by Michael Bryant
From the first decade of the century, the Dartford District Antiquarian Society carried the burden of archaeological field work until the 1960s. Among their most notable excavations were the Roman site at Farningham, the Saxon cemetery at Riseley in Horton Kirby, and the Manor House of Henry VIII at the Priory site, Dartford. For a number of reasons, the work of the Society's archaeological section then ceased. It was in this period of inaction that Roger Walsh, the then Director of Fawkham & Ash Archaeological Group, who was already evolving a scheme to form a local archaeological group, was alerted by the announcement of plans for the redevelopment of Dartford to the opportunity that this would provide to uncover more evidence of Dartford's past. Accordingly, he consulted the Principal of the Adult Education Centre, East Hill House, and in the autumn of 1972 some 16 students were enrolled in an introductory course, entitled 'Digging up the Past' of which Roger was the tutor. Students from the first course (12 in number) decided in December 1972 to form the DDAG and were quick to enroll students from second, third, and subsequent courses. Roger Walsh agreed to fill the post of Director.
Work in progress in the permanent home of the Dartford District Archaeological Group where its many enthusiastic members sort finds and hold lectures.
From these small beginnings, membership has grown to around 80 of which there is a substantial hardcore of regular diggers. In addition, an associate membership scheme was introduced in 1976 which today numbers about 70; we are greatly indebted to them for their valuable contribution to the interests of the Group. It may be of interest to note that the age of the active membership is from under 17 to over 75 years, all of whom are on first-name terms and working most amicably together.
As the Group enters its tenth year, it is fast approaching its 50th dig. Some of the earlier digs which we can look back on with special pride are, for instance, the medieval community site at Pond Field, Littlebrook, where Thames-side embankers and marsh 'inners' worked during the 14th-15th centuries; the search for the 'missing' Wilmington Romano/British villa which was resolved in 1975; and in the same year the commencement of trial excavations at Darenth Park Hospital, by courtesy of the Kent Area Authority, which eventually led in 1978 to the discovery of the Darenth Bowl - our major discovery to date - and to the increase of our knowledge of the Saxon cemetery; next a rescue excavation at the site of Henry VIII's Manor House completed in 1976; and, in 1979 after long and sometimes negative results, the uncovering of the Dartford Romano/British villa at Tenter's Hill Fields, which dig was conducted with kind permission of the Wellcome Foundation; and last year in Lowfield Street, the excavation of Horsman's Place, on which site a series of mansions have stood from as early as the 14th century.
The Group has also given assistance to neighboring groups with emergency work: for instance, in 1973 to SELAG at the Royal Tudor Dockyard, Woolwich, early in 1974 to the Otford Historical Society with work on the remains of historic Otford Palace, and in late 1975 (on a reciprocal basis) to FAAG at the Iron Age farmstead site, to which we returned again for Phase 2 in late 1978.
Another facet of the Group's activities is the surveying and recording of old buildings, such as the old farmhouse, Homefield House - part 16th century- and Rose Cottage, both at Sutton-at-Hone and sadly now demolished.
It was when Stewart Marlow qualified for his pilot's license that the group moved into the sphere of aerial survey and have since made a series of photographic flights. Following the establishment of a photographic section which issued its first report in 1977 - the section has started a long-term project 'Dartford in the 1980s'.
The Group's newsletter made its first appearance a year after formation and at present issue number 29 is being readied for publication.
Perhaps the most significant and far-reaching factors in the Group's history were the holding of a practical training course for supervisors in 1974 from which our two energetic assistant directors emerged, and the acquisition, in two stages, of the much-needed research center in Lowfield Street which, after renovation and repair, came into commission in 1975 to be followed by an extension that is regularly used as a meeting place and lecture hall. Here, in addition to the many and varied archaeological activities, the Dartford Branch of the Kent Archaeological Society meet and in this way the Group maintains close and helpful links with its mentor - the county's parent Society through our group and individual members.
Lack of space precludes the inclusion of much relevant matter and also the naming of members who play a leading part in the work of the Group.
