KAS Newsletter, Issue 100, Winter 2014

THE VOYAGES OF THE OLE CRUMLIN-PEDERSEN THE OLDEST AND LARGEST SOCIETY DEVOTED TO THE HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE ANCIENT COUNTY OF KENT ISSUE 100 - WINTER 2014 www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Lyminge 2014 Defence of Swale Bywater’s Travels Randall Manor ISSUE 100 - WINTER 2014 President: Ian Coulson president@kentarchaeology.org.uk Hon. General Secretary: Peter Stutchbury secretary@kentarchaeology.org.uk Assistant Hon. General Secretary: Kate Kersey assistantsecretary@kentarchaeology.org.uk Hon. Membership Secretary: Shiela Broomfield membership@kentarchaeology.org.uk Hon. Treasurer: Barrie Beeching treasurer@kentarchaeology.org.uk Hon. Editor: Terry G. Lawson honeditor@kentarchaeology.org.uk Hon. Librarian: Pernille Richards librarian@kentarchaeology.org.uk Hon. Curator: Dr Andrew Richardson andrew.richardson@canterburytrust.co.uk Research: Ted Connell ted.connell@btinternet.com Press: Paul Tritton paul.tritton@btinternet.com Newsletter: Lyn Palmer newsletter@kentarchaeology.org.uk From the President Welcome to the second of our new series of Newsletters. In Spring we published our events edition with an annual programme which allowed you to plan activities for the year. In this Newsletter we are concentrating on a series of articles covering the archaeology and local history of Kent. Our base in the Library at Maidstone Museum continues to be well used and there are various activities for volunteers on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, so do drop in if you are interested in investigating the Society collections. If you are visiting the Museum take a trip to the Withdrawing Room Gallery where our Anglo Saxon collections have been re-displayed with new labels and interpretation. These collections will be of particular interest if you visited the excavations at Lyminge this summer. The Society website continues to develop with new resources being added all the time. Keeping the website up and running is something of a challenge as it has so many pages and several associated websites. Over the next few years we are planning to increase the resources available and make navigation easier. This is a mammoth task so I hope you will be patient as we make the changes. Ian Coulson, President ON THE FRONT COVER The Ole Crumlin-Pedersen The replica Dover Boat at sea KENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY KAS Library Maidstone Museum & Bentlif Art Gallery St Faith’s Street Maidstone ME14 1LH The oldest and largest society devoted to the history and archaeology of the ancient county of Kent 2 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk 24 Lyminge 4 Woodnesborough well 10 Events planner 12 Randall Manor 14 Sandhills 20 Hasted Prize 22 Voyages of the Ole Crumlin-Pedersen 24 You & Your society 26 Analysis of KAS Survey 29 Prehistory in the Curriculum 31 Report on study day at Hythe 32 Witham Bywater’s Travels 34 Retrieving Lost Archaeological Archives 38 Defence of Swale 40 New Huguenot Centre 48 www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 3 4 34 40 EXCAVATING ANGLO-SAXON LYMINGE: THE FINAL SEASON ON TAYNE FIELD By Dr Alexandra Knox Department of Archaeology University of Reading 4 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk In 2012, the Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded excavations at Lyminge, Kent, uncovered a spectacular Anglo-Saxon feasting hall, the first of its kind to be fully excavated for a generation. Now, with the completion of the last excavation of this funded phase in the summer of 2014, the number of grand, ceremonial 7th century halls totals five, the largest of which was rebuilt on the same footprint in at least three phases. www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 5 Over the last three years of excavations, Project partners Kent Archaeological Society have helped to make the excavations on Tayne Field, Lyminge such a success. Unofficially, volunteers from KAS have joined the University of Reading-based team, led by Dr Gabor Thomas, since excavations in the village first began in 2007. The emergence of a royal vill The summer of 2014 saw the culmination of three years’ work on Tayne Field. The discoveries are no less spectacular than any other season thus far, each conclusively proving high status 5th-7th century AD occupation of the spur in the centre of the modern village of Lyminge. Previous seasons of open area excavation in more southerly parts of the village were focused on the 7th-9th century monastic phase of occupation. The first glimpses of pre-Christian occupation were seen in 2010 with the discovery of four sunken-featured buildings (timber structures built above a rectangular pit) containing a wealth of high-status material such as vessel glass and brooches. The 2010 season also saw the entirely unexpected discovery of the very first 7th century Anglo-Saxon plough coulter, a technology thought lost in this period, and excavations since then have served to expand on these initial exciting discoveries on an unprecedented scale in Kent. In 2012 the funding granted by the AHRC enabled the team to begin to excavate on Tayne Field, the large open area in Lyminge currently used as a communal green space and surrounded to the south and east by the river Nailbourne. Over the past three years a picture of an important and wealthy pagan royal vill has emerged, with high status artefacts such as a gilt copperalloy horse-harness mount and an imported bone gaming piece excavated from the wall trenches of the ceremonial feasting halls themselves. High-status artefacts such as these, as well as vessel glass, gilt brooches, glass beads and other copper alloy dress accessories are usually found in the realm of the dead rather than the living. The bone gaming piece, the receipt of much media attention, is only paralleled at the princely burial of Taplow, in Buckinghamshire, objects now held in the British Museum. At Lyminge many of the artefact types discovered in the settlement are also reflected in the cemetery north of the village excavated in the 1950s. Objects from these excavations belong to KAS and a selection is on permanent display in Maidstone Museum. ABOVE The plough coulter, excavated in 2010, the very first 7th Century coulter to be discovered in England. (c) University of Reading BELOW Bone gaming piece excavated from the wall trench of a timber hall in 2013 (c) University of Reading A timber feasting hall The 2014 excavations were the most ambitious yet, seeing two trenches opened rather than the usual 30 x 30m trench of the past few years. One of these trenches was positioned to find more of a timber hall partially revealed in the 2013 excavations in an extension 6 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk LEFT / BELOW Saxon Glass beads from Lyminge, excavated in 2014 (c) University of Reading RIGHT Decorated mount from a horse harness found in 2012 and on display at Dover Museum, dating to 525-575 AD. (c) University of Reading, photo by Dana Goodburn-Brown to the main trench. It was suspected that this hall, with its extremely large external raking posts and post-intrench construction might be the largest of the halls on Tayne Field, perhaps larger than the hall fully excavated in 2012 which measured 21 x 8.5 m. While it was not possible to excavate the entirety of the hall due to surrounding modern buildings and later Second World War structures, what was revealed suggests that the structure could be up to 30m long. Construction techniques varied as the hall was rebuilt on the same footprint at least three times, beginning with walls constructed of pairs of timber planks positioned vertically within dug-out wall trenches. These rectangular planks were visible as darker soil marks, something present in all of plank-in-trench constructed timber halls excavated in the last three years. The second phase saw the most elaborate construction, rebuilt with single large planks in the wall trenches and very large raking posts positioned www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 7 on the outside of the structure, angled to support the roof. A third phase showed the abandonment of the plank-in-trench system, entirely replaced by large round post holes. Evidence for internal partition walls and the lengthening of the hall was also apparent. An unprecedented feature The find of a timber hall on this scale and with such a range of construction methods is exciting on its own, but the 2014 season held many more surprises. A 30 x 30m trench was opened to the north and east of the hall trench, directly over a Bronze Age ring ditch surrounding a now ploughed-away barrow and a highly unusual anomaly visible on the geophysical survey and appearing to measure some 14 x 12m. Small test trenches and test pits undertaken a few months before the main summer dig had confirmed Bronze Age and Anglo-Saxon dates respectively for these features, so the aim of this trench was to establish a potential relationship between any Anglo-Saxon features and the Bronze Age ring ditch, and to investigate the large area containing Anglo-Saxon midden material. As well as the 20m diameter Bronze Age ring ditch with five cremations at its centre, the team were thrilled to discover several overlapping phases of a 6th century post-built timber hall (dated through diagnostic metalwork discovered in the post holes), a building type long sought on Tayne Field after the discovery of several sunken-featured buildings of a similar date, and proving extended settlement prior to the construction of the grand timber halls. The investigations into the nature and use of the ‘anomaly’ on the geophysics, however, contained the greatest surprises. Initial excavations, using a 1 x 1m grid system across the area to help keep a record of the spatial distributions of artefacts, indicated a large midden area. Surface indications were very promising with an area visibly full of charcoal, animal bone RIGHT An aerial view of Trench 2, 2014, showing the timber hall running east-west (c) University of Reading. Photo by AD Photographics RIGHT An aerial view of Trench 1, 2014, with the midden area in the top right (southeast) corner and the 6th century hall to the west. (c) Universtiy of Reading. Photo by AD Photographics ABOVE Bird-shaped copper alloy fitting and small-long brooch, Lyminge (c) University of Reading, photo by John Piddock 8 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk and a whole assortment of Anglo- Saxon artefacts. The squares gave a consistent picture of feasting debris, including a steady stream of luxury vessel glass (a total of 200 sherds were excavated from this area alone), as well as a wealth of evidence for specialised production in the form of the debris from iron smelting and copper-alloy metalworking. Diagnostic dressaccessories excavated from this area suggest a sixth-century date. Quite quickly it was realised that this area, unusually for early Anglo- Saxon archaeology, was of some depth, and the grid system was abandoned in favour of an east-west slot across the whole area. This slot began to reveal extensive iron smelting and smithing slag, along with the debris from raked out furnaces and burnt kiln material, with Saxon glass and artefacts throughout. An in situ hearth showed the use of this area not just as the repository for waste material, but as an area of production too. The depth of this midden area surprised the whole team, given the usual ephemeral nature of early Saxon archaeology. At a depth of about 1.5m extensive animal bone, including cow skulls and other feasting waste along with decorated pottery began to be found, and underlying these layers a very clean clay horizon. Excavation of this clay revealed that it overlay a course of large flint nodules that had been deliberately placed, either as a surface or a platform – the purpose of which currently eludes the team, as there appear to be no parallels in Anglo-Saxon archaeology that might suggest what this area was dug for. Radiocarbon dating of associated animal bone has proven this flint nodule area to be late Roman or later, however, augering has proven that the deposit extends at least another 1.4m below the laid flint, suggesting a maximum depth to the whole area of over three metres! Lyminge: an elite settlement excavated by the community The excavation of this highly unusual and unprecedented feature raises a great many more questions than it answers. Even with the large and dedicated team of volunteers from the local community, KAS and beyond, it was not possible to fully excavate the midden area, but the wealth of evidence, both artefactual and stratigraphic, will provide food for thought for a long time to come. With the excavation of timber halls containing in situ artefacts, and the productivity of this highly distinctive 6th century midden area, Lyminge has produced what seems to be the largest and most spectacular assemblage from a high-status settlement in Anglo- Saxon England. It must be emphasised that excavation on such a scale, as testified by the aerial photographs presented here, could not have been undertaken without the army of students, dedicated volunteers from the village, from local archaeological groups, and from KAS that joined the team year after year on Tayne Field and indeed since 2007. Working closely with project partners KAS and staff from Canterbury Archaeological Trust (CAT) has enabled a great sharing of expertise, local knowledge and surprising avenues of interest. It is the large number of volunteers that enabled us to be flexible and to cope with the sheer quantity of archaeology in each trench, supporting the team in making the astounding discoveries of the last few years in Lyminge. LEFT Glass vessel fragments excavated from the midden area (c) University of Reading, photo by John Piddock RIGHT TOP The flint nodules in the midden, partially removed to show the clay beneath (c) University of Reading RIGHT BOTTOM Recording the slot through the midden area (C) University of Reading www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 9 The site lies some 600 metres northeast of Woodnesborough parish church, at the foot of a ridge of high ground, over-looking Sandwich and the South Poulders marshes; NGR TR 31090 57264. A visit in March 2014 showed the well site to be situated in the corner of a ploughed field at the foot of a steep, over-grown lynchet bank, almost 2 metres high, but there were no surface traces of any well here, or even damp ground. Local enquiries provided little further information concerning the lost well, beyond the fact that the site is known locally, and more correctly, as Conduit Well. At the invitation of the current owners, Mr and Mrs Hall, who have a particular interest in the lost well, members of the Dover Archaeological Group undertook an investigation of the site between March and June 2014. Excavation led to the discovery of the remains of a small stone-built conduit house, buried in the lynchet bank, with portions of its medieval walls still standing to a height of more than one metre. Inside the little building an intact, capped-off well shaft was found. Convent or Conduit Well originated in the medieval period and the site once belonged to the Carmelite Friary at Sandwich, located some 2km to the north-east. A single documentary Large-scale Ordnance Survey maps of the Sandwich region have, since the nineteenth century, regularly marked the site of Convent Well at Woodnesborough. reference of the early fourteenth century records the only known details: 1306, Thomas Shelving bequeathed to the friars ‘a plot of land in Woodnesborough, 12ft by12ft [3.65m], with a spring there, to enclose it and make an underground conduit through his land to their house’. Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edward III, 1301–1307. Thomas Shelving was a leading Sandwich wool merchant who came from a wealthy, long established family that held a large manorial estate at Woodnesborough (Clarke 2010 et al., 287, note 76). The Carmelite Friary at Sandwich (Whitefriars) was established in about 1268, built across low-lying marshland on the edge of town. Its site is now largely covered by modern housing but excavations have recovered its plan (Rigold 1965; Parfitt 1993). The conduit house enclosed a central well shaft 0.84m square and over 1.60m (5ft 3ins) deep. The shaft itself had been very carefully constructed. At the base, layers of laid flint cobbles set in clay provided a foundation for rough, large, horizontal slabs of 10 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Convent Well at Woodnesborough rediscovered undressed ragstone, positioned along each side of the intended shaft. These slabs gave solid support for the main well lining, which consisted of five courses of neatly cut and laid blocks of Caen stone, extending to a height of about1.20m. No water inlets were present in this block work and, as seen during the excavation, the natural spring water flowed in through the basal cobbles. Although there were no inlet holes in the sides of the well, the north-east side of the shaft showed clear evidence of an original outlet. About halfway up the shaft wall, a Caen stone block drilled with a roughly circular hole about 0.10m in diameter occurred. This clearly represented an original outlet for the accumulated spring water and must have discharged into the culvert leading away to the friary. The top of the well shaft was protected within the small, square, conduit house, which measured internally 1.11m across (3ft 8ins). This appeared to be contemporary with shaft and had walls between 0.38 and 0.50m thick. These survived up to a height of 1.35m (4ft 5ins), being best preserved where they were built into the pre-existing lynchet bank on the south-western side. Forward of the bank, the north-east wall was completely missing, possibly destroyed in recent times. The remaining walls of the building were constructed from mortared flint cobbles, with some Caen stone; the corners were turned in medieval yellow-pink brick. Traces of internal rendering showed that the walls had originally been plastered. A series of roughly laid ragstone blocks exposed on the north-western slope of the lynchet bank appeared to represent the collapsed remains of a crude flight of steps that once led down to the well site from the trackway that runs along the top of the bank. Two bricks, probably of later eighteenth or early nineteenth century date, incorporated with the stones suggest a post-medieval date for these steps, perhaps c. 1800. Thus, although the steps were not part of the original medieval arrangement, they do imply that fairly regular access to the well site continued to be required until relatively recent times. The only significant modification made to the original medieval structure itself, occurred sometime during the mid–late twentieth century, when a new underground pipe was inserted to convey the still-flowing spring water away from the well. The shaft was then sealed with concrete slabs and the enclosing conduit house buried under tonnes of soil, rubble and general rubbish tipped down the bank from the west. With this covering material in place, all traces of Convent Well were lost. After a few weeks re-exposed in 2014, the well site has now been back-filled for safety and to preserve it for the future. Bibliography Clarke, H., Pearson, S., Mate, M. and Parfitt, K., 2010 Sandwich – The ‘Completest Medieval Town in England’: A Study of the Town and Port from its Origins to 1600 (Oxbow, Oxford). Parfitt, K., 1993 ‘Excavations at the Carmelite Friary Sandwich, 1971 and 1993’, Kent Archaeol. Rev. 113, 59–63. Rigold, S.E., 1965 ‘Two Kentish Carmelite Houses – Aylesford and Sandwich’, Arch. Cant., LXXX, 1–28. www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 11 LEFT At work on the well. RIGHT The excavated structure looking west. Scales, one metre and 50cm. JANUARY CANTERBURY HISTORICAL & ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY PROGRAMME 2014 – 2015 Meetings take place in Newton Lecture Ng03, Canterbury Christ Church University, starting at 7.30 p.m., except where indicated. Joining the CHAS is £10 for a year (call 01227 780245) and visitors are welcome at lectures by paying £3 at the door. No pre-booking is required. Wednesday 14 January The Men Behind the Pen Imogen Corrigan, Researcher and Lecturer Saturday 31 January at 18.00pm The Frank Jenkins Memorial Lecture: the Annual Review of the work of Canterbury Archaeological Trust Paul Bennett, Director Venue: Old Sessions House, Canterbury Christ Church University FEBRUARY CANTERBURY HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Wednesday 11 February Canterbury’s Bluestocking: Elizabeth Estob (1683-1756) and the Anglo-Saxon revival Jackie Eales, Christ Church Canterbury University FRIENDS OF CANTERBURY ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRUST Wednesday 25 February Dr Catherine Richardson (University of Kent), ‘The early modern household’ Joint lecture with the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies, University of Kent 7.00pm. Lecture Theatre 3, Grimond Building, University of Kent MARCH KENT HISTORY AND LIBRARY CENTRE TALK Thursday 5 March | 6.30pm Why does Faversham have its Magna Carta? Peter Tann Price £3.00, booking advisable An examination of one of Kent’s most important documents, set in the context of Faversham’s surviving medieval charters. For details call 03000 413131 or email: historyandlibrarycentre@kent.gov.uk CANTERBURY HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Wednesday 11 March The English and the French in Norman Kent and Canterbury Richard Eales, formerly University of Kent THE LAST PLACE GOD MADE: LIVES AND LANDSCAPE IN THE NORTH KENT MARSHLAND DAY SCHOOL SATURDAY 14 MARCH 10.30-16.30 Dr Gillian Draper | Canterbury Christ Church University Campus campus | £29.50 The marshes of north Kent set the scene for Great Expectations and have been an anticipated location of ‘Boris Island’. We shall explore the origins of the extraordinary remoteness of the Hoo Peninsula, Grain and the Isle of Sheppey from the Roman and medieval periods. The north Kent marshes were part of the Original Lands of Kentish settlement 1300 years ago, and we will investigate why this was so. From new historical and archaeological research, we will consider the notable medieval chapels, churches and priories and the early reclamation which allowed the area’s valuable resources to be exploited. Lastly we will investigate the contrast between the profoundly localized way of life of local people and the rich, influential outsiders, including Londoners, who were connected to this important area for wealth and defence. For bookings, see www.canterbury.ac.uk/ community-arts-education or tel. 01227 863451, or email education.communityarts@canterbury.ac.uk 12 Winter 2014- Kent Archaeology Society - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk EVENTS Planning an event, conference or visit? Please note that the Editor must receive details of all events during 2015 for listing in the March Newsletter by February 1st KAS Event FRIENDS OF CANTERBURY ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRUST Wednesday 25 March Professor Louise Wilkinson (CCCU)| ‘Women in the Age of Magna Carta’ at 7.00pm. Lecture Theatre Ng03, Newton Building, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury campus. FCAT request donations of £2.00 for members, £3.00 for non-members and £1.00 for students to cover costs and to help the work of Canterbury Archaeological Trust. JOINT KENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, CCCU CENTRE FOR REGIONAL KENT HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE NEW DIRECTIONS IN KENT HISTORY SINCE THIRSK Saturday 28 March 10.00 (register from 9.30) to 16.30 Old Sessions House, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury campus PROGRAMME 9.30–10.00 Registration 10.00–10.15 Welcome: Professor Jackie Eales, CRKHA Director 10.15–11.15 Session 1: Early Modern Towns. Duncan Harrington, ‘Early education and apprenticeship in Faversham’ Dr Sandra Dunster, ‘Feeding the dockyard: the fight for Chatham Market 1660–1712’ 11.15–11.45 Coffee 11.45–12.45 Session 2: Producers and Consumers Dr Lorraine Flisher, ‘Adjusting to the market: the Clothier elite and entrepreneurship in the Weald of Kent during the 17th century’ Dr Sheila Sweetinburgh, ‘Going to visit: an imaginary tour of Sir Peter Buck’s house in 17th-century Rochester’ 12.45–14.00 Lunch (make own arrangements) 14.00–15.00 Session 3: Challenging Authority in the Countryside Dr Susan Pittman, ‘As interface between lords and locals: the deer keeper’s dilemma in Elizabethan and Jacobean Kent’ Dr Paula Simpson, ‘‘I marveyle what yow meine to carry my tythe barley away’: tithing out in the Kentish countryside’ 15.00–15.30 Tea 15.30–16.30 Session 4: Kent and the Wider World Dr Claire Bartram, ‘Plough and pen: reviewing the place of agricultural texts and authors in early modern society’ Dr Andy Kesson, ‘Canterbury onstage and backstage at the London playhouses’ Tickets £18 (lunch not provided – bring your own or see campus/ city outlets) Booking: Tickets available through Dr Sheila Sweetinburgh, 11 Caledon Terrace, Canterbury CT1 3JS, please enclose your details/requirements (form available on KAS and CRKHA websites), and a cheque made payable to: Canterbury Christ Church University, and a S.A.E. APRIL KAS CHURCHES COMMITTEE VISIT SATURDAY 18 APRIL To Westwell and Hothfield churches (near Ashford). Meet at 13.45 for 14.00 at Westwell and go on to Hothfield where tea will be provided. See KAS website for details and to book. www.kentarchaeology.org.uk - Winter 2014 - Kent Archaeology Society 13 14 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Archaeological background The manor’s existence remained in the local consciousness despite the buildings being demolished in the late 1500s. We know that members of the Darnley family (of nearby Cobham Hall) investigated the site in the early twentieth century, although no records survive. In the 1960s, George Dockrell, a school teacher from Gravesend, conducted excavations at the manor with the help of his pupils, Randall Manor: Community Archaeology Works! By Roger Cockett, Andrew Mayfield and Richard Taylor ABOVE Fig 1 Overhead shot of the northern part of the manor platform. (courtesy of Dean Barkley) reigniting local interest in the site. Fortunately, George ensured the details of his work were sent to the National Monuments Record, flagging up the site for future archaeologists. Excavations were possible at this time as the chestnut woodland which now surrounds the manor had been coppiced. Although George hoped to excavate the site further, his work was generally limited to one building, which turned out to be the kitchen. He and his pupils uncovered a ragstone hearth at the centre of the kitchen and an earlier tiled hearth which it replaced. He documented the site through photographs and in his notebooks, which we now have. A small assemblage of finds was deposited at Maidstone Museum. Meanwhile, the woods encroached back on the site. Forty years later, archaeologists returned to This article describes the results of a nine year programme of community archaeology excavation funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and supported by Kent County Council. Work has focused on the site of Randall Manor, home to the de Cobham family for two hundred years. The manor now sits within Shorne Woods Country Park, east of Gravesend. The authors present a detailed historical study of Randall Manor and the de Cobham family (see Appendix), alongside the findings of the archaeological excavations. www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 15 ABOVE Fig 2 LiDAR image, with the manor site at centre BELOW Fig 3 the tomb of Henry de Cobham in Shorne Church Shorne Woods Country Park. In 2005 a Heritage Lottery Fund grant created a community archaeologist post for the Park. Lyn Palmer, the first incumbent, ably assisted by an enthusiastic and growing Shorne Woods Archaeology volunteer group, revived interest in the Park’s heritage and the manor’s archaeology. In the summer of 2006 the artificially levelled rectangular platform on which the manor house sits was cleared of trees. Excavation work initially focused on finding and re-excavating George Dockrell’s trenches. These provided a series of keyhole views into the site and its stratigraphy. From 2009 the excavations have been directed by Andrew Mayfield, the present Park community archaeologist. In 2014, the ninth season on site, Richard Taylor co-directed excavations. Early development of the manor site The earliest recorded reference to Randall or Rundale (as it is referred to in the medieval documents) is the confirmation in c.1108 by Bishop Gundulph of a gift of tithes by one Smaleman de Schornes to Rochester Priory for the monks’ sustenance. Rundale does not appear in any other known document until c.1234 when, following the death of Henry de Cobham (d.1233), his lands were divided between his sons. Part of the deed mentions ‘all the land and marsh which is called Rundale in the township of Schornes’. By 1251, following John de Cobham’s death, Joan, wife of John, and Reginald de Cobham [his brother] guardians of the lands and heirs of John, agree that ‘Joan yields to the said Reginald, the lands which she held as a marriage portion from John in the township of Schorne, which belonged to the manor of Rundale’. This is the first mention of Rundale as a ‘manor’. A LiDAR survey of the Park has identified the putative estate boundaries of the central portion of this manor. These boundaries surround a central building platform and a series of fish ponds that have yet to be explored (see fig 2). Archaeological excavations on the site have revealed a series of ditches cut into the land surface providing drainage from the platform’s high point. The fill of these ditches contained pottery dated to 1150-1250, sealed by a substantial clay levelling layer containing pottery dated to 1175-1225 and a Richard I (1189-99) silver penny. The foundations for a north-south aligned timber aisled hall are cut into this layer. Given the degree of earth moving involved, it seems unlikely that such an undertaking would have been made without the hall being constructed shortly afterwards. The inference here is that the aisled hall was constructed from c.1230 by either Henry de Cobham (d.1233) or John de Cobham (d.1251) to develop Rundale as part of their land holdings to endow their respective heirs by gavelkind. We are now confident that buildings existed on the site prior to Henry de Cobham (d.1316) coming of age in c.1253. Henry however was the first de Cobham referred to as of Rundale. 16 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Period of high status The aisled hall is the first known building on the site. Aligned north-south, the substantial tiled roof of the structure was supported by 4 large timber posts (evidenced by four post pads) and low flint side-walls. Huge tile falls were recorded on both the west and east sides of the building. Internally the structure had a central hearth, laid on a thin clay floor. Over the next 50 years, Henry de Cobham (d.1316) used Randall as his principal residence until Joan, his second wife, inherited Allington Manor in 1309. During the course of his life, Henry proved of use to both King Edward I and Edward II and the subsequent development of Randall mirrored his progress. On his inheritance, Henry set about a series of building enlargements and improvements. First of these was the construction of the east-west cross wing. This two storey stone building (with an east-west running roof ) was completed by c.1275 and in use well into the 1400s as a service range. The cross wing may have been built in two phases as indicated by the change in construction techniques in both east and west walls. The north wall of the cross wing is built into levelling material containing pottery with spot dates of 1250-1300. Internally, the pebble floor surface of the cross-wing contained pottery with a spot-date of 1275-1325 and a Henry III (1216-72) coin. This pebble floor is, in turn covered by a clay floor with a pottery spot-date of 1350-1400. A substantial stone octagonal chimney is also added to the RIGHT Fig 5 Looking west at the early east-west kitchen wall supporting lean-to structure & later south wall after kitchen remodeling ABOVE Fig 4 Looking east at the northern extension to the cross-wing, detailing buttresses, shortening of the building, the midden area and garderobe www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 17 south end of the aisled hall. The next major building phase included a northern extension to the stone cross wing. A two storey building, with stone walls below and timber above, this is also built into the levelling layer into which the cross-wing is built. A pottery spot date of 1250- 1300 was given to the pebble surface in this new building. Given this structure was built onto the foundations of the cross wing, the construction date must be post c.1275. In addition, the medieval builders clearly struggled with the stability of this building as evidenced by two buttresses at the northern end of the structure. Problems certainly persisted as a third buttress was added to the north wall. At this point we have evidence for a possible collapse which affected both the north and east walls. Within a short period of time the northern wall was moved south, shortening the length of the structure and the east wall was rebuilt on a skewed alignment to the original wall. The old north end of the building was then used as a midden area. This layer was spot dated to 1325-1375. Around this time, or shortly after, a garderobe structure was added to the building with a sloping flint floor. Pottery from this structure has produced a spot date of 1375-1425, which is one of the latest pottery dates on-site. Given the dating evidence for the remodelling of the northern extension, it seems certain that this took place after Stephen de Cobham of Rundale (d.1332) inherited the site in 1316 (see fig.4). A detached kitchen block sits to the north east of this main wing. The multi phase evidence BELOW Fig 6 West facing section of kitchen hearth area showing leveling layer, earlier clay floors and associated burning, and the ragstone hearth. from the kitchen structure shows this building was altered many times during the life of the manor. A trend among medieval kitchens, particularly those associated with small to medium sized manor houses, was that external structures tended to be fairly rudimentary lean-to structures with roofs supported by a series of posts. The earliest arrangement of the kitchen was of this type, with a wall running east-west (see fig.5). This wall cuts into the same leveling material as that underpinning the cross-wing service range which contained pottery with spot dates of AD1250-1300. The first kitchen housed a series of structures and ovens cut into the surrounding leveling material, including a boiling oven, an additional covered oven and a series of tiled hearths. During the ownership of Stephen de Cobham (d.1332) the kitchen was completely remodeled and rebuilt as a square stone building, with the addition of a porch on the southern side. Although it cannot be proved, it is possible that the collapse of the northern wing damaged the early kitchen, hence the rebuilding. The later occupation of the kitchen corresponds with the building of a ragstone hearth, replacing the earlier tiled hearths. The stone hearth is built upon a rubble layer that is built over successive floor layers. A pottery spot date from a later floor associated with the ragstone hearth came back as 1300-1400 (see fig.6). Stephen de Cobham (d. 1332) represented the zenith of the de Cobham of Rundale family and the Rundale manor complex; he was knighted with Edward Prince of Wales in 1306 and enobled in 1326, henceforth known as Baron Stephen de Cobham. It’s presumed that Stephen inhabited Rundale until the death of his mother in 1324 when he inherited Allington Manor. However, he witnessed the signing of a deed at Rundale in 1330 and was granted a license for a chapel on site in 1329. The location of the chapel has yet to be identified, though a structure attached to the east of the aisled hall and discovered this year is a viable candidate. 18 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Detached from the principle structures outlined above are two further buildings which we presume date from the periods of Henry (d.1316) and Stephen (d.1332). The first of these is a multi-phased structure that may have started life as a revetment of the north east corner of the site but was later developed into a substantial brew house. This consisted of a circular structure with a large flue on its western side and a flat tiled surface which would have acted as a copper base. To the north of this structure is a malting oven enclosed by a further revetting wall which runs into the fish ponds. In the south east corner of the platform is a large rectangular building with low flint walls, presumably built mainly of timber. Although its function is currently unknown, this structure contains a substantial tiled hearth built into its west wall. This building was first discovered in 2008, although its full dimensions have yet to be revealed as of 2014. From the evidence visible at its excavated west end, it could be larger than the aisled hall. An Inquisition Post Mortem (IPM) from 1333 detailed Stephen de Cobham’s estate. This confirmed that Stephen possessed a capital messuage at Rundale and also a windmill in another portion of his estate. It is possible that this windmill site has now been located on Randall Heath within the modern boundary of Shorne Woods Country Park. Gradual decline and later history Upon Stephen’s death in 1332 he was succeeded by his son John de Cobham (d.1362). However, he did not inherit Rundale and Allington manors until he came of age in 1341 and was knighted in 1342. ABOVE Fig 7. The Manor of Sir Henry and Sir Stephen (Courtesy of Ken Walton) LEFT Fig 8. The Brewhouse. Courtesy of Ken Walton. www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 19 There is evidence that John signed a deed at Rundale in 1362 which shows the manor survived the ravages of the Black Death. Around this time the north and east sides of the platform are enclosed by a clay bank, spot dated to c.1350. Over the following 60 years, three generations of Cobhams of Rundale held the manor until 1424. An IPM of 1405 mentioned that no furniture was present at Rundale, although a capital messuage was mentioned in 1415. A period of tenancy followed with two final references to the manor buildings. In 1555 a source located the buildings within the wider landscape, and in 1559 George Brooke’s IPM refers to a house ‘recently occupied’, confirmed by the latest pottery spot dates of AD1500-1550. Shortly after this, we believe the manor was comprehensively demolished presumably as a source of stone for the rebuilding of Cobham Hall in the 1580s. Trees were planted in ‘Randall’ Wood for coppicing at about this time, according to a letter of 1601. The last contemporary reference in 1631 refers to the manor site being ruinous. It remained lost in the woods until the arrival of the Darnleys and George Dockrell. The future What can the archaeology tell us about the buildings and their owners? The buildings would have contained carved stonework, evidence for this includes a labelstop - a carved stone head that would have decorated the archway of one of the principal doors. Window lead and window glass point to the high status nature of at least some of the buildings. There are also two complete decorated ABOVE Team photo from the 2014 season tiles, which may have covered one of the floors or walls of the buildings. The occupiers of the manor were wealthy and of a high social status. They could afford and used a range of fine ceramic tableware from London and Scarborough alongside expensive imported pottery from both France and Spain. A large animal bone assemblage suggests a diet that included cow, pig, goat, sheep, rabbit, oysters and a variety of fish. A star find is a fragment of a Mameluke glass vessel, most likely imported from the Middle East. A large enigmatic lead flask was found underneath the floor of the cross-wing. It had been carefully buried but its function remains unclear and its origins require further research. Thanks to a recent generous grant from the KAS, further research will be completed on the wide-ranging finds assemblage from the site. This will also enable a series of training opportunities for KAS members and further community engagement. This will contribute significantly to the production of the final site report, due for release in 2015. The project has seen nine years of unprecedented community engagement. Hundreds of people have taken part in the excavations, thousands have toured the site, and local schools have been involved every year alongside the Young Archaeologist Clubs of the county. None of this would have been possible without the support and co-operation of the Kent County Council Country Parks’ staff and most importantly the continued commitment and hard work of the Shorne Woods Archaeology Project volunteer group, to whom this article is dedicated. Huge thanks are also given to Nigel Macpherson Grant for the pottery analysis and to Ken Walton and Dean Barkley for the aerial photography. For further information on the site and to hear about future training opportunities, please contact Andrew Mayfield andrew.mayfield@kent.gov.uk www.facebook.com/ archaeologyinkent @ ArchaeologyKent on twitter APPENDIX: the de Cobhams Sir Henry de Cobham (d.1233) Sir John de Cobham (d.1251) Sir Henry ‘Le Uncle’ de Cobham of Rundale (d.1316) Baron Stephen de Cobham (d.1332) Sir John de Cobham (d.1362) Sir Thomas de Cobham (d.1394) Sir Reginald be Cobham (d.1405) Sir Thomas de Cobham, last de Rundale (d.1424) 20 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk As a young teenager, I recall being informed by a local boat repairer on Deal beach, known as Wimpy, about a lost medieval village. He told me that this once stood just north of the Chequers Inn, formerly the Halfway House, situated alongside the ancient highway from Deal to Sandwich in the Sandhills. This was an enigma that captured my interest, having on countless occasions travelled this ancient highway past the alleged site. Recently, I managed to acquire a missing issue for my Kent Archaeological Review collection, containing an article on the lost hamlet of Spruckleham in the Sandhills. (Tomaszewski 1979). I recollect, from the discussion with Wimpy, that he spent many years searching, and on occasions digging, small areas in and around the rough undulating parcel of land enclosed by the western sea bank and the ancient highway on the seaward side between NGR: 36518-56097 & 36380-56531 (fig.1). It was here, on this narrow track of land, that Wimpy alleged he uncovered evidence for medieval buildings and other associated finds. However, he would not elaborate. Wimpy also stated that he had located evidence for the base of a watch tower he believed to be Roman in date, at or near to the northern juncture of the ancient highway at Dickson’s Corner, approximately NGR: 36420-56769. This location is about 220m east of the site of Roman occupation discovered at Dickson Corner, Lydden (Parfitt 2000). It is generally believed locally that the sea banks which surround the northern and western periphery of this enclosed land were originally thrown-up to defend a small ancient hamlet from seasonal inundation of the sea via the Lydden Valley marshes. Other banked defences are reported to have been dug during the English Civil War around the Halfway House on the seaward facing side and others may exist on the northern side. The ancient highway through the Sandhills was originally called the Roman highway and for hundreds of years was the shortest route between Deal and Sandwich until the coming of the turnpike roads (Laker 1921). Further information relating to a Roman coin hoard and indeed ship found in 1830 (Parfitt 1982) has been recorded, `In 1830 near the old riffle-butts in the Sandhills, a man digging sand found two vases full of roman coins. The late Mr Noble, of Deal who was present as a boy when the find was made, said the coins were found in the remains of a roman ship loaded with stone. He noted the ribs of the ship, and said that the stone was afterwards carted away for use on the roads` (Laker 1921). During my late teens, in the midseventies, a neighbour friend camped out with a few friends just behind the Chequers Inn. Whilst digging a pit for the campfire, Kevin Douglas came across orange-red pottery sherds, some with design on them. The sherds were confirmed as Samian ware by a local passer-by, who was either an historian or archaeologist, but were taken away and not seen again. The location of this find spot does not seem to have been recorded; however, I was shown the spot by Kevin some weeks after the find, which is at NGR: 36832-55717. Two further unrecorded find spots include a scatter of five copper alloy Roman coins, a Constantine II A.D. 337-340, Valentinian A.D. 364-378 and 3 eligible minims, and the top section of a Colchester brooch dating between the second and third century, found in 2002 at NGR: 36013-56825 (centred), 553 metres NNW of the Dickson Corner excavations. At this location, the 2003 Google Earth images have captured small enclosures, occasional small pits and field systems. Groundsmen also reported Roman pottery sherds uncovered when laying out the new practice green near the corner of Blackhouse Wall and the Cinque Ports Club House at NGR: 37150-54304 (centred), (Love, pers. comm.1970s). The historical growth of the sand and shingle bar northwards, occupied by the Sandhills, has received much debate, in particular the extent of Roman occupation at Dickson’s Corner, the most northerly site so far recorded (Parfitt 2000). Although no visual evidence exists today, it would seem that there may be good reason to suggest that the alleged Roman shipwreck located in the Sandhills may have once been anchored in a creek or inlet that perhaps extended a short distance into the Deal marsh during the Roman period. My theory is based on the following extract: In August 1648, a party of three hundred musketeers, stationed in ships off the Downs, landed long-boats in a creek near Sandown Castle. During this military action in the neighbourhood the Halfway House (Chequers Inn), was burned down (Laker 1921). This historical text records a creek; maybe more than one existed, large enough for a considerable number of long-boats to moor and discharge men at arms during the English Civil War. Moreover, the creek is recorded as being in the general vicinity of the location of the alleged Roman vessel, perhaps alluding to an ancient small anchorage dating back to at least Roman times. In the 1990s, I picked up a foreign medieval silver hammered coin circa 1700s from rubble foundations of a former OBSERVATIONS AND FURTHER FINDS FROM THE SANDHILLS, NEAR DEAL (THE LOST HAMLET OF SPRUCKLEHAM) By Vince Burrows www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 21 unrecorded structure just west outside the seabank surrounding the Dickson Corner site at NGR: 36126- 56593. This structure is just visible on the ground as a raised lump that may also have been a casualty in the Civil War skirmishes around this neighbourhood. A surprisingly little known stone memorial exists on the top of the western sea bank near Dickson’s Corner, Lydden, at NGR: 36351- 56374. Marked on the Street Atlas of East Kent, this is the spot where a local woman was murdered. On 25 August 1782 Mary Bax was walking along the Ancient Highway from Deal to Sandwich carrying a parcel. She was 800 metres beyond the Chequers Inn when she was apprehended by a Swedish sailor, Martin Lash, who demanded the parcel. She refused, and in the struggle Mary was struck many times; her body was concealed in a ditch. The murder was witnessed by a young boy, described as the son of ‘a looker in the Marshes’ (a looker was a shepherd). The boy ran back to Deal to raise the alarm. Martin Lash was eventually apprehended in Folkestone asleep at the foot of a tombstone in the parish churchyard, still in possession of the stolen parcel. It transpired that he had deserted his ship while it was in the Downs. He was taken to Maidstone Gaol, tried and executed. The worn inscription on the stone reads: On this spot August 25th 1782 Mary Bax Spinster aged 23 years was murdered by Martin Lash a foreigner who was executed for the same. (Lydden Valley Research Group 2014). References Laker, J., 1921, `Lakers History of Deal`, Published by T.F. Pain & Sons, London Love, ca 1970s, pers. comm. Lydden Valley Research Group 2014. [online] www.lyddenvalley. org.uk/crime.php date accessed: 10th April 2014. Parfitt, K., 2000, `A Roman Occupation Site At Dickson’s Corner, Worth`. Archaeologia Cantiana vol cxx, p107-148. Parfitt, K., 1982, `Roman finds from the Sandhills, North of Deal`, Kent Arch. Rev., 70, 225-227. Tomaszewski, N.E., 1979a `Spruckelham: Near Deal. A lost Ham?`, Kent Arch Rev., No 56, p142-144. LATEST WINNER OF THE KAS’S HASTED PRIZE 22 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Dr Maureen Barcham Green of Loose, Maidstone, is the latest winner of the Society’s £3,000 Hasted Prize, for her 120,000 word thesis on how Hayle Mill, in the Loose Valley south of Maidstone, thrived in the 19th century despite continuing to use traditional papermaking techniques. The Prize is awarded in two parts: £1,000 goes directly to Dr Green; the remaining £2,000 will assist towards the cost of publishing her thesis. The prize, named in honour of the celebrated 18th century Kent historian Edward Hasted, is awarded every two years for the best doctoral research thesis on any aspect of the county’s archaeology or history. It was established in 2007 to promote the publication of books that advance knowledge of the county’s past. (Submission guidelines for the Hasted Prize are at www.kentarchaeology.org. uk/grants/) Hayle mill was built in the early 1800s and ceased ABOVE Vatman Norman Peter producing the last sheet of hand-made paper before the Mill closed in 1987. Photo by permission of Simon Barcham Green RIGHT Papermaking at the Mill in 1921 www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 23 production in 1987. It was owned and operated for 150 years by five successive generations of the Green family - and finally by Dr Green’s husband, Simon. ‘Remarkably, Hayle Mill thrived and expanded despite basing its activity on an apparently technologically obsolete process,’ said Dr Green. ‘More remarkable was the fact that it continued making paper by hand in the traditional manner well into the twentieth century.’ Prior to the invention of the papermaking machine in the latter part of the eighteenth century, all paper was manufactured by hand using techniques originating in East Asia over 2,000 years ago. Significant developments included the replacement of human energy with mechanical means (such as water power), the mechanisation of some pulp preparation processes, improved mould making and water removal techniques, and the addition of steam heating to help dry the finished sheets. Despite these early innovations the handmade industry remained based on the formation of a succession of fairly small sheets which were subjected to a number of labour intensive finishing processes before they were ready to be sold to customers. With the invention of the paper-making machine in 1798, as well as other key processes, by 1850 a significant amount of paper was machinemade. Instead of sheets, the paper emerged from the machine in continuous rolls many thousands of metres long. With the addition of driers and calender rolls, fully finished rolls of paper could be made in mere hours whereas handmade paper processes took weeks or months to complete. This combination of new technologies led to the closure of hundreds of vat mills in the United Kingdom alone, and the loss of thousands of jobs, because many of the smaller hand operations found they could neither compete against larger machine enterprises nor afford the cost of mechanisation. PREVIOUS HASTED PRIZE WINNER In 2009, Dr Toby Huitson was the winner of the Hasted Prize for his doctoral thesis on what went on in the upper storeys of our medieval churches and cathedrals. His curiosity led him up spiral staircases above towers, naves and chancels all over Kent and further afield and into mysterious lofts, galleries and passages that were used as, among other things, dovecotes, treasuries and libraries. He has now published a book, ‘Stairway to Heaven’, in which he describes and illustrates his hundreds of discoveries. “I went on to carry out further research and develop the thesis into a full-length book, using most of the prize money to publish many of the 130 illustrations in colour. My book presents the evidence for over 35 different practical functions these hidden areas could have had.” Among the unusual upper storeys Toby has found in Kent are the so-called ‘Indulgence Chamber’ at Rochester Cathedral (which may have been used as a muniment room for storing official documents); the ‘Old Bakery’ chamber (above) at Canterbury Cathedral, the so-called ‘Watching Tower’ at St Mary of Charity, Faversham, (used as a sexton’s room in the early 16th century); and a blocked staircase to the lost upper chapel of St Blaise at Canterbury Cathedral (probably used for storing candles or documents). Published by Oxbow Books at £35 RRP. Signed copies can be ordered direct from Toby Huitson (huitsont@ canterbury-cathedral.org ) for £30 (cash payments, collection in person only). ABOVE Hayle Mill c.1880. RIGHT Dr Maureen Barcham Green with a picture of Hayle Mill The Voyages of the ‘Ole Crumlin-Pedersen’ A Story in Pictures In 1992 a Bronze Age boat was found during construction of an underpass in Dover. Waterlogging had preserved the wood, which was excavated in sections, although one end could not be brought out of the ground. Dated to 1550BC and one of the oldest sea-going boats in the world, a recent European project has centred on study of the vessel. A half size replica was built, to further understanding of the maritime tradition of this period. It has been sailing the seas and inland water over the last two years and has been the focal point of academic conferences and publications, blogs, television appearances and newspaper articles. Here is the story, in pictures, of a beautiful craft. January-May 2012 Richard Darrah, Robin Wood and the boat construction team worked on the replica reconstruction on the Roman Lawn outside Dover Museum. Bad weather, open days, TV filming, visiting dignitaries, all conspired to slow work down, despite the team working long, long hours. They were still working on finishing the boat an hour before its scheduled launch in front of all the international ‘BOAT 1550 BC’ team, press, TV crews and general public. 12 May 2012 The boat was launched in Dover Marina; it took on water and the launch was abandoned. June 2012–June 2013 On display at the exhibition in France and Belgium August 2013 Richard Darrah, Robin Wood and team completely disassembled, recaulked and re-assembled the replica boat. 4 September 2013 First launch of the recaulked boat in Faversham Creek on a sunny, calm day. Robin Wood jumped from the boat into the creek in relief that the boat worked so well! 5 September 2013 More trials on Faversham Creek 7 September 2013 The first sailing in Dover Harbour in fairly rough, windy weather with Phil Harding amongst the crew. The boat handled beautifully, riding big swells coming off the English Channel with ease! 24 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk START 31 August 2014 Dover Harbour; 5.4 Nautical Miles (6.2 Statute Miles); Average Speed 2.5 knots; maximum speed 3.1 knots. Dover Harbour; 3.2 Nautical Miles (3.7 Statute Miles); Average Speed 1.5 knots; maximum speed 4.4 knots. Very rough sea conditions in the harbour with northerly wind gusting 25–30 knots and an ebb tide making it very difficult to return to the mooring. 7 September 2014 Folkestone to Dover; 8.2 Nautical Miles (9.4 Statute Miles); Average Speed 2.9 knots; maximum speed 6.4 knots. A beautiful calm sunny day, with the sea as flat as a mill pond. 8 September 2013 More trials in Dover Harbour, still rough and a bit hairy, this time with Keith and Tina Parfitt as crew members. 20 October 2013 Conference delegates from France, Belgium & the UK help paddle the boat in Dover Marina during the ‘Yesterday Today’ conference 27 September 2014 Great River Race, London; 19.1 Nautical Miles (22 Statute Miles); Average Speed 4 knots; maximum speed 7.8 knots. A trophy for Sporting Endeavour was awarded to the crew. 24 August 2014 Dover Harbour; 3.5 Nautical Miles (4 Statute Miles); Average Speed 2.2 knots; maximum speed 3.1 knots. 4 May 2014 onwards Regular weekly Sunday morning training commenced in the boat by the volunteer crew. 17 May 2014 Appears at Dover Marina Open Day: members of the public are taken on short tours of the Marina 20 May 2014 On show at Dover Harbour Board AGM 12-13 July 2014 Appears at Faversham Nautical Festival: members of the public are taken on short tours on Faversham Creek 26 July 2014 Appears at Dover Regatta 17 August 2014 Dover Harbour; 2.5 Nautical Miles (2.9 Statute Miles); Average Speed 1.7 knots; maximum speed 3.4 knots. rough, ease! www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 25 FINISH News from the library Exercise your right to help shape the Kent Archaeological Society. You can nominate the members of the Council and the Society’s officers for election at the Annual General Meeting. This year there will be at least two vacancies for elected members and one vacancy for the position of Vice President. Members may submit nominations for any office and for membership of the Council. There MEMBERSHIP MATTERS Help to turn your project into reality with a grant from the Allen Grove Local History Fund. Awards are available for the purposes of research, preservation and enjoyment of local history and the trustees will consider applications for grants for any project with one or more of these purposes. Projects may be practical ones such as presentation, publication and YOU & YOUR SOCIETY Ordinary Members Mr D Brooks, Maidstone Mr S Rogers, Bexleyheath Mr C C Harris, London W12 Dr M Vaile, Wingham, Canterbury Ms L A Corti, Otford, Sevenoaks Mr J Shorey, Dartford Mrs J Smith, Oakley, Basingstoke The Countess Sondes, Faversham Mrs R Cummings, Faversham Ms P Colgate, Levin, New Zealand Mrs G M Metcalfe, Wittersham Mr C Duck, Dartford Mr C Sparey-Green, London SE1 Student Members Miss Lara Blackshaw-Lacy, London A Souter, Whitstable Joint Members Mr & Mrs T Gibbon, Dover Mr & Mrs I Johnson, Maidstone Affiliated Society Studying History & Archaeology in Lympne I shall be sending out the renewals for 2015 for those of you who pay by I am very pleased to welcome the following people who have joined the KAS since the previous newsletter. Many apologies if I have omitted anybody! cheque. If you wish to pay by bankers order instead, please get in touch so that I can send you a form. Please also let me have any details of changes of postal or email addresses. A handful of members need to check their bank statements as they are still paying the incorrect amount. I shall be sending letters to alert these people as it will make my task much easier if everything is correct. The Communications Committee, which includes membership matters, is looking into all aspects of getting in touch with members, especially with regard to the present website. If you have any comments please send them to me; this would be most helpful as we all wish to ensure that you get as much enjoyment and knowledge as possible through your membership. I am always looking for more members to join the Communications Committee so please think about making a contribution. Marketing skills would be a great asset as these seem to be in short supply. Shiela Broomfield; Membership Secretary and Chair, Communications Committee. membership@kentarchaeology.co.uk The Visual Records group has this autumn grasped the nettle of working on the Visual Records database. The popularity of the Visual Records and the increase in enquiries has prompted the group to try and resolve issues with the database in co-operation with the Society’s IT manager. The work is ongoing and likely to take some time, but it is hoped that in due course online access to both the Visual Records and the book stock will be improved. Work is also continuing on digitising images. Ann Pinder has been working on a collection of heraldic devices taken from a series of rubbings done by Nicholas Eyare Toke during church visits he made during the First World War and into the 1930s. This has encouraged her to start visiting the churches where the rubbings were done in order to discover the current state of preservation of the ledger stones which date to the 17th and 18th century. She has also attended a workshop in Cambridge to find out more about the Ledgerstone Survey of England and Wales which aims to record all the information engraved on to ledgerstones. Ledgerstones have long been neglected as a source of historical data. This is an interesting project which is quite easy to join - more can be learnt about it at www.lsew.org.uk Pat Tritton has been continuing her work collating a large collection of handwritten letters from KAS members, dating from 1859-1948. Most of these are addressed to the Secretary of the KAS of the time and the bulk of the collection was compiled by George Payne. Some letters contain personal details of the people concerned and others deal with KAS matters. It was through one of these letters that we were able to pinpoint exactly when the Bywater collection of glass plates was donated to the KAS. Many of the recipients of the letters were the important figures of the KAS’s 26 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Grants from the Allen Grove Your rights: Call for nominations will be nominations put forward by the Council for all officers. However, the Council does not nominate members of the Council - that is left to members. Any five members can propose a candidate for election as a member of the Council or as an officer. Nominations have to be received in writing by the Hon. General Secretary by the 1st March 2015 at the latest and must be accompanied by the written consent of the candidate. If there are more candidates than vacancies there will be a postal ballot. The results of the elections will be announced at the A.G.M. which will be held on Saturday 16th May 2015. Full details will be mailed to members in the Spring. Further information and guidance can be obtained from the Hon. General Secretary, Peter Stutchbury, Lympne Hall, Lympne, Kent, CT21 4LQ; email: secretary@ kentarchaeology.org.uk. Retirement of the Honorary General Secretary The current Hon. General Secretary will be retiring at the next AGM on 16 May 2015. Nominations for a successor should be made to the Hon General Secretary by the 1st March 2015. past such as Edward Pretty, Augustus Arnold, George Payne and Rev. W.R. Scott Robertson. Thank you to all of those who have kindly donated items to the Library’s holdings. There are too many to mention you all. I will just mention that the generosity of Dr Philp means that the Library now stocks a complete collection of the publications of the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit. Additions to the Library’s holdings have also been made to reflect the popularity of Family History. With particular regard to this, Diana Webb and Peter Titley continue their friendly Research Help sessions for those who have limited training in Latin and Palaeography and would like some advice. On Mondays Dr Jacqueline Bower has been teaching her popular Adult Learning Classes, which this year are on The End of the Middle Ages, 1381-1547 and The British Empire. The classes are organised by Joy Sage and they not only provide a chance to learn, but also excellent company. If you have not been to the Library before you might like to visit us on a Wednesday or a Thursday morning between 10.30 am and 12.00 noon. The Library is open at other times, but it is very busy with committee bookings so please always check the online diary before you travel to avoid disappointment. Please also remember to show your membership card and sign in at the Museum’s front desk. The recent Membership Survey highlighted that many members wished to have more information about how to use the Library. If there is enough interest I will do another ‘Introduction to the Library session.’ You can contact me on: Librarian@ kentarchaeology.org.uk Information about the Library and the online catalogues can be found on the Society’s website: http://www. kentarchaeology.org.uk/. I hope to see you in the Library. Pernille Richards, Hon. Librarian education as well as research. Grants are not usually made from this fund for conservation work, fieldwork or subsistence expenses. Grants are usually around £200 to £500 and may be made to societies and groups as well as to individuals - they are not restricted to members of the Kent Archaeological Society. The trustees would consider a larger grant for a particularly imaginative or innovative project which might not be able to proceed without the grant. Applications must be submitted, on the official application form, by the 31st March 2013. Application forms and further information may be downloaded from the website www. kentarchaeology.org.uk. Vacancy for secretary to the trustees of the Allen Grove Local History Fund This is an opportunity to get involved with local societies. It requires an organized approach and secretarial skills to handle the twenty or so applications received each year. Please contact the Hon. General Secretary for more details. www.kentarchaeology.org.uk. www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 27 Allen Grove Local History Fund nominations WHY DID YOU JOIN THE SOCIETY? Looking at reasons for joining the Society, nearly 50% were for personal research, just over 40% for academic research, just over a third to meet like-minded people and a quarter to use the Library. Within the KAS activities heading, a third go to conferences and lectures, a quarter use the Library, just over half use the website, 92% read Archaeologia Cantiana and 97% read the Newsletter. Several people indicated they would like to be able to opt out of receiving Archaeologia Cantiana and would not expect a reduction in subscription if they did. Several members welcomed the proposed change in format and binding whilst only one person felt strongly that the format should not change and would indeed cancel their membership. Surprisingly, joining to use the Library was not high on the list. However, a third of those responding would like training in the use of the Library. Local history is a major reason for joining and this is reflected in the activities members would like the Society to provide. WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM THE SOCIETY? Regarding activities that Members would wish the Society to provide, the most popular request was for guided visits to locations not generally open to the public. For many years this task was carried out very successfully by the late Joy Saynor. When she decided she could no longer continue unfortunately no one was willing to take her place. It looks as if we will have to reconsider reinstating that role, so if anyone does feel they would like to take it on please contact the Hon. General Secretary. Surveying training 26% Using the Library 32% Field work training 34% Identification of finds training 34% Interpretation of documents 45% Firstly, thank you to those members who took the time and trouble to complete and return the form. There were several offers of help in the running of the Society and many useful and helpful comments, all of which have been noted and discussed. It was a pity that some members who made useful suggestions did not give their name or contact details so they could be followed up. We had responses from about a third of the membership and although it can be argued that this is not a truly representative sample it is sufficiently large to provide a very useful snapshot of the Society as it stands at present. When we look at the age distribution in isolation by far the largest age group is in the 65 to 74 age bracket and there is a lack of younger members. Unfortunately many disparate societies and organisations find a similar demographic split. To a considerable extent this is due to pressures of work and society generally on younger people. Those of us who are retired often have the time to indulge in interests and hobbies. ANALYSIS OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE SENT OUT TO KAS MEMBERS by Mike Clinch 28 Winter 2014- Kent Archaeology Society - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Map and landscape interpretation 51% Conducted visits 55% Themed conferences 57% Local history 65% Guided visits to locations not generally open to the public 70% It is interesting to note that interest in Local History is very high. Although Place Names was not included in the list it was added by half a dozen people and one person felt strongly that that particular study should have greater prominence in the Society than at present. MEMBER’S INTERESTS - Main Interests Local History 75% Archaeology 68% Buildings 65% Landscape 65% Using archives 53% Political & social history 47% Document Research 46% Historic Settlement 45% Industrial Archaeology 43% Family history 38% Field Work 24% Biographical Research 24% Metal Detecting 8% www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 29 K.A.M.S.U – we can help! The Kent Archaeologists Metal Detecting Support Unit (KAMSU) was established in May 2002, primarily to offer an inexpensive metal detecting survey service to archaeological contractors working on projects in Kent. Since the launch of KAMSU, many surveys have been carried out with various archaeological units and groups. In the early years there was not a need to advertise KAMSU’s services, as work was plentiful, simply through word of mouth. However, in recent years there has been a decline in requests for assistance from KAMSU, possibly as a result of the adverse financial climate leading to a reduction in archaeological project funding. However, KAMSU can still arrange voluntary metal detecting support across Kent for all forms of archaeological project, whether commercial or community-based. 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 £40 for individual members and £90 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. Local History is at the top of Member’s main interests, with metal detecting at the bottom. There is considerable interest in armchair research, which may well reflect the demographic of the Society. Although fieldwork is low down on the list this is an area that would attract the younger age group. One member suggested we should run a basic training system leading to a qualification. This would help people as an introduction to other digs and excavations. My introduction to archaeology and the KAS was working on the Cobham Hall Villa excavation which was funded to provide experience for young people. There is more information that can be extracted from the returns and if you would like details of particular correlations please get in touch. There seem to be some anomalies which can be explained by comparing age with length of time as a member. For instance, the 14 to 24 age group disappears in the 11 to 20 years membership because by then they are in a different age cohort. The Membership Secretary’s recruitment efforts have been very successful in bringing in new members. However, we are short of younger members who are the future of the Society. This is an area that needs to be looked at in future recruitment campaigns. Once again my thanks to all those who responded. The information gained will be used in planning the future activities and direction of the Society. 30 Winter 2014- Kent Archaeology Society - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk If you would like to learn more about what KAMSU can offer, please contact: Clive Sinclair e-mail: clive.sinclairc5@btopenworld.com Tel: 020 8301 1214 Trevor Lowdell e-mail: trevorlowdell@blueyonder.co.uk Tel: 01634 312112 Education and the teaching of history is never out of the news for long and this year has been no exception. In February the new history National Curriculum was announced and many people were pleased to see that there were few changes to an established curriculum that most people agree works well. The previous year had been very difficult, with Simon Schama describing the original proposals from Mr Gove as ‘1066 and all that, without the jokes’. The governments’ original proposals were hopelessly impractical and after a combined response from professional historians and teachers it was changed. Amongst the new aspects introduced in February is the inclusion of prehistory. Without written sources this topic appears challenging. However, what teachers do have are the artefacts from the past and evidence from a wide range of archaeological sites, including many from Kent. Teaching such a long period of history to young children presents it challenges. There are two approaches that are commonly used. The first is teaching an overview of the period by picking a limited number of themes, such as housing, farming or tools. Another way of teaching the era is to provide the children with a framework of the different prehistoric periods and then concentrate on a short study in depth. Teachers in Kent are lucky to have several very useful resources to help them plan a successful and interesting scheme of work for their pupils. The KAS Kent History Atlas is probably the best place for a teacher to find a review of the prehistory of the county. A basic background to prehistory can be found on the KCC website Exploring Kent’s Past, under Simple Timeline http:// webapps.kent.gov.uk/KCC. ExploringKentsPast.Web.Sites.Public/ SingleResult.aspx?uid=TKE1048 and on the BBC website http://www.bbc. co.uk/history/ancient/british_ prehistory/ but the Kent History Atlas brings it all closer to home. For much more detail The Archaeology of Kent to 800AD edited by John Williams is excellent. My preference is to establish the chronology of prehistory in the minds of the children and then look in detail at the archaeology of one of our great county discoveries. There are a number that are ideal, the Ringlemere cup, Coldrum Stones, the Mill Hill prince from Deal, but my favourite is the Dover Bronze Age boat. European Union funded the ‘Boat 1550BC’ project to develop an understanding and appreciation of the common cultural heritage shared by communities lying on either side of the English Channel. During the last three years there have been three major international exhibitions and a programme of educational activities including the construction of a replica of the Dover Bronze Age boat that brought together the prehistoric communities of the Transmanche area (see pages 24 and 25). Part of this project has been the creation of a Bronze Age Boat pack of educational materials by Canterbury Archaeological Trust and Christ Church University. The kit is has been designed as a teaching aid for schools: to help teachers and children learn about archaeology and its value as a useful means of investigating the past; to develop the teaching of archaeology, prehistory and the Bronze Age; to encourage investigative approaches to teaching and learning; to encourage ‘hands-on’ approaches using objects and to help develop cross-border communication and understanding between pupils and teachers in schools in France, England and Belgium. The whole pack is based on original archaeological finds to aid the development of investigative skills. There are also items from the Boat 1550BC travelling exhibition, materials from the Boat 1550BC public lectures all collected on a CD or USB stick or DVD of digital materials. The Teachers Guide suggests a variety of approaches. The material is written for teachers and aimed at non-specialists. The pupil’s text is aimed at broadly 10 to 13 year olds, but teachers can adapt to suit the needs of younger or older pupils, or those with special educational needs. The Kits are available for loan from Canterbury Archaeological Trust. For more information see the website or contact Marion Green at marion. green@canterburytrust.co.uk Maidstone Museum also has a prehistory resource box, available from January 2015, with objects which cover the broader spectrum of the Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age, teacher’s notes and suggestions for site visits. The Museum Learning Team there now also offer prehistory schools workshops, as do various other museums around the county, including the Beaney in Canterbury, where pupils can kill and prepare a mammoth for tea! Prehistory in the History Curriculum by Ian Coulson www.kentarchaeology.org.uk - Winter 2014 - Kent Archaeology Society 31 The impressive 12th and 13th century church of St. Leonard’s Hythe provided the setting and the subject of this well attended KAS event. The day was organised by Churches Committee members Dr. Sheila Sweetinburgh and Jackie Davidson with contributions from other members. Dr. Sweetinburgh gave the opening lecture on ‘Medieval Hythe and civic uses of sacred space’. Sheila provided an overview of Hythe’s early history as a Saxon borough and later as one of the Cinque Ports, emphasising the aspirations for self-governance of the leading townsmen over the centuries. By the 15th century, St. Leonard’s, although still officially a daughter chapel of the archbishop’s manor of neighbouring Saltwood, acted as a civic church of Hythe. Sheila gave a fascinating analysis of the annual election and oath-taking ceremony of the town jurats which took place in the church, demonstrating to the town and the archbishop that Hythe’s choice of its own governors was divinely sanctioned. Dr. Toby Huitson followed the coffee break with his lecture on church upper spaces and their uses, which is the subject of his recent PhD thesis and book. Toby drew on evidence from around the country to give clues as to the possible medieval uses of the upper spaces of St. Leonard’s, including the porch upper room, tower, rood loft (sadly no longer in existence) and the magnificent threestoreyed elevation of the chancel consisting of arcade, triforium and clerestory. Toby’s vivid descriptions, aided by slides, enabled the audience to imagine the medieval liturgical dramas KAS CHURCHES COMMITTEE Church Life in the Middle Ages at St. Leonard’s Hythe by Paul Lee 32 Winter 2014- Kent Archaeology Society - www.kentarchaeology.org.uk RIGHT Crypt, showing examples from the collection of medieval carved stones STUDY DAY for which the chancel must have been designed. Heather Newton, head of stone conservation at Canterbury Cathedral, then led a session examining some examples from Hythe’s collection of carved stones, in which she talked about the tools and techniques of medieval stone masonry. The afternoon was given over to workshops. The documents session led by Sheila Sweetinburgh and Jackie Davidson focussed on medieval Hythe documents. Andy Mills and Imogen Corrigan led groups around the building explaining its architecture and the symbolism in its carved features and stained glass. The committee and KAS are grateful to Mr. Brin Hughes, churchwarden at St. Leonard’s, for his welcome and to his large team of volunteer caterers who provided refreshments including an excellent lunch and tea with home-made scones. www.kentarchaeology.org.uk - Winter 2014 - Kent Archaeology Society 33 MIDDLE A packed audience for the Study Day RIGHT Heather Newton explains the techniques of masaonry BELOW Carved capitals While scanning and cataloguing thousands of glass plate negatives, survivors of the fire that damaged a room adjacent to our library at Maidstone Museum in 1977, Ann Pinder recently came across a collection attributed to Witham Matthew Bywater. WITHAM MATTHEW BYWATER - TRIALS AND TRAVELS OF A KAS PIONEER 34 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk By coincidence, Pat Tritton, who is transcribing letters to the Society dating back to 1857, found one he wrote in August 1899 from 5 Hanover Square, London, to George Payne, our Hon. Secretary, saying: “I am contemplating a change of abode, which necessitates a general turnout of cupboards and odd corners. Among the sundries thus unearthed are a number of negatives of Kentish churches. They are the result of snapshots taken on our Annual Excursions. Of course some of these are old and perhaps useless…” Far from it! They were probably the first comprehensive photographic record of Kent churches. As a result of further research by Ann, Pat and our webmaster, Ted Connell, we can now tell the story of Witham Matthew Bywater’s fascinating life before and during his many years as a member of the KAS. Saddler and harness maker Witham was born in London to Matthew and Dorothy Bywater and baptized at Mayfair’s parish church, St George’s, Hanover Square, on October 19 1826. Matthew had married Dorothy, a widow, at St George’s in 1822. Her maiden name was Thwaites; her family and the Bywaters had roots in the north of England. From the time of their marriage Matthew and Dorothy were saddlers and harness makers, living and working at 99 Piccadilly, opposite Green Park. Their wares would have been in great demand – there were about 300,000 working horses in London, and thousands of thoroughbreds belonging to the wealthy residents of Mayfair and other fashionable areas who went riding in ‘Rotten Row’ and elsewhere in London’s parks. Witham was Matthew and Dorothy’s first son; their second, Frederick, died in 1829, when only a few months old. When Matthew died in 1845 Witham carried on the business with Dorothy, who died in 1869, aged 83. In November 1849 Witham married Elizabeth Palmer of St Martin-in-the- Fields. They lived with Dorothy at 99 Piccadilly and had five children. Their first son, Witham Martin, born in 1850, died when he was 23; two others, Charles Matthew and George James, died in infancy; two daughters, Elizabeth and Katharine, were born in the mid-1850s. In 1851 Witham registered a provisional design for ‘ornamental design for harness furniture’ and displayed his products at that year’s Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park. He also designed and patented an ‘Improvement in sidesaddles’. But only four years after the exhibition, Witham came down in the world. In September 1855 the London Gazette announced that his ‘estate and effects’ had been assigned to George Robson of Leicester Square, carrier, and Thomas Petch, bridle cutter and harness maker, of Long Acre, ‘upon trust for the equal benefit of all his creditors’. In 1861 and perhaps for some years before and after then, he was the manager of a saddler’s business at 257 Oxford Street. However by 1871 he was once again a saddler in his own right, now at 5 Hanover Square. Witham’s wife Elizabeth died on December 21 1888 aged 62 and was buried on Christmas Eve at Brompton Cemetery, west London, in a burial plot later marked by a headstone inscribed The family grave of Witham Matthew Bywater of Piccadilly, although many years earlier his infant sons Charles Matthew and George James, and Witham Martin (who died unmarried), had been buried elsewhere in the cemetery. www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 35 ABOVE 93 Piccadilly, Bywater’s home and workplace Witham the Master Pattenmaker At some time during his career Witham acquired another skill, that of making ‘pattens’, for which expertise in leatherworking was essential. Pattens were under-shoes that raised the wearers’ normal footwear (and ladies’ dresses) above the mud and muck of London’s streets. Early in 1877, within a period of only three weeks, Witham became successively a Freeman of the City of London ‘by redemption’ (i.e. payment of a fee) and a member of The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers, one of the City of London’s Livery Companies. The company’s archivist, Colin Sewell-Rutter, told the KAS: ‘It is unusual for a Freeman to be admitted and to progress to the rank of Liveryman instantaneously. This probably reflects Witham’s standing in his profession and the company’s pleasure to have been able to admit him’. Witham joined the Court of the Company and first attended one of its quarterly meetings on July 14 1881. He arrived late, for which he was fined. He was then assiduous in his attendance but absent for the July and October 1886 meetings. In March 1887 he was promoted to the role of Renter Warden for the ensuing year, the first step to the company’s highest office, that of Master Pattenmaker. His main achievement as Master seems to have been a ‘cleansing’ of the company’s financial affairs. When he handed over to his successor in 1889 the Court ‘resolved unanimously to express to Witham Matthew Bywater, Esquire, sincere and hearty thanks for the very able and courteous manner in which he has presided over the meetings of the Court … and earnestly wishes him upon his retirement … many years of health and happiness and continued co-operation with them in the management of the company’s affairs’. ‘Acclamation like this is not something you often find in the Minutes’, said Colin, ‘which leads me to suggest that Witham carried great respect both within the company and in his field and was someone the Court members wanted to “keep in with”; that his cleansing operation was a great success; and that the Court hoped he would continue to assist in matters relating to the company’s finances’. Witham was now 63, a widower, and still living in Hanover Square with his daughters Elizabeth and Katharine, both spinsters and described respectively in census returns as ‘artist in water colours’ and ‘artist in oil colours’. By now he also owned seven houses in east London. With a high status and reputation in the City of London, a property portfolio, and successful saddlery and pattenmaking businesses, he was clearly a ‘man of means’. Throughout his life Witham pursued numerous pastimes and interests. He was inducted as a freemason while in his early twenties and joined several Lodges; became secretary and a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society; studied botany; and joined the British Archaeological Association and, in 1877, the KAS. He wrote two Masonic publications ‑ a book entitled Notes on Laurence Dermott G.S. and his Work (covering the life of an eminent Grand Secretary of the Ancient Grand Lodge of England), and, in 1869, A Brief Sketch of the History of the Royal Athelstan Lodge of Antient Free and Accepted Masons. In 1886 he joined The Quatuor Coronati Lodge, achieving the office of Grand Sword Bearer. In 1892 he wrote A Pedigree of the Bywater and Witham Families, a bound copy of which was donated to the British Library. Annual excursions When Witham wrote to George Payne he was in the process of what today we call ‘down-sizing’. The Hanover Square house in which he had lived for some 30 years held many memories, including those of recovering from business problems, raising his family, and losing his wife and three of their children. Now he had only his two daughters and a domestic servant to accommodate. By 1901 they had moved to a handsome detached Victorian house at 33 Telford Avenue, Streatham Hill, on a tram route to London and a mile from Streatham Hill railway station. Witham took part in many of the KAS’s excursions to churches and historic sites all over the county. These extraordinarily adventurous events, held after the society’s annual business meeting in late July or early August, were attended by up to 400 members 36 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk ABOVE Carriages await during a visit to Eynsford (and ‘a large number of ladies’, to quote from a report in the 1877 edition of Archaeologia Cantiana). The meetings were held in a different town every year. From there, horse-drawn carriages conveyed members to the places on the outings’ meticulously planned itineraries. Sometimes, trains were chartered by the KAS from Kent’s main-line railway companies, the ‘South-Eastern’ (opened in 1842) and the ‘London, Chatham & Dover’ (completed in 1861), to take the groups to local stations closest to the destinations, with hired carriages waiting to carry everyone onwards to places of interest several miles from the railway. At other times the groups travelled by public train services. All the arrangements were made by a ‘Director of Locomotion’. The sight of hundreds of smartly-attired archaeology enthusiasts assembling at country railway stations, and jolting along the dusty lanes in a convoy of 20 or more conveyances, would have amazed the local inhabitants. Photographs of the places visited were taken by, we presume, Witham, since it was he who held the collection of negatives. Lifting a heavy camera, tripod, and boxes of glass plate negatives on and off carriages would not have been easy. In 1897 Ernest Christopher Youens became the society’s honorary photographer and recorded the annual excursions. (Read more about him on http://www.nwkfhs.org.uk/ youens.pdf ) Witham died on March 1 1911, aged 85. His funeral was held at Brompton Cemetery. His effects were valued at £8,127. 2s. 2d (about £810,000 in today’s money). He left everything he owned to Katharine, who died in April 1934, and Elizabeth, who died in January 1939. They were 79 and 85 respectively. His photographic collection can now be viewed on www.kentarchaeology.org.uk (follow the link under ‘Collections’ on the home page). For reports of the annual excursions see ‘Abstracts of Proceedings’ in Vols 10 (1876) to 25 (1902) of Archaeologia Cantiana, available from the society on DVD. Our Library has one of Ernest Youens’s photographs of a KAS outing. Others are likely to be in the main collection of his work at Dartford Public Library. KAS LIBRARY RESEARCH - FOLLOWING ON In the March 2014 Newsletter we featured the story of American pioneer woman photographer Catherine Weed Barnes Ward, as uncovered by researchers in the KAS Library. Catherine lived at Golden Green, near Tonbridge and died in 1913 leaving 10,000 glass plate negatives of pictures of landscapes and historic buildings. Following the article, the KAS were contacted by Margaret King: I am a graduate of the Albany Academy for Girls, here in Albany, NY. Catherine Weed Barnes Ward was a graduate of our school, class of 1868 (known then as Albany Female Academy). I am an alumna volunteer in our school archives, and was quite delighted to hear about the discovery of her “lost” works. We have 3 seniors in the class of 2014 who are aspiring photographers, and I am collecting information on our Academy “sister” to share with them. If there is any way I could get a copy or jpg of any one of her prints, I would be very grateful, and will pass them along to the girls. We do have a few of her books in our archives, but a primary source piece would be terrific. Thank you so much for your consideration. Sincerely, Margaret Lamar King Class of 1965, Albany Academy for Girls, NY. Margaret was sent two images and has since provided the KAS with further information on Catherine’s time at the school. It is gratifying to receive communications like this following on from the endeavours of KAS researchers! www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 37 ABOVE LEFT Gentleman and ladies of the KAS at Kit’s Coty 1909 ABOVE A heavy load, captured by Bywater at Tunstall ABOVE RIGHT Kit’s Coty 2014 These archaeologists were much younger in the 1960s and 1970s when carrying out their excavations and now are getting much older. Some are unfortunately no longer with us. Their material must be archived, but in the first instance this material must be located. This article arose from the recent experiences of the current excavators at Randall Manor in Shorne Woods Country Park (see pages 14 - 19) and at the Medieval Manor at Bredhurst. Both sites were partially excavated in the 1960s and there the similarity ends. Some years ago in 1997, the author was lucky to visit the leader of the 1962 excavations at Randall Manor, who lived nearby in Shorne. He was George Dockrell, a local schoolmaster, who realised his health was going to deteriorate and as a result he passed his notes, photographs and finds to me. This documentation has proved invaluable during the present excavations. His photograph of the stone hearth and ours of the same feature are shown here. The current excavator at Bredhurst has been much less fortunate. The only contemporary reference that has been discovered is a short note in Archaeologia Cantiana, in the volume for 1965. Further information is given in issues 36 and 50 of the KAS Newsletter. However, it has not Until the last couple of decades most archaeological investigations were carried out by amateurs who compiled notes and collected finds from their investigations. In many instances, these have been stored in archaeologists’ homes and garages where notebooks, plans, sections and photographs as well as finds have been kept. Retrieving ‘Lost’ Archaeological Documentation and Finds An appeal by the KAS Fieldwork Committee 38 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk ABOVE Tiled and stone hearths in 2014 been possible to corroborate the recent discoveries with those found previously. These experiences demonstrate that it is essential to locate excavators’ notes, plans, sections, photographs and finds. The aim of this project, run by the Fieldwork Committee of the Kent Archaeological Society, is to locate this essential archaeological archive and to ensure it is not lost for future researchers. The Kent Historic Environment Record and other databases contain a vast amount of information, but often only in summary form. These days it is easy to digitise all records. In particular, 35mm slides, a popular form of recording in the 1960s and 1970s, can easily be converted to JPEG format. It would then be possible to make records, which would otherwise be unavailable to researchers, more widely available by, for example, incorporating the archive on the KAS website. This would help the current problem in the county’s museums which are overflowing and unable to accept most additional deposits of archaeological material. My own archaeological group, the Fawkham and Ash Archaeological Group (FAAG) has been re-examining its archaeological record and is digitising notes and photographs. The archive of one site, the Romano British farmstead at Wellfield, Hartley is being uploaded onto the KAS website at http://www.kentarchaeology.org. uk/Research/02/02/01/00.htm. Between 1964 and 1980, FAAG produced a number of newsletters with details of other sites and buildings examined and these should be made more readily available. Other groups produced their own newsletter; unfortunately there appears to be no central list of these, but they do contain an abundance of information. Recently, another example has come to light. The Court Hall Museum in Milton next Sittingbourne has not been open for several years. This is a fine timber framed fifteenth century court house in Milton High Street. Earlier this year, the Friends of Milton Regis Court Hall opened the building for the first time in recent years as part of Heritage Open Days in September. The first task was to discover what has been stored there. In the cellar, some finds from digs undertaken by the Sittingbourne and Swale Archaeological Research Group during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s were found. These include finds from the Romano-British site at Radfield, Roman, medieval and later finds from a site at Milton Fire Station, building material from the site of Cromers Place, a Jacobean mansion in the parish of Tunstall and post medieval pottery and clay pipes from the Perrywinkle Water Mill. These are being catalogued and in time it is hoped to locate the written documentation of these sites. The Sittingbourne and Swale Archaeological Group did publish its own journal and some reports were included in Archaeologia Cantiana and the Kent Archaeological Review. The image above shows finds from Radfield being sorted. This article is an appeal for information on archaeological newsletters, finds and archives that are in danger of being lost. Please contact Gerald Cramp on 01474 704849 or archiving@ kentarchaeology.org.uk if you know of any records or finds that have been stored in a back room, garage or attic from a time gone by. www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 39 ABOVE LEFT Tiled and stone hearths discovered by George Dockrell at Randall Manor in 1962 ABOVE RIGHT Outside Milton Regis Court Hall, August 2014, processing finds from Radfield Roman site The strategic importance of Kent in the defence of the nation is well known to many. Less well known is the important role that the borough of Swale, sitting on the north coast of Kent, played in this story. Over the last eighteen months, on the Defence of Swale Project, defence specialists, volunteers and the public have been helping Kent County Council (KCC) to research and discover an incredibly exciting story of military and civil defence in the area and record hundreds of hitherto unknown features and sites. The Defence of Swale Project is the latest in a series of projects managed by KCC designed to record Kent’s defence sites. The project, which is generously funded by a grant from London Array, who have developed and run the off-shore wind farm in the Thames Estuary, is different from those that have gone before. This time the emphasis has been on involving the community in the discovery of defence heritage and telling the many exciting stories as they come to light. The project is managed by KCC’s Heritage Discovering Swale’s 20th Century Defences Defence of Swale Project - Simon Mason, Victor Smith, Alan Anstee and Richard Taylor 40 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Conservation team and the research led and co-ordinated by leading defence historians Victor Smith and Alan Anstee. In the eighteen months that it has run, support has been received from many local people and groups including historical societies, museums, archives and schools and is a superb illustration of what can be achieved when working together in partnership. Strategic importance of Swale Swale lies in the north of Kent, extending from the hills of the North Downs to the coast and including the Isle of Sheppey separated from the mainland by The Swale. Its principal towns are Faversham and Sittingbourne, which sit astride the main road and rail route between Dover and London, and the port of Sheerness which lies at the entrance to the Thames and Medway rivers. It is this location, dominating principal access to London both by sea and land,that provides much of its strategic significance. Swale also includes the important former naval dockyard at Sheerness and dominates the approaches through the Medway to that at Chatham. On Sheppey can also be found the former airfield at Eastchurch which played an important role in the pioneering of naval aviation. Aims and Method Although Swale is known to be rich in defence sites that span much of the 20th century, very few of these have been systematically recorded. Indeed at the outset of the project only 119 defence sites were recorded on the Kent Historic Environment Record (HER). Experience in other Kent districts has shown that this is likely to be only a small percentage of the true number and already this is proving the case in Swale, with more than 500 potential sites identified on a preliminary listing and many more to add. Knowing the whereabouts of the Borough’s key defence heritage sites and understanding their significance is invaluable to their future conservation. Through research of reams of documents in national and local archives, from discovery in the field and information supplied by the public, we are making great strides in this. Just as important is explaining to those who live, work and visit Swale the story of the defences and it is a vital part of the project to run workshops, tours, exhibitions, school visits and give presentations on our findings and provide hands-on opportunity for participation in the work. BELOW KAS members visit Sheerness Battery in May 2014. Photo Simon Mason BELOW: Pontoon bridge across the Swale to the north of the present bridge. Built by the Royal Engineers and designed to open to allow boats through. Photo REMLA ABOVE Project display at the Sittingbourne and Milton District Scouts and Cubs First World War camp, with over 300 attendees www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 41 Discovery highlights The present article is too limited to be able to provide a detailed account of the discoveries made on the project but will concentrate on some highlights, providing a flavour of what we have found. At the outset we had expected the remains of the Second World War to dominate our discoveries, as it has the present HER evidence. It was therefore with general astonishment that we found the story of the First World War in Swale has taken a prominent and significant role in the project to date. At a time that the country commemorates the centenary of the War, the project is able to highlight a story of home defence that has been long overlooked in comparison with that of the later war. Following the Entente with France in 1903, the ambitions of Imperial Germany became the main concern of those planning the defence of the nation. Although the dominant perception was that of the Admiralty, which gave assurance that the Royal Navy could prevent any invasion of our shores, such confidence was quickly eroded through the rapid rise of the Imperial fleet and alongside it the German mercantile fleet with its troopcarrying capacity. By 1908 an amphibious landing of up to 70,000 German troops from the North Sea was considered possible. As well as the genuine strategic threat, public opinion was being moulded through popular fiction of the time that portrayed German plots to invade Britain. Works such as Erskine Childers’ espionage novel Riddle of the Sands (1903) and William Le Quex’s The Invasion of 1910 (1906) highlighted the need to prepare defences against invasion. It is against this rising threat, whether real or perceived, that we see the development of plans to defend our coastline and principle ports and routes of access to what would likely be the prime target of an invasion, London. With the onset of the war in 1914, the loss of the Belgian ports that brought the forces of Germany even closer and the ever present menace of the U Boat keeping the capital ships of the Grand Fleet in the north, there was a fear that the south east coast from The Wash to South Foreland was particularly vulnerable to a raid of up to 160,000 of the enemy. The response was to strengthen and supplement existing coastal defence batteries, establish minefields and booms in the coastal waters and to create emergency entrenchments around the key coastal ports, landing places and possible routes of advance by invading forces. It is in this context that the discoveries we have made in Swale play a significant part and are perhaps a unique illustration of the wider anti-invasion BELOW Spiders Castle, Sheppey. First World War machine gun emplacement. Photo REMLA 42 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk measures of the time. Many driving along the A249 through the Stockbury Valley towards the junction with the M2 would have noticed the small square pillbox sanding alone in a field. Few would have thought that it belonged to the First World War rather than the Second and fewer still would realise that alongside it were once rows of fire trenches, barbed wire entanglements and machine gun positions designed to prevent enemy forces crossing the valley. This is part of the Chatham Land Front, a system of trenches and fortifications that extended from the Southern scarp slope of the Downs at Detling, along the western side of the Stockbury Valley and as far as the high ground around Iwade and Lower Halstow. The Land Front would have extended westwards along the scarp slope and worked alongside the Thames and Medway Defences which stretched from Grain and Sheerness along the north coast and high ground of Sheppey as far as Shellness at the eastern end of the island. The trenches would not have looked out of place on the Western Front and indeed, though mostly in place in early 1915, we can see modifications taking account of developments arising from the battlefields of the Continent. While anti-invasion defences are known to have been created elsewhere in the country, what makes the defences in Swale (and part of Maidstone) particularly special is the record that we have of them. In the National Archives a collection of around forty maps, assembled by the Royal Engineers at the end of the war, illustrates the LEFT Pillbox on the A249 ABOVE Simplified Map of Thames Defences. Copyright Victor Smith and KCC www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 43 defences in incredible detail. Lines of fire and communication trenches, barbed wire entanglements, batteries and artillery positions, anti-aircraft defences, pillboxes and machine gun emplacements and even telephone cables and poles are all depicted and in many cases construction details shown. As part of the project many of these maps have been copied and digitised onto modern maps by volunteers at the HER. Now held separately from the maps, but originally together, a collection of over three hundred photographs in tow albums can be found in the Royal Engineer’s Museum, Library and Archive collections. These photographs provide a superb and probably unparalleled record of the defences and show many fascinating details. On top of these we have also uncovered many documents relating to the emergency plans that were put in place for the civilian population in the event of invasion or a large raid. This documentation has provided a wealth of material for volunteers on the project, particularly those from the Newington and Sittingbourne area, led by Alan Anstee, to venture into the fields and discover the remains of the defences on many of the sites. The defences, which were garrisoned by mix of regular and territorial troops, were designed with naval measures to first seek to prevent a landing on the vulnerable parts of the coast and then to counter the advance of any landed enemy troops towards the naval dockyards at Sheerness and Chatham and on to London until reinforcement from Central Forces deployed to the west of London. To this end the lines of trenches that stretched along the north coast of Sheppey and the Stockbury Valley were supported by the fire of the large coastal guns at Grain, Sheerness and the newly built Fletcher Battery near Minster. The guns from these could be turned inland to fire on advancing troops as far as Faversham and Sittingbourne. Smaller batteries of 15 pounder field guns were established on the Sheppey high ground to prevent advances onto the heights and advances towards Sheerness. Behind the Stockbury line positions were prepared for further field guns, including 6” naval guns and howitzers that could support the fixed defences. Remains of the gun defences have been found to survive both on Sheppey and the mainland. Recent investigation of one 15 pounder battery at Barnland, near Warden, has found most of the two gun pits survive and even found walls constructed of concrete sand bags. Throughout the defences were hundreds of machine gun emplacements, many in fortified strong points and redoubts, blockhouses or concrete TOP LEFT A machine gunner shooting down a communication trench where Photo REMLA TOP RIGHT Beach Field Machine Gun Emplacement on Sheerness Promenade ABOVE RIGHT Merrymans Hill Battery, a First World War beach field machine gun emplacement on Sheerness promenade LOWER RIGHT Barnland Battery, Warden, gun emplacement under excavation 44 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk pillboxes, including very rare oval pillboxes found near Detling. Observation posts communicated with the batteries through a network of newly installed telephone wires and positions were identified for headquarters and sheltering of the garrison. Across the Swale, putting into practice exercises first recorded in 1910, the Royal Engineers constructed a pontoon bridge designed to be open and closed as needed. The existing rail bridge was also reinforced with sand bag and iron block houses and wire entanglements. Mines were prepared on key points through the surrounding marshlands to be exploded in the face of invading troops. Complementing the military arrangements, the project has uncovered a fascinating story of the arrangements made for the civilian population in the area. Much of this has emerged from looking through the committee minutes of the local and county authorities at the time. Local Emergency Committees were established in the major towns and rural areas to co-ordinate arrangements to counter invasion and generally protect the local populace. Measures were put in place to detail evacuation routes for civilians, livestock and machinery. Individuals were named to co-ordinate and lead evacuation from the coastal areas into the Downs and then south of Maidstone and westward as necessary. Evacuees would not be able to use rail transport and were required to avoid any military movements that took precedence. Arrangements were put in place for sabotage of property useful to the enemy and destruction of foodstuff and livestock that could not be moved. In Faversham for example, we see arrangements detailed for the disablement of a steam tug and the cranes on the Creek, the emptying of fuel supplies and the requisitioning of bicycles and hardware. The brewery at Shepherd Neame was to destroy as much of its bulk beverages as possible to reduce the prospect of drunken atrocities by invading forces. The Isle of Sheppey was designated a restricted area and was only entered or left on the production of a permit. The defences on the island, which was virtually a fortress, led to this becoming popularly known as ‘Barbed Wire Island’. The project has also been looking at the air defence arrangements which included airfields at Throwley and Eastchurch. Eastchurch in particular has a prominence due to its role in the development of early flight in Britain and in naval aviation, and the establishment of the Royal Naval Air Service in July 1914. Remains associated with these early years at both Eastchurch and Throwley still survive, as do the remains and documentation of the air raids that targeted the Island. Given the prominence of our First World War discoveries, those of the Second World War and later have taken a back seat so far, but are in themselves extensive and provide their own range of interesting stories. For BELOW Oval Pillbox. Photo Alan Anstee ABOVE Concrete sandbags discovered in the recent excavation of Barnland Battery RIGHT First World War observation post at Stockbury Castle, more effective in the summer when the trees were in leaf. Photo REMLA ABOVE Barnland Battery, Warden, a 15 pdr gun emplacement of the First World War. The brick emplacements have a fire embrasure to the left facing the Leysdown beaches www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 45 example, we have documentary details that described the defence arrangements for the Isle of Sheppey and the instructions for the defence and, if necessary, the destruction of the rail bridge across the Swale. Details for the system of garrisoning defences at nodal points at Sittingbourne and Faversham, defended villages and defended locations supported by a grid of road blocks and other obstacles, illustrate how the defence of this part of Kent was arranged to slow the advance of an invading German army until reinforcing troops could be concentrated against them. Evidence of these arrangements can be found with defended walls in the towns and anti-tank obstacles and buoys in the countryside, as well as the numerous memories and photographs of the Home Guard that are being provided to the project. Air raid precautions are detailed and the remains of public and private shelters throughout Swale can be seen and recorded. Anti-aircraft batteries survive in many places, LEFT A former balloon / airship mast base thought to date to 1912 survives at the former Eastchurch Airfield (now in HMP Standford Hill). Remarkably well preserved, the wooden drum which helped when hauling in the balloon can still be seen at the base. ABOVE Evidence on the dockyard wall at Bluetown, Sheerness, of the blast and shrapnel from a First World War raid by Gotha bombers. LEFT Shellness UXO bunker. A WW2 command bunker for the control of the minefield at the eastern end of the Swale (photo Simon Mason) for example at Iwade, Upchurch and on Sheppey. Decoy sites were established at both Graveney and Harty to mimic Grain and Sheerness and attract enemy bombers away from the main targets through a clever system of lights and fire. Remains of the decoy site at Graveney were recorded during the construction of the London Array substation and other remains survive at Harty. Pillboxes and remains of the coastal crust of defences still survive in many places, including the bunker at Shellness for control of the minefield at the eastern mouth of the Swale. Remains of the boom defences that stretched 46 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk BELOW Aerial shot taken in 1999 of Cold War battery at Kingsdown Road. Photo KCC ABOVE Anti-tank buoys in Oare Creek, originally placed to obstruct traffic on the bridge and now used to retain the bank. Photo Simon Mason across the mouths of the Thames and Medway from Sheppey also still survive, as do the minefield control points on the remains of the former Centre Bastion Battery at Sheerness and accompanying search light emplacements. The Cold War has also left its mark on Swale and arrangements for civil defence are emerging. Notable sites such as anti-aircraft batteries, possibly designed for groundto- air missiles can be seen at Kingsdown Road, Milstead and on Capel Farm, Eastchurch. The Defence of Swale continues to make exciting discoveries and tell these at every opportunity. Over the coming year there will be further research, survey and investigation through our fantastic groups of volunteers and we hope to stage a series of exhibitions and talks on our work. The project can be followed on our DefenceofSwale Facebook page and anyone with information for us or who would like to be involved can contact the project at the County Council through simon.mason@kent.gov.uk. www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society 47 The French Hospital has received a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the development of the first national Huguenot Heritage Centre in Rochester, to open in summer 2015. The French Hospital owns a highly regarded collection of paintings, prints, drawings, furniture, silverware, clocks, books, archival records, and other items illustrating the material culture of the Huguenots. These collections will be used to help to tell the Huguenot story in the new Centre - a story of persecution, flight to Britain and key contributions to the formation of modern Britain, and explore contemporary issues that resonate with the Huguenot experience. The Centre is the first museum in Britain dedicated to the history of the Huguenots, a group of some 250,000 French Protestants who fled from religious persecution in France over a period of some 200 years, but most significantly at the end of the 17th century. Between 60,000 to 80,000 Huguenots settled in England, largely in the southeast: at Canterbury, Greenwich, Rye and Sandwich and predominantly in London in the City, Soho, Spitalfields, Wandsworth and Westminster. Lesser numbers settled in the west (Bristol, Southampton and Plymouth) and East Anglia (Ipswich and Norwich). This represents the biggest proportionate influx resonance of the Huguenots’ story will be illustrated by examples of recent refugees’ experiences in various areas of the display. A schools programme and bespoke community projects will also be created. For more information about the museum or volunteering opportunities please contact the Huguenot Museum on 01634 789347. of immigrants in England’s history. Through displays and activities, visitors to the Centre will learn of the skills that the Huguenots brought with them, including silk weaving, silver smithing and furniture making, and understand their involvement and impact on banking, insurance, science, the arts, the churches and the army. They will also be able to explore their own historical Huguenot links; it has been claimed that at least one in six of British people might have Huguenot blood. The contemporary ABOVE Huguenot Heritage Centre ABOVE Pocket watch,made in 1765, belonging to Aymé Garnault, from a family of goldsmiths and jewellery makers. ABOVE Miniature watercolour of Ayme Garnault 48 Winter 2014 Kent Archaeology Society www.kentarchaeology.org.uk FIRST NATIONAL HUGUENOT HERITAGE CENTRE TO OPEN IN ROCHESTER