EMERGENCY EXCAVATIONS AT OTFORD PALACE, 1974
INTERIM REPORT
By c. P. WARD
IN August 1972, the Otford and District Historical Society drew the
attention of the Department of the Environment to the impending
development of the undulating piece of land abutting Bubblestone
Road, Otford, east of the known foundations of the medieval portion
of the archiepiscopal manor-house later known as Otford Palace
(N.G.R. TQ 528591).
The ownership of the estate by the Church dated back certainly to
.A..D. 821, and it remained in the hands of the Archbishops of Canterbury
until 1537 when, together with Knole, it passed to the Crown in
exchange for other properties. It faded from history at the end of the
sixteenth century.1
An approach was made to the then owner of the land with a view
to ascertaining the significance of the area of the Manor, but it was
only in December 1973, following further representations to the
authorities, that permission was granted to the Society's Archaeological
Group (ODAG) to carry out an exploratory excavation with the
approval of the developer, Messrs. Foven Construction Company Ltd.,
ofSwanley, which had just purchased the land with planning approval
for four houses.
During January to March 1974, work was carried out by ODAG
under the direction of the writer in conjunction with the Dartford and
Darent Valley Archreological Research Group, and the Fawkham and
Ash Archreological Group, led by Mr. R. M . Walsh, with valuable
assistance from members of the Kent Archreological Society, the
Tonbridge Historical Society, the Maidstone Area Archreological
Group, the Sevenoaks School Archreological Society, boys from
Wildernesse School, Sevenoaks, and local volunteers, who in eight
week-ends uncovered substantially the entire plan of the south-eastern
corner of the medieval manor-house with overlying Tudor buildings
of Archbishop Warham's palace.
The exploratory phase of the work was concluded in mid-March
when plans drawn by the Group were placed in the hands of, and the
site passed to, the Department of the Environment. Negotiations are
in progress between the developer, the local authority and the Depart.
1 R. D. Clarke and A. D. Stoyel, Otf<>rd in Ken History (forthcoming).
199
C.P. WARD
ment of the Environment to decide the future of the site, and it is to be
hoped that the land may be preserved for posterity as an open space.
Special gratitude is due to Mr. P. E. Leach, F.R.I.B.A., who in
addition to providing valued help with interpretation, surveyed the site
and prepared the plans as the work advanced, and to Messrs. F. L.
Clarke, B.A. and E. G. Spurr, of the Group, on whom fell much of the
burden of co-ordinating the work, and also to Mr. P. J. Tester, F.S.A.,
for his advice and encouragement. ODAG also wishes to express its
gratitude to Messrs. Foven Construction Company Ltd., for readily
permitting the excavation which led to the recovery by the Group of a
further section of the plan of this important building complex and,
incidentally, highlighted the inaccuracy of the only published plan of
Otford Pala.ce.2 Continuing a. long-term project the Group hopes in
future to recover further sections of the ground-plan of this important
residence, with the ultimate object of presenting a cogent plan of the
whole of this historic building, said in its heyday to have rivalled
Hampton Court.
In view of the limited time available for excavation, and dense
woodland covering part of the site, exploratory trenches were dug,
of limited depth near the house sites, and in some oases expanded into
adjacent areas of interest. These resulted in the discovery of the southeast
corner of the building complex and the location and width of the
moat, hitherto known only from documentary evidence. The sections
indicated that development had taken pla.ce from west to east by
enlargement of the original, probably island, site with soil being tipped
in the moat at ea.eh phase of building.
The following sequence is suggested for this pa.rt of the site:
Period 1. Building or extension of the ma.nor house with a. bank to its
east falling into either the embryo moat or to marshy ground. The
nature of the finds in this area is consistent with those of kitchen refuse,
and dates from the middle of the twelfth century. A scatter of RomanoBritish
tile-fragments was also present.
Period 2. Building of the south-east tower and south and east wings;
destruction of the Period 1 building is suggested by roof-tiling debris
lying on the above-mentioned bank, followed by levelling up with spoil
and, finally, with chalk to form the ground-floor base of the new building.
The under-floor water-channel was contemporary with the walls
a.butting the moat.
The thickness of the west wall of the tower, together with the shape
of the robbing that has ta.ken place, suggested the inclusion of a.staircase
2 Arch. Oant., xxxi (1915), facing p. 5.
200
OTFORD
1974
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I. Topsoil; la. Destruction debri.s on traces of a turf-line; 2. Chalk fill with mortar; 3. Yellow sand on mortar (construction layer); 4. Thin layer of brick dust
(conRtruction layer); 5a, 5<,. Chalky loam; 5b. Chalky loam, rather darker; 6. Ch&.iky loam with small debris; 7. Roof-tile debris; 8. Chalk and flint; Sa. Chalky
loam; 9. Chalk; 10. Grey soil with roof-tile and domestic rubbish. The ba,,c, of this layer in the moat was at water-level; severe.I leather shoes were discovered at
this point; 1 l. Bank of •ellow soil; 12. Gre>· soil of unknown depth; I 3. Packed brick, tilo and mortar; 14. Loam and building debris.
(I""• p. 200
EMERGENCY EXCAVATIONS AT OTFORD PALACE, 1974
and/or garderobe and the existence of the latter was confirmed at a late
stage in this excavation by the discovery of a latrine with a brick base
sloping into the water-channel. The tops of the dividing stone-walls of
the adjacent latrine were also discovered, and the size of the assumed
garderobe suggests that there may have been a range of latrines set in
this wall.
The side of the excavated latrine was of coursed brickwork with
stone above; this was the only instance of this sequence found on the
site which, together with the poor bonding of the stone to the adjacent
wall, suggests that the latrines may have been rebuilt or relined at a
later date. There would have been little flow of water through the internal
water-course without some form of sluicing, and it is to be expected
that some such arrangement existed to provide a suitable scouring
action from time to time.
Periods 2 or 3. Numerous traces of brick superstructure imposed
upon Period 2-stonework were found, but it is not clear whether this
formed part of Period 2 or a later reconstruction; in one case (Wall 8}
the brick overlaps the edge of the stone suggesting that they were not
contemporary. In that area, a fire-blackened, flat and brick-paved
hearth was found together with what may have been another hearth
but with no blackening; it may, therefore, have been a recess or cupboard.
In both cases, traces remain of brick sides and backs. Nearby
was a dressed stone-plinth, and a course of level bedded stone, which
may have been the jamb and threshold of a doorway leading from the
tower into the east wing.
Period 3. The moat was filled with chalk which included some
Romano-British material, the provenance of which is unknown.
However, several possible sources lie on the nearby North Downs. The
making-up of the ground-level necessitated further drainage, and two
brick-channels were formed to the south and north of the tower, having
at least three 'manholes' serving probably the dual role of receiving
pipes from above and providing access for cleaning. Tho northerly
drain falls to the north-ea,st end of the under-floor water-course and
traces were found of a rough brick-wall forming a channel apparently
from the direction of the spring whose waters still flow past the site.
This would have been used to feed the water-system required by the
filling-in of the moat. Documentary evidence points to its having had a
wooden roof to support the garden when the palace was in occupation.
Period 4. The destruction of this complex deposited a considerable
scatter of debris over the site directly beneath the topsoil. Demolition
was generally to just below ground-level, although certain area.s,
201
C.P. WARD
notably the east wall of the tower and the soffit to the under-floor
water-course, were subject to extensive robbing due, in the first
instance, probably to the greater fall of ground and, in the second,
possibly to superior material having been used in the soffit. It may
be worthy of note that the nearby conduit to the north, carrying the
stream, recently surveyed, has in general a flat brick Tudor arch; also
worthy of comment is the fact that the heavy stone-slabs used for
the tops of the Period 3 drains were not robbed.
It is likely that the major part of the dismantling took place in the
seventeenth century, but the removal of the soffit to the internal watercourse
may have occurred as late as the eighteenth century judging
by the debris incorporated in the loose rubble fill.
MATERIALS
Period 1
Generally Kentish ragstone set in yellow mortar.
Period 2
Walls of Kentish ragstone, random faced externally, with rubble
in-fill set in yellow mortar. A free-stone ashlar block 325 x 250 x 125
mm. (13 x 10 x 5 in.) was discovered in the tower, suggesting that the
extensively robbed areas may have been faced with this as also were
probably the upper parts of the latrines. The walls of the water-course
appear to be of dressed limestone blocks and the bottom of chalk slabs.
Period 3
The new drains were built up on ragstone rubble foundations from
the bottom of the moat and provided a 225 x 225 mm. (9 x 9 in.)
channel with a flat chalk or brick bottom, a half-brick wall on one side
and a whole-brick wall on the other (outer) side, having massive capstones
of what may be Sarsen. The size of brick used in this phase of the
building is of the order of 230 x ll0 x 50 mm. (9 X 4¼ x 2 in.). Some of
these have a curious groove around both top and bottom-the purpose,
if any, of which is not understood, but must have been formed in the
mould.
Roof-tiles (broken) of various cambers and sizes of the order of
145x225xl2½ mm. (5¾X9x½ in.) were recovered. They comprised
two identifiable types, both probably manufactured on the estate:
(a) having round or square peg-holes, and (b) having similar, smaller,
nail-holes. Evidence for re-use of the former is provided by nails
securing them by means of small pierced lead plates spanning the
peg-holes.
202
EMERGENCY EXCAVATIONS AT OTFORD PALACE, 1974
SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL OBJEOTS RECOVERED
l. Rtone: Fragments of moulding; 2. Brick and tile: Romano-British
teyulae and box-tiles. Medieval to Tudor brick and roofing-tile fragments.
Enoaustio tile; 3. Pottery: Sherds ranging from twelfth century
to modern; 4. Glass: Fragments of window-glass; 5. Iron: Nails of
various sizes. Tudor purse frame. Nineteenth-century box-look pistol;
6. Lead: Trimming from sheet. Beading from window(?). Tile-retaining
plates; 7. Brass (latten): Bell; 8. Pewter: Spoon; 9. Bone: A considerable
quantity of animal bones, some bearing evidence of butchery; 10.
Leather: Remains of shoes; ll. Wood: Lengths of timber. Portion of
comb.
These finds will be the subject of a separate report.
203
