of our work will also be posted on
the facebook pages www.facebook.
com/archaeologyinkent and www.
facebook.com/VOVLPS and
the Valley of Visions website
www.valleyofvisions.org.uk.
Digit al Surface Model of the A2, with Shorne
Woods above and Cobham Hall gr ounds below.
‘Roman Thanet Revealed’ is a new
exhibition at the Powell-Cotton
Museum at Quex Park, Birchington.
The exhibition was officially opened
on September 1st and was entirely
produced by volunteers. The Powell-
Cotton Museum, supported by
Friends of Quex, has provided a
base for community curators,
mainly from the Isle of Thanet
Archaeological Society (IOTAS), to
unleash their creativity through
research and design.
The ribbon was cut by Roger
Gale, MP for North Thanet,
officially opening the exhibition.
Among the guests were the Mayors
of Broadstairs and Ramsgate, the
head of Birchington Parish Council,
and Ian Coulson, President of the
KAS, along with many members of
the local archaeological community,
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk - Autumn 2011 - KAS Newsletter 3
both professional and
amateur. The Trust for
Thanet Archaeology has
been supporting
IOTAS since the
start of their work
at the museum, with
the help of a
grant from the KAS
Education Committee.
Deputy Director Ges Moody
provided an interesting
introduction, explaining the
background to the exhibition.
Prominent in the gallery is a map
of Thanet in the Roman period, cut
off from the mainland by the
Wantsum Channel, setting the
scene for stories of Thanet in Roman
times. Items on display include
finds from the KAS-sponsored
training dig at the Abbey Farm
Villa, Minster in Thanet, as well as
Roman finds from all over the Isle.
Walking around the exhibition, it’s
clear that a lot of thought and
research has gone into each display,
enough to inspire anyone of any
age. The enthusiasm of the
volunteers is contagious, as was
obvious from its spread amongst
the guests during the evening.
See http://www.quexmuseum.
org/ for more information.
Roman Thanet Revealed
by Lauren Figg, for the Trus t for Thanet Arc haeology
MP Roger Gale views RTR
Digital Terr ain Model of the same area, all
veget ation stripped away.
4 Autumn 2011 - KAS Newsletter - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
CelebratingBoxleyWarren
Boxley Warren stands proudly on the
scarp slope of the Kent Downs,
overlooking both Maidstone and The
Weald. The site saw some of the first
human settlement in the area, the
introduction of farming and changes
wrought by the Industrial Revolution,
but despite being highly visible from
the county town and the M20, most
people know very little about it, or its
diverse history. ‘Celebrating Boxley
Warren’ is a project that is attempting
to address this.
Boxley Warren is an 83-hectare Local
Nature Reserve just to the east of
Bluebell Hill and to the north of Boxley
village. It is an internationally
significant place, a Site of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of the
chalk grassland species and also a
European designated Special Area of
Conservation (SAC) because of the
lowland beech and yew woodland. It
is also home to the White Horse Stone,
one of the Medway Megaliths and a
Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Boxley Parish Council and the Mid
Kent Downs Countryside Partnership
have successfully applied to the Heritage
Lottery Fund to run a project over the
next three years, to celebrate the present
Boxley Warren and explore its history.
The project aims to:
»» Commission an enhanced heritage
survey of Boxley Warren
»» Create a ‘Friends of’ group to help
steer the future of the site
»» Get people involved in investigating
the history of Boxley Warren
»» Improve the biodiversity of the site by
creating new habitats and managing
the existing wildlife areas more
appropriately
»» Run practical tasks so people can get
involved in habitat
management
»» Run a series of walks
highlighting the plants
and animals of Boxley
Warren as well as the
heritage of the site
‘Celebrating Boxley
Warren’ has joined
forces with Kent County
Council’s Heritage Team
to create some exciting
opportunities to get
involved and find out
more about the rich history of the area.
The heritage survey, which is close to
completion, will reveal more about the
plethora of hollow ways and ancient
routes that criss-cross the Downs, as
well as the relic settlements and evidence
of chalk pits and dene holes. There
will, however, be much more to find
out about, including crop marks and
lynchets that may indicate evidence of
early farming, as well as the role that
the military have played in shaping this
remarkable landscape.
Anyone who is interested in the
heritage of Boxley will be asked to take
by Mike Phillips
Boxley Warren, looking north from Penenden Heath
White Horse Stone, one of the Medway megaliths
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk - Autumn 2011 - KAS Newsletter 5
FOUR HUNDRED ATTEND EAST FARLEIGH
OPEN DAY by Alber t Daniels
part in both practical work on site and
research work using historical records.
Activities with the North Downs Young
Archaeologists Club will see them
choosing their area of work and
deciding themselves the best way to
undertake their research.
Events and opportunities to take
part in research projects will be taking
place over the next couple of years, all
free of charge. If you’d like to find out
more about ‘Celebrating Boxley Warren’,
contact Mike Phillips on 01303
815170 or mike.phillips@kentdowns.
org.uk. You can also find us on
Facebook - search for ‘Friends of
Boxley Warren’.
Four hunded people attended the
Roman Buildings Open Day
held by the Maidstone Area
Archaeological Group (MAAG) on the
31st July. They were treated to guided
tours of the site and displays of artefacts
found during excavation.
Members of MAAG were on hand
to explain the various finds and answer
any questions from members of the
public. Poster board displays of previous
work carried out by the Group were
shown to illustrate different aspects of
their archaeological work carried out
during the last twenty years.
The buildings displayed this year
were the kitchen range,
displayed last year, together
with a section of the Iron Age
ditch which passed under its
north wall, and the central
section of the two buildings
located to the east. These two
buildings are now known to
be barns, with 3.6m and
3.3m-wide doors located
mid-way along the south wall.
The buildings will be
backfilled later this year in
order to prevent deterioration
of the walls and floors.
East Farleigh open day
Holloway running N-S fr om the Pilgrims’ Way to the
Nor th Downs Way, through yew woodland
6 Autumn 2011 - KAS Newsletter - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
WHAT’S ON
KAS EVENTS
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 Grummitt & Richard
Eales
»» The Economy: Professor Mavis Mate & Dr
Gillian Draper
»» The Church: Dr Elizabeth Edwards & Dr Robert
Lutton
»» The Town: Sarah Pearson & Dr Sheila
Sweetinburgh
»» Tickets £12 (lunch NOT provided – see campus
outlets).
Further details and to book (by 2 December):
Claire Taylor, Centre for Medieval and Early
Modern Studies, Rutherford College,
University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NX;
c.l.taylor@kent.ac.uk or 01227 823140.
Cheques should be made payable to ‘UNIKENT’.
EVENTS AROUND KENT
Joint conference by Council for Kentish
Archaeology and Association for Roman
Archaeology
NEW IDEAS ON SOME MAJOR
ROMAN VILLAS.
Saturday 22 October 2011
2.00 - 5.30pm
The Old Sessions Lecture Theatre, Canterbury
Christchurch University, Canterbury, North
Holmes Campus
Chedworth, Lullingstone and Great Witcombe
will be included
Speakers include
»» Dr Martin Henig
»» Bryn Walters
»» Graham Soffe
Tickets £5.00 available from C.K.A. 7,
Sandy Ridge, Borough Green, Kent TN1 8HP
(S.A.E please)
Web site www.the-cka.fsnet.co.uk
WATERINGBURY LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY
19 October
Darwin Family of Downe - Barbara Stevens
16 November
A History of Early Flight on Sheppey - Air
Commodore Bill Croydon
18 January 2012
The History of Rochester Bridge - James M
Gibson
15 February 2012
Queen Victoria’s Dreadful Uncles - Sheila Boyd
21 March 2012
Some Historic Kentish Towns - David Carder
18 April 2012
The Great Flood of 1953 - Bronwen M Sadler
20 June 2012
AGM followed by The Queen’s Jubilee - Peter
Hartley
We also organise a coach trip to a venue of
interest, next year it will be held in May.
The Society meets in the Village Hall at 7.40pm.
Visitors are welcome at £2.50.
CRAYFORD MANOR HOUSE HISTORICAL &
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Saturday 12 November
Pepys Hereabouts - John Swindell and Lesley
Veach
Saturday 10 December
An Audience with Queen Victoria - Anne Carter
Saturday 14 January 2012
Migration Triangle - Calico Printing on the Cray,
the Lea and the Wandle -David Cufley
Saturday 11 February 2012
The Suburban Home Front in the Second World
War - Mike Brown. Rationing, clothes, Dig for
Victory, gas masks, the blackout and more.
Illustrated with artefacts.
Saturday 10 March 2012
Traditional Kentish Building Materials - Richard
Filmer
All meetings are held at The Baker Trust 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.
Hearn-Gillham – 01322 551279 or
email janet.hearn-gillham@ntlworld.com
LOOSE AREA HISTORY SOCIETY
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
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.looseareahistorysociety.webeden.co.uk
St MARGARET’S HISTORY SOCIETY
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.
EVENTS ELSEWHERE
CBA South East Conference
‘POLICING THE PAST’
Saturday 12 November
Fulton Building Lecture Theatre, University of
Sussex
The Conference brings together speakers who
have been at the forefront of recent initiatives
around heritage-related crime and wider issues
of heritage protection, both on land and at sea.
Speakers include:
»» Mark Harrison (Heritage Crime Initiative
& ARCH)
»» Andy Brockman (Conflict archaeology,
community archaeology)
»» Mark Dunkley (English Heritage: maritime
archaeology)
»» Pete Wilson (English Heritage)
»» Andrew Richardson (Cant.Arch.Trust) Case
Study of Illicit Excavations
»» Paul Bennett - Heritage Protection in Libya
Tickets £15.00 for CBA SE members, £20.00 for
non-members. Available from Joe Francis,
Centre for Community Engagement, Mantell
Building, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton
BN1 9RF. Tel: 01273 678300,
email: cce@sussex.ac.uk.
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk - Autumn 2011 - KAS Newsletter 7
The new Kent History and Library
Centre in Maidstone, due to open
in Spring next year, is progressing
well. The external structure is almost
complete and work is now focussing
on the internal works.
The archive storage areas have
been watertight for some time to
enable them to dry out and shelving
to house the 14km of archive
material is currently being installed.
New facilities will include
a community history room, a
library, a digital studio and a
conservation suite.
Collections will be moved into
the new centre between December
this year and next February. Work
to prepare the collections for the
move is also progressing, with the
main collections at the Centre for
Kentish Studies (CKS) now
repackaged and barcoded. The focus
will now be on the smaller collections
and also on those at East Kent
Archive Centre and the out-store
at Kings Hill.
When the moving project started
there was a large backlog of
uncatalogued material. This has
gradually been listed and catalogued
by staff to make it easier to move
and to make it more accessible in
the new building. Although this
backlog won’t be entirely cleared,
thousands of records have been
added to the catalogues (there are
now almost 600,000 records on the
online catalogue). The collections
are now better documented than
they’ve ever been. A significant
amount of images have also been
added, around 6,000, covering the
whole county.
The CKS and East Kent Archive
Centre are expected to close in mid-
November, just before the new
building is handed back to KCC.
There is currently a microfilm-only
service at CKS which will operate
through until the centre closes. This
will enable more staff to work on
preparation of the collections for
the move. Almost all of the most
popular material has been
microfilmed, but CKS apologise for
any inconvenience caused by the
lack of access to original records.
Whilst closed, the updated online
catalogue will continue to be
available via the web pages, with
additional information and images.
Canterbury Cathedral Archives will
also be open (until the end of
January when it closes for essential
repairs). Ancestry.com will be
available free at all Kent libraries
and the twelve local history
collections in the main district
libraries will continue to provide
information on local and family
history.
Keep an eye on www.kent.gov.uk/
archives for updates relating to
the new building.
New Kent History and Library Centre
8 Autumn 2011 - KAS Newsletter - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
As the time for renewals for 2012 is fast
approaching, please check your standing
orders to make sure that you are paying the
correct subscription rates – due in January.
Also, please ensure that your name is
included as I have several payments with
no other details, which does make my life a
little difficult! If you do not pay by standing
orders perhaps you could consider
changing to this method instead of using a
cheque. If you send me a stamped
addressed envelope (address below) I can
then send you a form to complete so that
payment can be set up in January 2012.
I shall be sending out the cheque renewal
letters and invoices in December as usual.
I do not pay the cheques into the bank until
the New Year, but it is very helpful to have
these ready to process.
Please remember to send any changes of
addresses etc. to me either by post or
email: membership@kentarchaeology.org.
uk
I look forward to your continued support of
our splendid Society.
I am very pleased to welcome the
following new members:
Mrs V Barrand Davies. Rainham
Mr P Begg, Maidstone
Ms L Gray, Faversham
Mrs M J Kirkby, Beddington, Surrey
Mrs P Leith, Maidstone
Miss C Lindridge, Dudley, West
Midlands
Mrs S M Malloch, Newington
Mr D F Williford, Reedsville, West
Virginia USA
The majority of new members have joined
by downloading the application form
from the website but it is equally
important that blue application forms
are available in other locations and taken
to conferences etc. Please contact me if
you would like a bundle.
Shiela Broomfield, 8 Woodview
Crescent, Hildenborough, Tonbridge,
Kent TN11 9HD telephone: 01732
838698 email
membership@kentarchaeology.org.uk
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
Approximately 35 participants
enjoyed the KAS Churches
Committee’s visit to High Halden
and Bethersden in July. These
villages are located between Ashford
and Tenterden towards the eastern
end of the Weald and each is
possessed of a fine medieval church
rich in interesting features.
Committee chairman Mary Berg
welcomed everyone at High Halden
and invited local historian Mary
Adams to speak about St Mary’s
Parish Church. There has probably
been a church in this Wealden
clearing village since the 12th or
13th century, but the present
structure largely dates from the 14th
and 15th centuries. The most
remarkable feature is the 14th
century timber west tower whose
massive structure supports the
weight of six bells. Visitors were
allowed to ascend the tower’s ancient
ladders and examine its fascinating
construction. The church is also
blessed with a beautiful 14th
century south porch, which is
understandably popular for wedding
photographs, and the survival of
some 15th century stained glass in
the side chapels and chancel. The
Victorian restoration, carried out
by George Street, involved the
raising of the chancel floor level and
this has ironically led to subsidence
in recent years. The church is well
cared for, however, and the children’s
corner in the south aisle demonstrates
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.
Archaeologia
Cantiana
for sale
Volumes available
are LXXXVIII to CXXX; 42
volumes covering a period
1973 to 2010.
Price is £1.00 per volume,
i.e. £42.00.
Buyer must collect.
Telephone number: 01732-
354869, email address:
rogerhj2@aol.com
CHURCHES
COMMITTEE
Visit to High
Halden and
Bethersden
by Paul Lee
YOU & YOUR SOCIETY
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk - Autumn 2011 - KAS Newsletter 9
that it is still the home of a living,
worshiping community.
St Margaret’s Bethersden is a large
and lofty church, prominently sited
in the main street, and consists of
a fine tower, nave with side aisles
and a spacious chancel with side
chapels. The speaker here was Brian
Robinson, chairman of the
Bethersden Parish Records Society.
A pre-Norman church existed, but
the present building in the
Perpendicular style mostly dates
from the 14th and 15th centuries.
Mr Robinson explained that this is
one of the few churches in Kent
allowed to keep its historic records.
Some members of the Records
Society attended and kindly set out
a sample of the documents of which
they act as custodians. Since 1989
they have raised £26,000 for their
care and conservation. The parish
chest in which these documents
were formerly kept can still be seen
at the back of the nave. The church
has many other interesting features
and associations, such as with the
famous Lovelace family who
occupied a large house (since
disappeared) near the church
between the 15th and 17th
centuries. Bethersden parish is, of
course, also the source of the wellknown
Bethersden ‘marble’ and
examples of it are to be found in
the Lovelace chapel as well as
elsewhere in the church. Visitors
were once again allowed to ascend
the tower from which a fine view
could be enjoyed. A fascinating
afternoon concluded with tea and
biscuits kindly provided by the hosts
at Bethersden.
COMMITTEE ROUND UP
High Halden’s 14th centur y south por ch
Bethersden
10 Autumn 2011 - KAS Newsletter - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
Local historian Bill Simmons is
a man with a mission. He wants
to discover how the Cliffe area
near Rochester was to be defended
against a feared German invasion
during the Second World War.
Over the years he has become
familiar with the numerous pillboxes
to be seen in his area. Documentary
research has shown these to have been
part of the national and strategic GHQ
defence line. This epic undertaking
crossed the country from the Bristol
Channel to the River Medway, then
turned to join the south bank of the
Thames near Higham Creek, resuming
on the Essex shore north to shield the
industrial Midlands. Yet these defences
were much more than the pillboxes
which remain today as the visible and
iconic symbols of the preparations to
defeat invasion. They included rifle
pits and more extensive entrenched
positions, mines and barbed wire
entanglements, anti-tank ditches - such
as the one that etched itself across the
Hoo Peninsula against a possible
landing on its shore - concrete obstacles
and flame defences, with more besides.
Traces may remain as buried archaeology
or as hidden structures in hedgerows
and undergrowth. Bill Simmons is
determined to find them all.
There are many clues to locations to
be found in documents in the National
Archives, from a study of aerial
photographs, field survey and not least
from the recollections of local people.
From all this it should be possible to
synthesise and better understand the
anatomy, organisation and manning
of the anti-invasion defences in the
Cliffe area and beyond and to place
them in their wider context.
Living in Cliffe, Bill Simmons has
built up many contacts in the local
community over the years, including
landowners with defences on their
property and he tells me that they are
enthused about this impending project.
Bill Simmons does not want the
results of his survey just to reside in an
archive for other specialist researchers.
He will seek ways to share them with
everyone, through a website, an
historical booklet, a military heritage
trail and through engagement with
schools. He is also working towards
the selection of a ‘show pillbox’ that
can be used during occasional open
days as a backdrop to present and
interpret the local anti-invasion
defences, possibly including some
uniformed enactment.
This project is most welcome for its
potential to discover and add important
knowledge. It is also timely given the
recent publication of the Medway
overview of Kent County Council’s
Defence of Kent Project (Archaeologia
Cantiana, Vol . CXXXI (2011) ) and
with English Heritage’s Hoo Peninsula
project in progress.
I am sure that we shall learn more
of the progress of this worthwhile
project in the years ahead, probably in
the pages of this newsletter. So watch
this space!
Editor’s note
Bill Simmons would welcome contacts
from those with information of
potential value to the project and from
those who wish to become part of the
research team he is assembling.
Replies in the first instance to
newsletter@kentarchaeology.org.uk.
Discovering Cliffe’s Defences
by Victor Smith
Bill Simmons recording a Type 24 pillbox ar Cliffe, August 2011
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk - Autumn 2011 - KAS Newsletter 11
The Pilgrims’ Way – Fact and Fiction of an Ancient Trackway
by Derek Bright
ISBN 978 0 7524 6085 7
Winding its way from Winchester to Canterbury, through Hampshire,
Surrey and Kent, the Pilgrims’ Way is one of England’s most ancient
trackways. It is beloved of walkers throughout southern England, yet
remains an enigma to many who regularly follow its tracks.
From the Neolithic through to Victorian pilgrimists, the book re-evaluates
how we should perceive this ancient trackway. Using evidence of roadside
crime, prohibitive legislation, and the everyday hazards facing travellers,
the book assesses how the road has served travellers over time.
£14.99, available from www.thehistorypress.co.uk or direct
sales from 01235 465577.
Ditton - The Story of a Kentish Village
by Alan Dodge
Published by the Ditton Heritage Centre, this book traces the story of Ditton
from prehistory to the present day. It tells of a small farming community of
four farms, two mills and a church, which by 1801 had a population of only
98. An introductory chapter describes the different parts of the village with
the origin of names of places and fields. There is a brief account of local geology.
Subsequent chapters are entitled; Prehistoric and Roman History; A
Saxon and Norman Community: Medieval Times: The Reformation to
the Restoration; A Georgian Village; A Victorian Village; War and
peace; The Modern World. Includes many illustrations of demolished buildings,
old street scenes, and maps dating back to the 1680s, references to historical
sources, suggestions for further reading, and a detailed index.
The Trustees of the Allen Grove Fund contributed £150 towards the book.
Paperback, 176 pages, 130 illustrations. Price £10. Available from
Liz Day
Ditton Heritage Centre Ltd
26 St Peter’s Close
Ditton
Aylesford
ME20 6PG
Tel: 01732 840937
Email: day.liz@btinternet.com
NEW BOOKS
12 Autumn 2011 - KAS Newsletter - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
The West Farleigh & District
Sparrow and Rat Club
From the Papers of the Hon. Henry A. Hannen d. 1933
NOTES FROM THE ARCHIVE
by Pernille Richards
In Presenting my Annual Report, I am
pleased to state that the members have
again done good work by destroying
1192 Sparrows, 657 Rats, 33
Bullfinches, 134 Moles, 879 Blackbirds,
1301 Queen Wasps, 1854 Butterflies,
13 Stoats and 9 Jays.
So wrote Mr. L. J. Costen, Hon.
Secretary, and later Chairman, for the
West Farleigh and District Sparrow and
Rat Club in March, 1917. Sparrow
and Rat clubs were a common feature
of rural life from the 18th Century
until after the First World War, when
they declined in most places. The aim
of the clubs was district-wide pest
control and they offered the incentive
of prizes per catch.
As pests, rats need no introduction,
but the hostility towards the Sparrow
may be surprising. House Sparrows
were then more numerous than they
are today and their liking for grain and
young blossoms and the damage they
caused to ricks and thatch caused them
to be viewed as pests alongside rats.
In order to protect crops from their
ravages boys were often employed as
bird-scares. During the Victorian era
some farmers embraced modernity by
starting to use grain poisoned with
arsenic or strychnine as a deliberate
measure to reduce the bird population.
However, this soon caused controversy.
Concerns were raised over the way
poison caused indiscriminate killing of
birds and unfortunate side-effects were
also being noticed, such as plagues of
caterpillars and other insects when birds
were less numerous. In addition
there were accidental deaths of
domestic animals.
The Sparrow Clubs were a more
respectable face of pest control and
their activities were endorsed by a
Leaflet published by the Board of
Agriculture and Fisheries, Leaflet No.
84, published in 1903, and revised
January 1916. A 1916 leaflet is found
in the papers of Henry A. Hannen.
The leaflet puts the case very plainly:
“While no one wishes to exterminate the
sparrow, it is generally agreed that any
good it may do in destroying harmful
insects is so greatly outweighed by the
damage done to crops, that a reduction
in its numbers is as necessary as in the
case of rats, or of any other destructive
pest.” The leaflets emphasised that small
birds were not to be persecuted
indiscriminately. It proceeds to give
instructions on how to reduce the
sparrow population by destroying eggs
and nests, netting or shooting sparrows.
The formation of a Sparrow (and rat)
club is recommended in order to
involve a whole district in the task and
a proposed set of rules is set out.
The rules for The West Farleigh and
District Sparrow and Rat Club, which
was founded in 1903, follow those of
leaflet No. 84 closely, although they
widened the scope beyond sparrows
and rats. The club had its headquarters
at the White House in West Farleigh,
where the heads of the catch were to
be brought on the first Wednesday in
each month between 7 and 8pm for
the tally to be made. In 1917 the club
had eight honorary members, Mr. R.
Munn, B. Small, C. Hickmott, G.
Poile, G.C. Froud, L. Costen, A. Fuller
and E. Munn, who were exempt from
bringing heads, and 22 working
members. A pub seems to have been
the usual meeting place for such groups.
The Sparrow Clubs made
announcements in the local papers,
and most information on them seems
to derive from these. An undated
example announcing the catches of the
West Farleigh group is among the
papers using the more colloquial title
of ‘The Loyal Tickle Back, Jack Sparrow
and Mole Club’. The clubs appear little
studied, perhaps because their activities
are not congenial to modern
sensibilities. Concerns for feeding the
nation during the First World War may
have added extra impetus to the
Sparrow Clubs, but there are signs of
changing perspectives. In his notes
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk - Autumn 2011 - KAS Newsletter 13
The White House, headquarters of the Club
Hannen expressed unease at the killing
of Bullfinches, Blackbirds and
Butterflies, and an R.S.P.B. leaflet from
March 1917 found among Hannen’s
papers sought to highlight the benefits
of birds to the farmer as a natural form
of insect pest control.
14 Autumn 2011 - KAS Newsletter - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
Over two years, the Alkham
Valley Historical Research
Group raised £14,000 for the
display of finds recovered from the
newly discovered Anglo-Saxon
cemetery at Wolverton, in the Alkham
Valley near Dover. The funding also
provided finance for conservation of
the finds and further analytical tests.
The Wolverton site lies at the northeastern
end of the 7km-long Alkham
valley, running through the North
Downs between Folkestone and Dover,
and is situated on a steeply sloping
ridge at the confluence of two valleys.
Bisecting the Alkham Valley, the river
Nailbourne runs past the ridge cemetery
on its northern side. In Anglo-Saxon
times the river may have provided
important navigable access from the
sea at Dover to the interior of Alkham
as far inland as the hamlet
of Drellingore.
Two interim reports covering the
sites background and general discoveries
were published in KAS Newsletters,
Spring issue No 76, 2008 and the
Summer issue No 81, 2009. These can
be viewed on the KAS website,
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk.
The Deputy Mayor of Dover recently
unveiled the newly-finished Wolverton
Case at the Astor College for the Arts,
Dover. This unique Anglo-Saxon
display case will serve as an educational
tool in the community for schools in
the Dover District. Two flanking
2-metre high storyboards accompany
the case. The first is an overview of the
archaeological site and excavations, the
other information on the burial
practices and rites of pagan Anglo-
Saxons, who they were, why they came
to our shores and how they settled and
lived. Through inventive design, the
case enables creative use of archaeological
material, often assigned to dusty
storerooms, allowing the observer to
peer underground back in time
1300 years.
The case, designed by the author, is
the first of its kind in the UK. It was
commissioned to exhibit a doubletiered
6th – 7th century Anglo-Saxon
burial in cross-section, as it was
excavated at Wolverton. The pagan
burials are of two important males, one
buried with weapons. The ‘Wolverton
Warrior’ burial, as it is known, also
revealed curious burial practice that,
to date, has no known comparison
recorded in Kent. Four rough-cut chalk
pedestals were used to carry two human
femurs (leg bones), removed from
another grave. The femurs, supported
by the pedestals, were clearly used to
carry the grave’s sealing material,
probably small planks to cover the body.
A skull and lower mandible (jaw bone),
also removed from another burial, were
placed above the warrior’s body,
presumably after sealing of the grave
but before the burial was completely
backfilled. Three artefacts recovered
from the burials have yet to be
identified. The display carries the actual
human remains on two levels just as
found and are surrounded by their
replicated artefacts. The conserved
artefacts will go on display in a separate
case at Dover Museum next year.
The ‘Wolver ton Warrior’ in the upper burial case
THE WOLVERTON ANGLO-SAXON
BURIAL DISPLAY CASE by Vince Burrows
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk - Autumn 2011 - KAS Newsletter 15
Many inter-school workshops have
been arranged for this year and initial
website comments, which have been
posted by the Astor College for the
Arts, are extremely positive.
”Astor College was able to extend
the ‘museum type’ experience of the
Wolverton Warrior, and other artefacts
generously loaned to us by Vince
Burrows from Alkham Archaeology, to
its federation primary schools this week.
Year 5 students from White Cliffs
Primary College for the Arts and Year
4 students from Barton Primary School
participated in combined History and
English workshops revolving around
the Anglo-Saxon remains. Year 7 and
8 Astor students assisted in the sessions
and it proved to be a highly interesting
and beneficial experience for
all concerned”.
The case also demonstrates how local
archaeological projects can stimulate
and engage the community in
partnerships with locally-run research
projects. Most of the case funding was
raised locally in the Alkham Valley,
however, the Kent Archaeological
Society (Fieldwork Committee), the
Kent Community Foundation and
Mark Loveday (Alkham resident), also
contributed substantial grants to
the project.
The case fabrication was undertaken
by Mark Hargreaves (Kingsmead
Associates Canterbury). The replicated
artefacts contained within the case were
made by William Laing (Lyminge
resident). The intact Frankish wine
bottle replica was made by Clive Soord
(Ceramics Dept, University of Kent &
Canterbury) and the information
boards were written by Vince Burrows
and edited by Kim Norton (Education
Officer Dover Museum).
The Alkham Valley project is set to
continue for around five years, with
most of our research being geophysical
lead surveys. This will provide excellent
opportunities for local residents,
students and other organisations for
participation. Around eighteen
locations have already been selected,
inclusive of possible further cemetery
sites, together with a search for ancient
occupation along the banks of the
Nailbourne river. Later in the project
we propose cutting two trenches across
the Nailbourne to ascertain its ancient
depth, width and possible navigable
use. Investigation and excavations in
tracing a wood boundary system
thought to date to the Anglo-Saxon
period and possible Iron Age terracing
is planned for mid 2012. Our project
work is open to volunteers and
University students. Please contact us
via the project details below.
Please see links for further
information on the display case:
Astor College homepage: Wolverton
Warrior & the Primary School
Workshop reports.
Website: www.astorcollege.org
Vince Burrows
Director;
The Alkham Valley Historical
Research Project 2012-16
t: 01304 219550
m: 07935 284955
V.Burrows@gtwiz.co.uk
www.alkhamarchaeology.co.uk
The unveiling of the Wolver ton display
L to R: Vince Burrows, David Hannent (Deputy Mayor of Dover), William Laing
(maker of replica artefacts) and Jon Iveson (Senior Curator, Dover Museum)
Children from the Astor College of Arts find
out about the Anglo-Saxons
Published by the Kent Archaeological Society, Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Gallery, St Faith’s Street, Maidstone, Kent. ME14 1LH.
16 Autumn 2011 - KAS Newsletter - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk
If undelivered, please return to
S. Broomfield, 8 Woodview Crescent,
Hildenborough, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 9HD
Copy deadline for the next issue is 1st Dec 2011
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.
EDITOR: LYN PALMER
55 Stone Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2QU
Telephone: 01892 533661
Email: newsletter@kentarchaeology.org.uk
The attached photograph was
discovered in Dartford
Library’s Local Studies
Collection. It was found while searching
for suitable photos of outdoor events
for Dartford Borough Museum’s
current exhibition ‘Hang out the
Bunting!’. However, the photograph
was not taken in the Borough of
Dartford and the location is a mystery.
The number plate of the car begins
with a ‘D’ showing that it was registered
in Kent and the number itself tells us
that it was registered between February
1906 and April 1910. The visiting
dignitary appears to be the lady, holding
up a parasol, in the open back of the
car. She may be a royal visitor and the
car may belong to a local dignitary,
possibly the man wearing a top hat in
the passenger seat next to the driver.
There is a military guard of honour,
including some ‘off camera’ at the
bottom left of the photo, their presence
revealed only by their fixed bayonets.
The curved corner of this street is quite
distinctive, with shops forming a right
angle with a gap in between. There is
a double-stepped kerb with a baulk of
timber forming a temporary third step
under the presumably red carpet. This
carpet leads through the gap between
the shops and disappears towards an
unknown location, possibly a church
or town hall. One strange feature of
the photograph is that careful inspection
reveals lots of faces above the bunting,
meaning that there must be a steeply
sloping road leading away from the
camera between the shops.
Staff at Dartford Borough Museum
and at Dartford Library would be
grateful if anyone can tell us where this
photograph was taken and, if possible,
the nature of the occasion. Please
contact Dr Mike Still at Dartford
Borough Museum, Market Street,
Dartford, Kent DA1 1EU or e-mail us
at museum@dartford.gov.uk.
Mystery Photo - can you help?