Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1962 ANNUAL REPOR T FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER, 1962 Council presents its One Hundred and Fourth Report, and the Statement of Accounts for 1962. OBITUARY It was with deep regret that Council received in the early autumn the news of the death of Dr. Gordon Ward, a member of the Society sine.a 1927, for long a member of Council and in 1954 elected as an Honorary Member in recognition of his services to the Society. An appreciation appears later in this present volume of Archreologia Oantiana. Council has to record also the death of the Society's oldest member, Mr. G. F. Tracey Beale who joined in the year 1893. ANNuAL GENERAL MEETING The Annual General Meeting was held at The Museum, Maidstone on the 28th April, 1962, the President in the Chair. Council's Annual Report and the Statement of Accounts for 1961 were received and adopted. After the luncheon interval some 50 members and their friends listened to an illustrated talk by Dr. Felix Hull on Local Cartography. The lecture was warmly received and the President expressed the thanks of the meeting to the Lecturer. MEMBERSHIP During the year some 52 new members were elected and two local societies were affiliated. Though the Society can be said to continue to flourish, Council feels that there must be many more people in this growing county who would be glad to have the possibilities of membership brought to their notice ; Council appeals to all existing members to do whatever they can to aid recruitment. COUNCll, At the Annual General Meeting, Mr.J '.B urgon Bickersteth, Wing Commander W. V. Dnmbreck, 1Ylrs. E. V. Piercy Fox, Mr. S. E. Rigold and Dr. W. G. Urry, who retired in rotation, were re-elected to Council. Mr. A. F. Allen and Major H. M. Rand were elected as new members. Council received with great regret the resignation of Mr.E .T. Mortimore because of pressure of other work ; they were glad that Mr. Mortimore felt, however, able to continue as local secretary for the Ashford area. Two other members have been elected during the year to fill vacancies, Profe813or F. R.H. Du Boulay and Mr. S. Mendel, former Hon. Treasurer. RONORAB.Y TREASURER AND TREASURER At the Annual General Meeting the President reported that the Hon. Treasurer had expressed his desire to retire from the office on his retirement from active employment in the summer. After expressing their very warm xlii REPORT, 1962 appreciation of the service which Mr. Mendel had rendered the Society the meeting empowered Council to make an appointment of a suooessor. Council has been able to obtain the help of Mr. H. Grugeon of Iden Green and, subject to the agreement of the Annual General Meeting to an amendment of the Society's Rules to allow of the payment of renwneration, has appointed him as Treasurer of the Society. Mr. Grugeon is taking over the duties of Collector. Council would like to take this opportunity of thanking Mrs. Friend very sincerely for the help she has given in this office since she took it over from her father, the late Mr. C. W. Hopper. LIBRARY AND COLLECTIONS The following additions were made to the library and collections during the year : A History of the Parish Churches of Gravesend, by R. H. Hiscock : gift of the author. History of Ijiekl and Singlewefl, by R. H. Hiscock : gift of the author. The PrimanJ Set·ies of Sceattas (The British Numi,amati,e Journal., XXX), by 8. E. Rigold : gift of the author. Romano-British material excavated from the villa site in Cobham Park (see Archreologia Cantiana, LXXVI): gift of the excavator, Peter Tester, F.S.A. Medieval brass of a tonsured priest which was found amongst archive material from Bay ham Abbey, seat of the Marquess Camden : gift of the Marquess Camden. As is recorded elsewhere in this report there has been purchased, with the help of a legacy from the late Miss D. E. Johnston of Hallhouse Farm, Appledore, a collection of archreological items dug up at Milton Regis in 1916. It includes an oval gold pendant with large central jewel, a gold pendant in the shape of a cross, and a white metal circular penda.nir-all of 7th century A.D. date. RECORDS PUBLICATION The Records Publication Committee has met on two occasions when the principal item under discussion has been the forthcoming volume Documents IUustrative of Medieval Kentish History. The Committee acknowledges with grateful thanks the assistance of the British Academy and Bedford College, London, towards the cost of this volume. The proposed Calendar of the White and Black Books of the Cinque Ports is substantially ready for press and will be sent to the Historical MSS. Commission in January 1963. ARORJEOLOGIA CANTIANA · Volume LXXVI of Archreol.ogia Oantiana was published in April 1962 a.nd in its contents maintains t,he high standard which members have come to expect. PLACE NAMES COMMITTEE Work continues on the County Smvey of Place Names. Progress on the Schools' Current Place Names Scheme is as follows : returns for 28 parishes or parts of parishes have so for been received, approximately one-third of those for which 6-inch maps have been supplied to schools. xliii REPORT, 1962 Several thousand slips have been completed by a number of helpers working on calendars and MS material. Offers of help are still needed and will be welcomed from individuals and societies interested in this type of work. EXOAV ATIONS 00M11UTTEE The research programme sponsored by the Excavations Committee, that of dating the Iron Age Earthworks of the County, has proved to be of great value to Iron Age studies and in the spring of 1963, by kind permission of the landowners and of the Ministry of Works the site Boughton Quarry Camp will be surveyed and excavated. The Committee asks for the support of members of the Sooiety, members of Affiliated Societies and particularly those with experience of surveying and excavating in this important work on the last major Iron Age earthwork in the County still undated. The excavation will be under the direction of our member Mrs. E. V. Piercy Fox, F.S.A. and any enquiries should be addressed to her. Other excavations supported and aided by the Committee and Council during 1962 were those at Bigberry Camp under the direction of our member Mr. Frank Jenkins, F.S.A., within the Roman Fort at Reculver under the direction of our member Mr. B. J. Philp and of the Roma.no-British building at Eccles under the direction of our member Mr. A. P. Detsica.s, F.S.A.(Scot.). (Reports received of these excavations a.re printed in Appendix I of this Report.) During the year on the initiative of Mr. Frank Jenkins a fifth meeting was arranged for field arch:eologists. JOINT COMMITTEE WITH THE COUNOIL FOR T.a:E PRESERVATION OJI" RURAL KENT FOR THE PRESElt V ATION OF ANOilllNT Bun.DINGS The Joint Committee with the Council for the Preservation of Rural Kent has met five times during the year. The Committee has continued with its work of scrutinizing all information about threatened demolitions brought to its notice, taking appropriate action, including the collection of photographs and measured drawings, as seems justified in each individual case. In this work the Joint Committee has relied and must continue to rely quite extensively on the help of individuals with local knowledge of buildings and of any projected demolitions and alterations of them. LOCAL SECRETARIDS AND Loo.AL ACTIVITIES Mr. P. G. Baker and Mr. C. C.R. Pile have resigned as Local Secretaries for the Tonbridge and Cranbrook areas respectively. Brigadier Bowra is giving up the Secretaryship of the Malling area. Council are very grateful for the service which these members have rendered in this capacity. Dr. J. D. Ogilvie has taken over the vacant 8ecretaryship for Deal and Walmer in addition to the Secretaryship for Sandwich. Mrs. M. Cecily Lebon has taken over from Mr. Pile in Cranbrook and Mr. Richard Boyle is taking over from Brigadier Bowra. Council thank these members for their readiness to take on this work. From Tunbridge W ella, Mrs. Desborough reports : The excavations of the Iron Age fort at High Rocks terminated 1961, in and Mr. James Money's final Report is to be published. There has been an increase of eight, in our local membership for 1962. xliv REPORT, 1962 Our Annual Lecture was given by the late regretted Dr. Gordon Ward, F.S.A., just before his unt,imely death. He chose as his subject "The Saxon Kingdom of Kent". The lecture was well attended and much appreciated. By kind permission of Mr. and Mrs. Blake, our members visited the interesting old house (1348 probable date) "Black Charles", at Underriver, on their Annual Outing in August. Mr. and Mrs. Blake made the hour spent there an entrancing one. Ow· party then visited Shoreham Church, where Mr. and Mrs. A. D. Stoyel of Otford joined us. Mr. Stoyel, President of the Otford and District Historical Society, acted as our invaluable guide, letting ufl, as well as the new Vicar, the Rev. D. E. Benbow, share in his great knowledge and love of this church. Our last visit was to Sundrige Old Hall, where Mr. and Mrs. Blissard Barnes gave us a warm welcome, and showed us all over this fa.seine.ting house. My aim in choosing these two houses was to show examples of a manorial hall-house, and that of a simple citizen. From Edenbri,dge and Westerham, Mr. J.C. Irwin reports: Excavations continuerl last summer at the Mesolithic site at Chiddingstone Roath under Mr. Money and a. report for publication is in preparation. The Edenbridge and District Historical Society has continued to flourish and grow. It now sponsors four lectures a year which have been attracting audiences of between 80 and 100 people. Other reports from Local Secretaries are included in Appendix II to this Report. EXCURSIONS Favow·ed once again by the weather, the excursions were well-attended and members were given opportunities to visit more places of interest hitherto little known. The programme was arranged as follows:- Saturday, Corner Farm, Langley ; Church of St. Nicholas, 26th May Leeds ; Rumwood Court, Langley ; Stoneacre, Saturday, 23rd June Monday, 2nd July Saturday, 28th July Saturday, 1st September Otham. Church of St. Peter, Town House, Ightham Court and Oldbury Hill Camp, Ightham ; St. Clere, Kemsing. Tm·key Court, Maidstone. Excursion into Sussex : Sackville College, East Grinstead; Church of St. Botolph, Hardham ; Roman Villa, Bignor. Moated earthwork, Staplehurst ; Church of St. Lawrence, Hawkhurst ; Timber-framed houses, west of church, Hawkhurst ; Mill House, Sandhurst ; Site of Roman Road, Sandhurst Cross. The Society is very grateful indeed to those ladies and gentlemen who contributed so much towards the success of the excursions by doing everything possible, in spite of great inconvenience, to make its members welcome 􀅓t their homes. To Colonel and Mrs. T. B. Bunting and to Mr. A. R. Barker 1t is especially indebted for allowing visits to take place at Langley Corner Farm and the Mill House, Sandhurst, in their absence. The kindness of Colonel R. H. V. and Lady Cavendish was much appreciated during the visit to Ightham Court and the visits to Rumwood Court, Langley, to Town xlv REPORT, 1962 House, Ightham, and St. Clare, Kemsing, at most unsuitable times, were made light of by Mr. D. R. Greig and Mr. C. H. Goodhall, Mr. and Mrs. R. G. Crowe and Brigadier and Mrs. H. R. Norman, respectively. Although Lord Bossom was unavoidably prevented from receiving the President and sixty-one members, the visit to Stoneacre was a great success. Those who took part in the Sussex excursion were very grateful to the Matron, Miss C. I. Griffin, for making special arrangements for them to visit Sackville College at a time when it is not usually open to the public and to the Rev. W.R. Lloyd for his excellent lecture on Ha.rdham Church and its frescoes. At Hawkhurst, Mr. and Mrs. Harris and the Misses Falkengrin and Haldin excelled in welcoming their visitors and the description of the church by Rev. A. S. M. Leese was much appreciated. Under the guidance of Colonel J. D. Darell-Hill the visit to the site of the Roman road at Sandhurst Cross was enjoyed by all. All taking part had good cause to be grateful to Mr. D. B. Kelly for his guidance at Oldbury and to Mr. S. E. Rigold whose lectures were once again very valuable contributions during the excursions. FINANCE The Statement of Accounts for 1962 will be circulated with the notice convening the Annual General Meeting. That for 1961 which was similarly circulated is now printed in this volwne. Council has again this year to record with gratitude a further gift to the Society. The will of Miss D. E. Johnston of Appledore left to the Society the sum of £1,000. Out of this money has been pm·chased certain AngloSaxon jewellery found in the County earlier this century. APPENDIX 1 Reports o·n excavations supported and aided by the SociefAJ Preliminary Report dated 23rd September on the Excavations at Bigberry Camp, Harbledown (May-September, 1962). ·work commenced in May of this year and will continue at weekends until the onset of winter makes excavation impossible. The site is on land adjoining the garden of "Woodside House", immediately to the north of the supposed east entrance where there are three defence ditches. At present our excavations are confined to the inner ditch the southern part of which seems to terminate at a causeway, the latter much mutilated by two hollow ways which pass through the ramparts on the line of a disused section of the Pilgrims' Way. Our primary aim here is to prove whether or not there was a causeway and its relationship to the defences. The method of excavation is the so-called box system, and up to the present six trenches have been dug and are in the final stages of excavation. These are sited in the bottom of the inner ditch and have yielded useful information relating to the stratification. The primary silt overlying the bottom of the ditch has been examined and has yielded a few potsherds all of which are Kentish Early Iron Age A in character, being of thin greyish black clay containing particles of flint, but are too small and indeterminate for the shapes of the pots whence they derived, to be determined. Since we commenced the excavation the land has changed ownership, but the new owner, Mr. Dean, has kindly given his permission for us to continue our work for as long as we wish. This means that we can return next year and complete our investigations. xlvi REPORT, 1962 The nwnber of volunteers has been kept small in order that individuals can be trained with the maximum control, but when our area of search is extended it is hoped that these people will act as supervisers when more labour is needed. Up to the present the average number of volunteers has been six. Reculver The Reculver Excavation Group completed ita sixth season's work inside the Roman fort at the end of 1962, continuing work which commenced in 1952. Further confirmation of the conventional lay-out of 􀃚he fort was obtained. South of the Via Principalis the stone-built Principia, although largely destroyed, was found to have been 110 feet in width. The length was estimated as about 140 feet. It was thus one of the largest structures of ita type in an auxiliary fort in Bl'itain. The rear offices were found to have been about 19 feet wide and the crosshall (Basilica) about 35 feet in width. A small cistern, or water storage-tank, some 10 by 4 feet and 5 feet deep was discovered outside the east wall of the Principia. This had been robbed in Roman times. East of the Principia timber-framed structures based on masonry footings, first located in 1961, were again examined. What survived indicated living-accommodation other than barracks. Two infant-burials, one of which was certainly a foundation-deposit, had been concealed within these buildings. A defensive ditch, running north-south, and now traced for over 100 feet, contained coarse pottery of mid-first century date. A small pit close by produced two Samian Form 29's which are the first from the site. The two fort ditches were sectioned out.side the East wall. The inner ditch was 26 feet wide and 9 feet deep ; the outer 19 feet wide and about 7 feet deep. The berm was 20 feet wide. The deep primary silting was covered by bands of clay and blocks from the fort wall had fallen into the inner ditch. Eccles A note on this excavation is contained in the report of the Lower Medway Research Group (Appendix II). APPENDIX II Rep01·ts from Local Secretaries and Groups Bromley Mr. B. J. Philp reports on work by the West Kent Bo1·der Excavation Group: The West Kent Border Excavation Group carried out its third season's work on the extensive archreological features on Hayes Common. Several cutl'! were made through the system of agricultural banks centred on Hayes Court. The only datable material from these were fragments of a Late Bronze Age cylindrical clay loom-weight. This appears to be the first to be recorded from Kent. Nearby the only hut-circle examined proved to have a well preserved central post-hole and a small clay-lined pit containing 􀃛int flakes and a minute potsherd. Other finds in the immediate vicinity mclude a fragment of quern-stone, flint implements and waste and numerous " pot-boilers ", xlvii REPORT, 1962 Work in the adja.cer,t fields of West Wickham and Hayes continues during the winter months. Dover Mr. E. H. Bayly reports as follows : Activities round Dover, 1962 1. When a sewer was being laid along A2 between Dover and Lydden, it was discovered that for about 100 yards to the south of Watersend Bridge the modern road was rwming along the line of an older road, possibly the Roman one. This was 3 feet below the present surface, and consisted of hardcore varying between 3 feet and 6 inches in depth (National Grid Reference 61/280447). 2. In Dover Castle some excavations have been going on for about a yoar, as a result in the first place of a landslide on part of the "Saxon Earthworks" south of St. Mary-in-Castro. The occasion has been utilized to dig a trench through the earthwork, and it has now been excavated from near the foot close to the church. Evidence of an Iron Age settlement of the 1st century B.c. and 1st century A.D. has been revealed. Together with the Iron Age remains have been found fragments of Roman tiles, which it is assumed are connected with the building of the Pharos ; this would suggest that the Pharos was built in the let century A.D. Near the church a number of graves have been uncovered, dated by pottery to the end of the Saxon period, and sealed by the earthworks above. The earthworks themselves do not appear to have been earlier than the reign of Henry II, when an 8 foot high earthen rampart was erected ; this was enlarged to a height of 30 feet towards the middle of the 13th century, when a 25 foot ditch was also excavated in front. The excavations are continuing, under the supervision of Mr. Martin Biddle from the Ministry of Works. Gravesend Mr. A. F. Allen reports as follows : At Gravesend I. In November, 1961, at a depth of about 4 feet in East Crescent Road, Gravesend, a large and unusual coarse ware Medieval Bowl was recovered with the inside scored to make a grater. It is understood that Mr. Hirst of the Ministry of Works dates the object as about 1300, and a short report about this will be available for inclusion in next year's Archreowgia Cantiana. 2. Early in June, 1962, an interesting discovery was made in undisturbed river mud on the original foreshore in West Street at a depth of 5 feet. It comprised a complete Bellarmine jar, stopped with a lead plug. Upon the plug being removed, the contents were found to be 1 lb. 7 ozs. of brass pins, old fragments of brass, iron nails and small rings, lead from windows and a hank of hair. The jar is datable at about 1670 and its contents and place of discovery strongly suggest witchcraft. Such a complete find is uncommon, though other cases are recorded. The contents of the bottle, and the bottle itself have been submitted to Mr. Scholes of the B.I.S.R.A. for a complete scientific examination and it is hoped the full report will be available next year. 3. The hilt and part of a blade of a corroded late Medieval Rapier was recovered from the foreshore of the River Thames off the Customs House during the year. All these objects will be retained by the Gravesend Museum in due colll'Se, xlviii REPORT, 1962 At Shorne, near Gravesend The site of the medieval Manor House of Randall in Shorne has, with the kind permission of the Earl of Darnley, been partially excavated under the supervision of Mr. G. Dockrell. This Manor is mentioned in Volumes XI and XXIX of Archceologia Oantiana, and so far as is known, this is the first controlled excavation which has taken place on the site. Medieval pottery and a piece of what appears to be a large stone mortar together with a medieval hearth, ha.ve so far been found in an extensive complex of wall foundations. The approximate map reference of the site is 680704. It is hoped that further examination and a full report will be ma.de next year. Rochester Colonel E.T. L. Baker forwards the following reports (a) From Mr. P. J. Tester: Excavations have been undertaken this summer with a view to discovering the layout of the chantry college founded just six centuries ago on the south side of Cobham Church (Arch. Oant., XXVII and XLIII). Part of the medieval establishment is known to be incorporated in the almshouses which have occupied the site since late Elizabethan times. Although the excavations have been limited in scope, evidence has been obtained which will add considerably to an understanding of the College's architectural development, and will necessitate a modification of certain past theories. Within the quadrangle, substantial flint footings were traced parallel to the existing E. and W. ranges of almshouses but well in front of them, and these seem to indicate that the corresponding medieval ranges were approximately 6 feet wider than their sixteenth-century successors. Flanking the north side of the fourteenth-century hall there have been found remains of a pentice, or covered walk like a cloister, with some of the glazed floor-tiles still in position. Between the Church and the College the outline of a building attached to the south side of the chancel has been traced. Fragments of painted and gilded carved stonework and patterned floor-tiles were in association. Apparently the east and west ranges of the College were originally continued right up to the south side of the Church, with a processional way lefl through the lower storey for the convenience of the parishioners. Adjoining the south side of the hall it is evident that there was once a walled courtyard, equal in width (E. to W.) to the present College. The S.E. corner of this court was apparently occupied by the structure marked "The Ruins" on the plan in Arch. Oant., XLIII, p. 139. It is hoped that a revised plan showing the new discoveries, with fuller notes on their significance, will be published in due course. The work has been carried out by Mr. P. J. Tester with the able support of two of our Members, Mr. A. C. Harrison and Mr. H. A. James. (b) From Mr. A. C. Harrison : The Archreological Society of Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, Rochester, has continued its investigation of the Roman defences of the city, with a section cut across the line of the south wall in the Deanery Garden. The earliest features uncovered comprised a complete series of gullies and pits which produced first century pottery and suggested considerable activity at an early date in this area. The upper part of these REPORT, 1962 had, however, been destroyed by a large medieval exca.vation and it is not therefore possible to determine their size and natUI'e. Above this, and resting on top-soil which contained pottery of early second centmy date, are the remains of a clay rampart-bank. This is of precisely the same laminated construction as that noted in last year's excavations behind the east wall (V. Arch. Cant., LXXVI, p. lxxv) and had been cut away in front in just the same way when the wall was built. At this point all that remained of the wall was the concrete foundation, some 8 ft. wide and resting upon a foundation treneh 2 ft. 6 ins. in depth filled with rammed flints and earth. About 6 ft. in front of the wall foundation was the north edge of the ditch belonging to the clay rampart and filled with its debris, evidently at the time that the wall was built. It is hoped to trace this to the south next year and, possibly, to locate the wallditch also. The fill of the large medieval excavation mentioned above has pro• duced sherds of glazed pottery which are of some interest, and which suggest a 14th century date for it. The only coin so far found is a silver penny of King John, struck in Dublin about 1210, but this must, in view of the pottery, be regarded as a stray. (c) From Mr. Raymond E. Chaplin and Miss J.P. Coy : Cliffe, Kent, 1962 A fW'ther short season of excavation and fieldwork has been carried out on the cemetery and industrial site noted by the writers in Arch. Cant., LXXVI, p. 205. Two further cremation burials were excavated and also an inhumation. The season's work was concentrated on the industrial levels with interesting results ; however a much larger area will have to be cleared before any conclusions about the natUI'e of the industry and its practice can safely be drawn. Work on these levels is hampered by rapid flooding at all times. A burnt clay floor with post holes associated with the industrial phase was partly cleared ; through this, the inhumation grave was cut. A circular unfired clay structure with post holes, a sector of which was cleared, at present defies explanation or parallel but is associated with the industrial debris. The elucidation of this will form part of the basis of next season's work. (d) From Mr. Raymond E. Chaplin : Excavation.9 in Rochester, Winter 1961-62. A seven month rescue excavation was carried out by the writer on the site of nos. 50-54, High Street Rochester in advance of building operations. The work was sponsored by the City Corporation and the writer was assisted by Mr. A. C. Harrison with boys of the Mathematical School and other volnnteers. A number of important discoveries were made, some of which are detailed below. This is the largest area to have been available for excavation in the City and indicates the potential of such sites. It also demonstrates the considerable depth of Roman horizons in the City ; one must expect a minimum of 10 ft. of archreological horizons, exclusive of wells and deep pits. In general it may be noted in regard to this site that pottery and small finds groups were associated with a series of structures from circa A.D. 10 to the eighteenth centUI'y. The most important discovery was that of a Belgic occupation beneath l REPORT, 1962 Claudian deposits. In this deposit were found pieces of Belgic coin moulds, slag, coins, brooches, etc., associated with a gravel trackway and ditches. Tin money of both classes was found in some quantity. A large structure recovered in plan from post-holes could well have been the mint. Conclusive evidence was found of the Roman Watling Street having been constructed as a single trackway with a small side ditch at or about the time of the conquest. This suffered a single remake before being converted into a dual carriageway with a central stone-lined ditch by the addition of a southern carriageway, the new road being at least 22 ft. overall. Seven superimposed remakes of the northern carriage-way were note.d, the southern one apparently surviving but two remakes. It should be stated here that these roads hear no resemblance to those indicated as Watling Street by George Payne. Considerable remains of Roman buildings were found. No definite Migration period level was to be observed but a sherd of Andenne ware was removed from a possible cess tank of this period. A useful group of later Tudor wares was recovered from a chalk steened well. Two witch deposits apparently of this period were recovered from beneath the floor of cellar 52. A detailed report of this excavation is in progress. The Lower Medway Research Group reports: The Lower Medway Research Group has made steady and encouraging progress in the first full year of its existence. Membership now includes most people actively engaged in research in the area, and efforts are being made to include everybody thus interested. The excavations on the Romano-British building at Eccles have progressed well under the directorship of Mr. A. P. Detsicas. A further series of aerial surveys, undertaken by members of the Group, have produced photographs revealing excellent crop marks showing many further details of this large site. The work carried out so far has been made possible by grants from the Society, and the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust through the C.B.A. Aerial photographs of other possible sites in the Lower Medway valley, have also been taken by the Group. These photographs are still being studied. The· Group has published a paper entitled " The Preparation of a Regional Survey " by M. A. Ocock; being the first of a series of occasional papers. Copies are obtainable from the Honorary Secretary of the Group Mr. E. R. Swain. · The co-operation of local authorities and other bodies has been obtained in securing advance information on development and building projects, enabling a watch to be maintained in the initial stages on many such sites. An index is maintained detailing a.ll known published information on archreologioal sites in 27 parishes in the area. Some m1published information is also now being included. Members are free to use these records and also to receive other help given from time to time, such as aid in " emergency " digs ; circulating requests for assistance on specific problems ; etc. Members have also conducted excavations in Rochester and Chatham, surveyed timber-framed buildings in Aylesford and Cobham, and assisted as " diggers " in a number of excavations both in, and outside, the Medway area. A monthly newsletter is distributed to members, and a meeting held nearly every month, enabling experience, help and advice to be exchanged. Ii