Excavations at Snodland Roman Villa
Giles Dawkes, Senior Archaeologist at Archaeology South East talks to KAS Trustee Fred Birkbeck about the excavations that he led at Snodland Roman villa and his experiences leading projects in Kent.
Ways of Seeing: Scenes from Christ's Life on Faversham’s Painted Pier
The Kent Archaeological Society hosted a talk by Dr Sheila Sweetinburgh on the painted medieval church pillar in the Kent town of Faversham.
Caesar in Kent: Do we now know where he landed?
Giles Dawkes, Senior Archaeologist at Archaeology South East talks to KAS Trustee Fred Birkbeck about the excavations that he led at Snodland Roman villa and his experiences leading projects in Kent.
Power Politics and the Man from Maidstone
This film is about power and politics in the years leading up to the 1914 – 1918 war. It tells the remarkable story of how one man challenged the world’s most powerful oil empire… and won. But having achieved his aim he decided there were more important things in life.
Randall Manor, Shorne Woods
Randall Manor, once home to the de Cobhams of Randall, is situated within what is now Shorne Woods Country Park, near Gravesend in Kent. This talk covers the community excavations between 2006 and 2015 and the history of the site.
The Way We Were: Smarden 2006
Filmed in 2006 this is the story one year in the life of Smarden village told as each season passed. Happy times!
May Day! May Day! May Day!
To mark the 80th Anniversary of The Battle of Britain our new film looks at the life stories of two pilots who came down in Smarden in 1940, one Canadian and one German. However the film begins with earlier crashes involving two planes, each of them carrying gold, one in 1929 and the other in 1931.
Germany is in Smarden: So is North America
You may be puzzled by those two lines, but we promise you they are true. We are taking a fact-finding tour around Smarden’s lanes and fields but geography apart, we’ll be talking about some of the interesting characters who have lived in Smarden: sportsmen, writers, craftsmen and entertainers. Some of them with local reputations, others known around the world.
Smarden v Napoleon
In this film we go back over 200 years to follow the fortunes of three Smarden men who enlisted to fight the French in Spain, Portugal and at the Battle of Waterloo.
A Disorderly Parish
In 1688 the Reverend Richard Rands described Smarden as "A Disorderly Parish" so this film explores some of the more notable transgressions which have taken place in our village, ranging from treason and murder to affrays of various kinds.
The Lion from the West
The life story of John Sella Martin, a man born into poverty and slavery, who became a Baptist minister and a forceful proponent of abolition. In Britain his powerful oratory attracted huge crowds who came to hear him speak during the American Civil War. He spoke in Smarden in 1863.
Wartime Memories of Smarden
The Rathbone family lived in Smarden at Hegg Hill during World War Two. This film is based on the fascinating memoir written by Lettice Rathbone for the Women's Institute and covers events such as the army coming back from Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain and how the village prepared for invasion. Her sister Marion also wrote about village life in WW2 which you can read here.
The Story of Smarden’s Shops
To celebrate the opening of Smarden's new Community Store and Post Office, this is the story of our village shops, Post Office and shopkeepers over the past 600 years.
Smarden’s Deadly Year
A heroic doctor, contagion, lockdown, shocking fatalities. A scenario only too familiar to us today, but this is what happened in the Kent village of Smarden 350 years ago. This is a forgotten episode in the history of a rural village that resonates strongly with us now.
The History of Smarden (part two)
Shot in 2005, this film tells the story of Smarden from early obscurity to its golden age of broadcloth and back again, as told by present-day villagers. This is the second of two videos.
The History of Smarden (part one)
This film was shot in 2005 and tells Smarden's long and eventful story, from obscurity to its golden weaving years and back again, described in the voices of its present day villagers. This is Part One of Two episodes.
Clive Drew interviews Lady Sondes and Estate Manager Elizabeth Roberts
The Hon. Secretary of the KAS interviews Lady Sondes and her estate manager, Elizabeth Roberts to get the estate's perspective of the KAS archaeological excavations at Lees Court Estate.
Post-excavation discussion about the ring ditch in Stringman’s Field
Archaeologists Steve Willis, Keith Parfitt and Richard Taylor discuss the initial findings from the May 2018 excavation of the ring ditch in Stringman's Field.
Why Towns In Kent Are Called What They Are History Of Place Names
The History Project explores the the history of place names in Kent.
The significance of Textus Roffensis
Historian Michael Wood discusses the significance of the 12th-century manuscript Textus Roffensis at Rochester Cathedral.
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