KAS Newsletter, Issue 30, Spring 1995
Kent Archaeological Society Church Conference
Held on Saturday 29th October 1994, about 50 people attended this excellent conference held on a cold and wet day in Sevenoaks.
Unfortunately a burst pipe meant that the assembly hall could not be used but we were adequately accommodated in another part of the building. We were also provided with excellent tea and coffee.
The conference, put on by the Fieldwork Committee, was chaired by Kenneth Gravett, the KAS President, who introduced the first speaker, Dr. Richard Morris, Director of the Council for British Archaeology. Dr. Morris gave a very erudite lecture outlining the advances in the study of the archaeology of churches since the 1960s. He placed emphasis on the greater use of scientific techniques to assist in giving us a greater 'in depth' understanding of the complexity of ecclesiastical buildings and their surroundings. His lecture was admirably illustrated by a series of slides including examples of ultraviolet photography which highlighted different types and phases of stone over the centuries. He also pointed out that owing to their very nature, churches are ideal subjects for local groups to study - which gave many of us present food for thought.
Paul Bennett, Director of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust, followed Dr. Morris with an equally scholarly lecture on the excavation in the nave of Canterbury Cathedral prior to and during the works to bring the services (or to avoid an awful pun, should I use the word 'utilities'?) into the end of the twentieth century. This is of course, one of the most exciting and inspirational projects of the latter part of the twentieth century. The programme of reflooring etc. had been in the planning stage for approximately twenty years and the archaeological implication involved the whole range of disciplines. It also involved great cooperation with those involved with the actual programme of works and necessitated two shifts of archaeologists per day in order that all the excavation could be done without holding up any of the other work. Extensive research had taken place beforehand and the subsequent excavation confirmed much of the documentary evidence as well as throwing new light on the Anglo-Saxon building. Mr. Bennett illustrated his lecture with a set of superb slides and his lecture confirmed the excellence of the work of the C.A.T.
Mr. Gravett then invited questions and comments on these two lectures and some very interesting points of view were aired! After lunch Mark Gardiner, of the Field unit from the Institute of Archaeology, University College London, treated us to an excellent lecture on the work undertaken at Broomhill over five years since 1985. This was a very good example of one of the few research projects which has taken place in the last few years and was done in conjunction with a team of sedimentologists studying the areas of Romney Marsh and Walland. The primary aim of the project was to confirm the actual position of the church which went out of use in the early sixteenth century. An extensive resistivity survey was carried out. The subsequent excavation confirmed the existence of standing walls together with many architectural features including evidence of stone benches placed along the walls. Again the lecture was illustrated with excellent slides which included plans and results of the scientific surveys, which helped in the understanding and interpretation of the project.
The last lecture of the day was given by Mike Webber, of the Oxford Archaeological Unit, on the recent excavation of the interior of St. Nicholas Church in Sevenoaks. This excavation was undertaken before the construction of various rooms for use by the Parish and was potentially a controversial project. I was doubly interested in this lecture as I spent several months on my hands and knees working on this major excavation, as did several others in the audience. Mr. Webber treated us to an excellent description of his thoughts on the development of the Church and also of the artifacts and human remains which had been recovered during the excavation. Obviously there is much post-excavation research still to be undertaken. It was very interesting to be shown many slides of different parts of the excavation including the mass grave of approximately five skeletons which we found in the last week of the excavation and which I had helped to excavate. Much has now been learnt of the history of the early church which stood on the site and much is still to be learnt from post-excavation research.
The President rounded off the day with thanks to all the speakers and to the organisers. He expressed regret that more people had not attended. The conference was a splendid and enlightening day with each lecture showing a different aspect of the subject of church archaeology and adding very much to our interest and knowledge.
Sheila Broomfield
St. Nicholas Church, Sevenoaks Excavation
Several KAS members took part in this 16-week excavation (now completed). The original church was probably of eleventh-century foundation, possibly Norman, and during the excavation, many burials of medieval date were unearthed, including the remains of a twelfth-century priest with a pewter chalice on his chest and knotted gold braid around his neck.
Other burials ranged through the medieval period, the post-medieval period, and right up to the nineteenth century; a total of some 500 interments. Lead coffins from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were the best preserved and yielded many fine burial garments and even flowers, sprigs of rosemary, and lavender. The excavation was under the directorship of Mike Webber of the Oxford Archaeological Unit and it has been described as being as important as that carried out beneath Christ Church, Spitalfields, in the 1980s.
A certain amount of criticism has been leveled at this excavation regarding the opening of the coffins or fairly recent dale and the method of disposal of the human remains. It must be made clear that this part of the operation was not carried out by the archaeologists but by contractors. It is likely that this treatment of the exhumed remains may lead to tighter regulations on the disposal of ancient bodies should the occasion again arise during the excavation of a church interior.
DDAG Goes back to School
The Dartford District Archaeological Group has been carrying out an exploratory excavation on the site of the former C. of E. School, West Hill, Dartford.
An E/W trial trench was dug across a grassed area formerly used by school children for recreation.
Natural chalk was reached at varying depths as our work proceeded down the hill to the school buildings. An amount of roofing tile fragments of possible medieval date were found, as well as pottery sherds dating back to Roman times.
At the eastern end of the trench, just as our work was about to finish, a feature was revealed which turned out to be an inhumation burial. An examination of the skeletal material showed it to be a male in his 40s; there was a slight fracture to the skull, but other than that, there were no other clues as to the reason for death.
One possible reason for the burial here was that it related to a medieval leper hospital which stood on West Hill, just below the school buildings. It was established before 1330 and dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene and St. Laudus. It was later used as almshouses, finally being demolished and replaced by a new set of almshouses in 1704. This building known as the Twisleton Almshouses still remains today. Unfortunately, as the skeleton was incomplete due to the foot of the grave being lost by erosion of the hillside, it was not possible to say whether this individual suffered from leprosy.
A second trench was dug lower down the hillside on the southern end of the school site. This has so far shown that the hillside was terraced away when the school was established there from 1826, leaving little in the way of stratigraphy.
Recently, a new area of excavation has commenced close to the findspot of the inhumation burial. This work may hopefully reveal whether it was a solitary burial or part of a larger cemetery.
Our excavation at West Hill has been made possible by the kind permission of the Diocese of Rochester with financial support from Dartford Arts Council.
Chris Baker,
Director, Dartford District Archaeological Group.
Excavation of a Well in Kemsing
The Otford and District Archaeological Group have started the preliminary excavation into the filling of a well which was discovered in the late summer of 1994 in the front garden of a 15th-century cottage near St. Edith's Well, Kemsing, Kent.
The owners, worried by subsidence in the garden, called in a contractor who, upon investigation, discovered the 3 ft. diameter well-head. Mr. Cliff Ward, of the Otford Group, was then consulted and, together with other members and with the permission of the owners, the first two meters of the filling in the well were cleared out. This consisted of various specimens of Victorian pottery, china, and glass. Mr. Ward and the Group then decided to widen the scope of the dig and opened up a trench some 8 ft. x 4 ft. in an effort to discover more information on the date of the well.
Approximately 3 ft. away from the well-head, a suspicious-looking, corroded cone of metal was encountered, so excavation in that area was discontinued. Local police and also the Curator of the Aircraft and Aeronautical Museum, Mr. Geoff Nutkin, were called in for expert opinion on the object, and it was suggested that a Bomb Disposal Team should deal with the unwelcome artifact.
It was pronounced to be a 25 lb. World War I smoke bomb used for practice bombing, probably by the Royal Flying Corps for target practice over the North Downs.
It was pronounced 'rendered safe' and was then taken away from the site. The Otford archaeologists were hoping to resume work on the well-clearing in November 1994 and also investigate other places of archaeological interest in the immediate area. A few stray finds of medieval pottery sherds have been found close by, and it has recently been suggested that Kemsing may have had a small 'castle' somewhere within the bounds of the village.
Anglo-Saxon Cemetery, Buckland near Dover
This rich site of some 240 graves, dating from the mid-fifth century to the early seventh century, which was discovered in March 1994, has been excavated by a professional archaeological team under the direction of our member Mr. Paul Bennett of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust. These graves are in addition to approximately 170 burials which were discovered on previous excavations in earlier years on or near the site by other archaeologists.
A splendid collection of jewelry, pottery, glass, and weapons has been found in graves of extreme richness. Most of the jewelry and luxury items seem to have been imported into the country from Northern France and the Rhineland. A number of Roman coins were found in the graves and in one burial, a small set of scales was discovered together with Roman coins as weights.
The British Museum has taken charge of the material for a two-year program of conservation after which some items may be returned to Dover Museum for display.
Eccles Excavations. A Progress Note
Much progress has been made this year with the compilation of the final report on the excavations at the Eccles site, conducted between 1962 and 1976.
Specialist reports are being prepared by Dr. J. P. C. Kent (Coins), Dr. M. Lyne (Coarse Pottery), Mrs. K. F. Hartley (Mortaria), Mr. R. Friendship-Taylor (Small Finds), Mrs. S. C. Hawkes (Anglo-Saxon finds), M. Henig (Gems), whilst the Anglo-Saxon skeletal material is being revised and analyzed at the University of Bradford.
It is hoped to include in the next volume of Archaeologia Cantiana a preliminary report on the Anglo-Saxon cemetery by Mrs. R. C. Shaw. All the records of the excavation are now held in a computerized database. Acknowledgment is made to the Kent Archaeological Society, the Kent Heritage Fund, the British Academy, the Pilgrim Trust, the Society for the Promotion Studies and to the Haverfield Bequest of the University of Oxford, for generous grants towards the funding of this post-excavation work.
A. P. Detsi[?]
Visual Records. K.A.S. Library
With reference to my note in the last Newsletter in respect of the K.A.S. photographic collection - the response from members has been very heartening. There have been numerous requests for the visual records to provide material for displays and exhibitions: in the main, this has come from people visiting our recent displays at Birling, Luddesdown, Biddenden, and various K.A.S. functions.
Enquiries from members interested in old views of their own area are increasing each week. It is, therefore, hoped that within the next few months, we will have a computer for our collection and a copy catalogue, disks from which will be available to members later.
In the meantime, those of you who would like to look through the collection for your own area or subject, please feel welcome to call at the Museum any Wednesday where I, or other members of V.R.G., will be happy to help. Other days by appointment.
The photographic collection is presently filed in categories only at the moment, with the exception of larger towns or villages, for which there are many images.
The categories are - Churches, Castles, Buildings, Monuments, Maps, Archaeology, and Miscellaneous.
As well as photographs, please remember there are also - paintings, drawings, engravings, blocks, etc. relating to most aspects of Kent. Those of you who visited our stand at Biddenden in August (23 members made themselves known) were able to see what the K.A.S. can offer by way of an exhibition service. It has also been a source for new members. Our bookings for 1995 are well into double figures already, and we would be glad of help from any members who can afford a few hours on our stand as most exhibitions go from 10 am - 6 pm over a two-day period.
Future venues include: Edenbridge, Loose, Hadlow, Luddesdown, Birling, New Romney, Little Chart to name a few.
Please write to the V.R.G. at the Museum, St. Faith's Street, Maidstone, ME14 1LH if you can assist.
We would like to operate a list of around 10/12 members who can be called upon to help generally, preferably with own transport. At the moment, we have a gallant 3 only - any offers?
Iain Foreman, for Visual Records Group
Library News
Those members who frequent the Sevenoaks Branch of the County Library Service should note that in future access will be provided to the archive collection by appointment only.
Whilst it is regrettable from the point of view of the serious, responsible and trained researcher, the librarian there reports that their hitherto liberal policy does not meet County Council standards and so must cease.
A trained officer will be in attendance on Tuesdays and at other times by appointment. Users should telephone the reference desk, 0732 453284. Prior details of the documents required would be appreciated. The books in the local studies collection remain accessible during all library hours.
Peter Draper,
Hon. Librarian, K.A.S. Library, Maidstone Museum
St. Mary Cray Action Group
During September 1994, the Group staged two Heritage Open Days in the ancient village of St. Mary Cray. This program offered a guided town trail which started from St. Paulinus church, where an introductory exhibition and information point had been set out, and ended after the tour back at its starting point. Visitors who wished to explore on their own were provided with a copy of the leaflet produced for the event. This included a useful map and details of the interesting sites and buildings which could be noticed en route.
It is hoped that a similar event might be arranged in the future.
St. Mary Cray Action Group.
Tenterden Museum
Tenterden Museum has been fortunate to put on display an exhibition of Tenterden lace this year, the lace being on loan from the Winser Family, which has been associated with the Borough for generations. It had been forgotten that lace had been made about the turn of the century by the Misses Winser until the pieces were offered to a local resident for disposal. A permanent home is being sought where it will be available, readily for those who wish to study the art in detail, although some pieces will remain within Tenterden's Museum.Amongst interesting items are babies' bootees and a wedding veil which will be displayed with a Victorian Wedding dress. The Museum, which adjoins the Western car park in Station Road, has also offered this year an exhibition of Victorian children's toys, books and the like. These include a Rocking Horse from Bethersden (where they are now made), a family sampler dated 1823 by a Miss Winser, aged 7 years, a Paisley handkerchief embroidered by her granddaughter about the turn of the century at Rye in her teenage years and a variety of memorabilia.
From an archaeological point of view, the history of the changed scene round the Isle of Oxney is on view and of hop-growing (much reduced locally in recent years).
A fine model of the Borough in 1850, long before the steam railway was built shows what limited changes have taken place between East Cross and West Cross, i.e. the wide, tree-bordered High Street.
The Museum closes down for the winter months but will reopen in the Spring.
W. Tunstall Bates, Tenterden Museum
Books
An enterprise recommended as worthy of members' support is the publication of FROM GARDEN TO GATEWAY, an anthology of reminiscences and photographs of our county, compiled by Edward Cookson for the Kent Branch of the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE).
From the Garden of England of Dickens and the nineteenth century to the current concept of the gateway to the Continent, Kent's role has changed radically in the last decades. We must all appreciate the major implications for our lives and that which we wish to pass on to future generations.
Essentially, this publication sees the position as a dramatic transformation for Kent from a quiet county of hop fields and orchards to a pivotal role in Britain's future European setting. England's Garden now finds itself as a consequence of geography, the spearhead of the fast lanes of motorways and rail links and trade in a revolutionary transformation of the nation's relationship with our age-old rivals.
The 200 or so views in From Garden to Gateway are a compendium, originating in professional and amateur hands, of one of the last opportunities to represent a Kentish scenic state which will soon be transformed.
The book results from an invitation by the Kent Branch of CPRE, which struck a chord with hundreds who have illustrated the theme in many ways, from new roads across the White Cliffs to the decline in agriculture; from the consequences of the Channel Tunnel to the effect of the recent series of annual droughts. Once the thrust came from ribbon development and the encroachment of the metropolis, now it is from the East.
The book is available from Mr. Cookson, CPRE Book Offer, Heathrow Publications, 7 Palace Business Estate, Bircholt Road, Maidstone ME15 9XU, with 214 photographs. Price £8.50 inclusive of post, etc. The price includes donations to four Kentish-based environmental charities.
Peter Draper, Hon. Librarian, K.A.S. Library
KENT SETTLEMENT (POOR LAW) RECORDS: A GUIDE AND CATALOGUE. PART II. WEST KENT (Diocese of Rochester) by Gillian Rickard. Members who purchased Part I of Miss Rickard's series of published records will be interested to note that they can now obtain Part II. This book catalogs parish by parish all known surviving settlement records for the Diocese of Rochester. It covers more well-known types of the loose documents commonly found in parish collections and also less-known sources, including other parish records, Quarter and Petty Sessions records, Poor Law Union records, etc. The present whereabouts of all records are noted along with detailed catalogue references to Archives collections. A select Bibliography points the reader towards background reading on the subject of Settlement Records in general.
Paperback, 68pp Price: £4.50 (£5 incl. p&p inland). Copies may be obtained from Miss G. Rickard.
A LITTLE HISTORY OF SNODLAND by Dr. Andrew Ashbee. Published in July 1994, this paperback book of 150 pages and twelve plates of photographs. Price £7.50 (plus £1 p&p) may now be obtained from Dr. Andrew Ashbee. See also Dr. Ashbee's et al. Video TIME CAPSULES.
SIDCUP, A PICTORIAL HISTORY by John Mercer. This hardback book contains 128 pages with more than 150 fully-captioned old photographs together with an easy-to-read narrative. It may be obtained from Phillimore and Co. Ltd., Shopwyke Manor Barn, Chichester, Sussex PO20 6BG. Price: £12.95 (Plus £1 p&p).
FAVERSHAM STONE TRAIL. Faversham Society's latest publication by Dr. Eric Robinson highlights the type of stone and building materials which may be seen on a walk through the town and in other towns in Kent. 24 pages. Price £1.20 by post from the Fleur de Lis Heritage Centre, Preston St. Faversham, Kent, or on sale in the Centre at 75p.
FAVERSHAM WALL GAME. Coupled with the above publication is a four-page card aimed at interesting children and young people in the study of stonework, etc. in the buildings they see around them. Price 20p from the Heritage Centre. Teachers wanting 10 or more copies may obtain them at a reduced price of 15p each.
FIXTURES AND FITTINGS IN DATED HOUSES 1567-1763 by N. W. Alcock and Linda Hall. Published by the C.B.A. (Handbook No. 11), this book offers help in this area by cataloging fixtures, fittings, and decorative details from over 400 houses of known date. A wide range of features, including stairs, doors, windows and their associated fittings, fixed cupboards and dressers, panelling, friezes, and overmantles are covered and illustrated. Price £6 (plus 50p p&p) this may be obtained from CBA, 111 Walmgate, York, YO1 2UA.
ELIZABETHAN COPPER by M. B. Donald. The first-ever softback edition of a classic mining book (This print run limited to 500 copies.) Price £13.99 (plus £2.50 p&p) this may be obtained from Red Earth Publications, 7 Silver Street, Marton, Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 0NQ.
Time Capsules
This is the title of a 53-minute video sold in aid of the Churches Conservation Trust. It presents an informal exploration of four churches in West Kent now in the care of the Trust. These are - Paddlesworth (near Snodland), Burham, Higham, and Cooling - by our member Dr. Andrew Ashbee, Rev. James Tipp (Rector of Snodland), and Roy Tricker (Field Officer for the Trust). Price £14.49 (plus £1.50 p&p). It may be obtained from Capricorn Audio and Visual Ltd., Delta House, 11-13 Albion Place, Maidstone, Kent ME14 SOY.Fieldwork Grants
Are you planning an excavation or fieldwork within the county of Kent during 1996? Grants are available from the KAS to assist with work carried out by Affiliated Societies or individual members. Applications on appropriate form (obtainable from Hon. General Secretary, Andrew Moffat, Three Elms, Woodlands Lane, Shorne, Gravesend DA12 3HF) by 1st October 1995.
THE ALLEN GROVE LOCAL HISTORY FUND GRANTS The late Allen Grove left a legacy to the Kent Archaeological Society to establish a fund to be used 'for the purposes of research preservation and enjoyment of local history'. The income will be used to make one or more grants every year and applications are now invited. In 1994 four grants were made totaling £1,100. The trustees will consider applications for grants for any project with one or more of the purposes given above. Such projects may be practical projects such as presentation, publication and education as well as research. Suggestions for projects that might be undertaken by the K.A.S. or some other body would be considered. Grants are not restricted to members of the K.A.S. and may be made to individuals, societies and groups. Awards may not be announced until the Autumn of 1995.
Applications must be submitted by the 31st March 1995 on application forms which may be obtained from The Hon. Secretary: A. I. Moffat.
TEBBUTT RESEARCH FUND GRANTS
This fund was established as a tribute to the life and work of the late C.F. Tebbutt, OBE FSA., and applications are invited from individuals and groups for grants towards K.A.S. MEMBERS PLEASE NOTE: NOW DUE, SEE ENCLOSED LEAFLET research including associated expenses, into any aspect of the Wealden Iron Industry.
It is anticipated that approximately £200 will be available from the fund and any interested person should write a suitable letter of application giving details of themselves, together with relevant information concerning the research envisaged. Applications should be sent to me not later than 31st March 1995 so that I can send them on to the Tebbutt Research Fund Panel for consideration.
Sheila Broomfield (Mrs) Hon. Sec. WIRG.
ANOTHER WAY YOUCAN HELP THE SOCIETY'S WORK
You may wish to consider including a legacy to the Society in your Will. As the Society is a registered charity, the legacy would be exempt from inheritance tax. Legacies provide charities with very valuable additional resources. Guidance may be obtained from The Hon. General Secretary, Mr. A. I. Moffat, who can supply a leaflet and any other further guidance required which will be given in confidence.
Tax Relief on Subscriptions
K.A.S. MEMBERS PLEASE NOTE: YOUR SUBSCRIPTION IS NOW DUE, SEE ENCLOSED LEAFLET
Some members may be able to obtain income tax relief on their subscriptions with effect from the current tax year. The Society has been approved by the Inland Revenue for the purpose of section 201 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act, 1988.
If your income tax is assessed under schedule E (PAYE), you may deduct the whole of your subscription from your salary (or other emoluments) for the same tax year provided (a) the activities of the Society are directly relevant to your employment (or office) and (b) you pay the subscription from the salary of that employment.
Directly relevant means that the performance of the duties of your employment is directly affected by the knowledge gained from the Society's activities. If you pay a subscription for joint membership, the proportion attributable to your spouse is not deductible.
If you make a claim during the tax year (after you have paid your subscription), you should complete form P358 or write with full details to your tax office. Alternatively, you may claim the relief retrospectively in your tax return. Your tax office may not know of the Society's approval until a new list of approved bodies is published early in 1995. If you make a claim before then, you may have to tell your tax office that the Society has only recently been approved and quote reference: SSPP/T1644/64/1993/JEM. The Hon. Editor welcomes all letters, articles, and communications and would particularly like to receive more from members and others, especially requests for research information, finds, books, and related topics.
The Editor wishes to draw readers' attention to the fact that neither the Council of the KAS nor the Editor is answerable for opinions which contributors may express in the course of their signed articles. Each author is alone responsible for the contents and substance of their letters, items, or papers. Material for the next Newsletter should be sent by 1st March 1995 to Hon. Editor, Nesta Caiger.
Published by the Kent Archaeological Society, The Museum, St. Faith's Street, Maidstone, Kent. ME14 lLH.
Printed by Delta Press, Crayford Industrial Estate, Swaisland Drive, Crayford DAl 4HT. Typesetting by Janset 081-301 2856.
Events, Outings, Lectures
K.A.S. LECTURES 1995. Please refer to programme issued with last KAS Newsletter for full details. Lectures are held on Saturday afternoons at 2.30 pm at various venues. Admission by ticket from H. G. B. Coast. £1.50 for members. £2.00 for visitors. Cheques payable to the 'K.A.S. Lectures Account' or pay at the door.
Saturday, 14th January 1995. Building Stones of Kent by Vicky Golding at the Cathedral Education Centre, Canterbury.
Saturday, 18th February. Discoveries from Estate Records from North West Kent, by Margaret Roake, at St. Mary's Parish Hall, Stone near Dartford.
Saturday, 18th March. Thanet Shipping Trade 1680 - 1760 by Robin Craig, at St. Mary's Church Hall, Dieu Stone Lane, Dover.
Saturday, 29th April. The Lowy of Tonbridge by Tom Hollobone at the Assembly Room, Tonbridge Parish Church.
K.A.S. April Social evening and Barbecue. See enclosed leaflet.
K.A.S. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. Dover will be the location of our next Annual General Meeting on Saturday, 20th May 1995. The meeting will be held in the morning at Dover College, and there will be a visit to places of interest in Dover during the afternoon. Details will be sent to members in April. The Society would welcome displays by groups or individuals of their work and/or publications. Enquiries should be made to the Hon. General Secretary, Mr. A. I. Moffat.
K.A.S. EXCURSION TO BURGUNDY, Monday, 29th May to Sunday, 4th June 1995. All deposits of £65 must be received by 15th January. Final bookings can be taken up to that date, but not later. The balance of £320 each for a double room and £395 for a single room is required by 25th March. En route, we shall be making an overnight stay in the old capital of Brie, Provins, once the third greatest city in France. (Edmond of Lancaster took away its privileges as well as its symbolic red rose, hence the red rose of Lancashire). The town contains much fine early medieval architecture.
The major part of our visit, May 30th to June 4th, takes us to the unspoiled, fortified hill-top town of Semur-en-Auxois to stay in the three-star Hostellerie d' Aussois. Our coach will take us to Sens - Becket's home during his years of exile; Vezelay - with Richard I connections; to the A.O. 1118 Abbey of Fontenay, and to Beaune and to other historical sites, not forgetting a wine tasting at Chablis. For fuller details contact Joy Saynor.
COUNCIL FOR KENTISH ARCHAEOLOGY. (All-day Conference) Saturday, 8th April 1995. To be held at Queen Elizabeth's School, Faversham, 11 am to 5.30 pm on ASPECTS OF ROMAN ARCHAEOLOGY IN FAVERSHAM AND KENT. An all-day event with illustrated lectures and guided tour. Morning Session: An Introduction to Faversham and its Creek, by Arthur Percival, followed by guided tours of the Creek and its environs.
Afternoon Session: Medieval Maritime Kent - the Archaeological Potential by Gillian Hutchinson. Faversham - Myth, Magic and Methodology. by Paul Wilkinson. A Sideways Look (Pollocks Shipyard and its Ships) by Anne Salmon.
Tickets from: C.K.A. 5 Harvest Bank Road, West Wickham, BR4 9DL. Price: All Day - £5, Morning or afternoon only: £3. S.A.E. Please.
FORUM OF DEBATE ON KENT ARCHAEOLOGY.
Saturday, 22nd April 1995, 11.00 am to 5.00 pm at Medway Adult Education Centre, High Street, Rochester. Theme: The Implementation and Effects of PPG16.
Archaeologists working in Kent are cordially invited to this first Forum of Debate, organised by the Committee for Rescue Archaeology in Kent. Debate will centre around recent changes in archaeology with particular reference to PPG 16.
Keynote speakers should include a developer, a planner, a central government representative, a non-Kent unit director and Kent Archaeologists, both professional and amateur. Details and tickets (£2 and S.A.E.) from: Committee for Rescue Archaeology in Kent (C.R.A.K.) 5 Harvest Bank Road, West Wickham, Kent BR4 9DL.
KENT HISTORY SEMINARS 1995.
Saturday, 4th February. The Golden Age of Canterbury Art. by Kenneth Whitehorn.
Saturday, 4th March. The Post-medieval Iron Industry in the Weald by Jeremy Hodgkinson.
Saturday, 13th May. The Development of Kentish Towns, 1650 - 1750 by Dr. Jacqueline Bower. Please phone Dr. Shirley Black for a brochure containing the full programme.
TWO-DAY CONFERENCE on the Prehistory of London on Saturday & Sunday, 28th & 29th January 1995 to be held at the Museum of London. Organised by SCOLA tickets price £20 (including tea, coffee and a wine reception on the Saturday evening) may be obtained from Jo Udall, Assistant Secretary SCOLA, Archaeology and Local History Section, 31 Stock Street, Plaistow, London E13 0BX. Cheques to be made out to SCOLA. SAE please.
TWO-DAY CONFERENCE on The Georgian Villa to be held at the Scientific Society's Lecture Theatre, 23 Savile Row, London W1. Further information from Dr. Dana Arnold at the Georgian Group, 37 Spital Square, London E1 6DY.
STUDY HOLIDAYS in Kent. Subjects include: Churches in the Kentish Landscape at Canterbury; Kent Houses and their Families at Canterbury. Prices range from £320 to £370. Further information from Andrea Nicholaides, Reservations Coordinator, Summer Academy, School of Continuing Education, The University, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NX.
Letters
I am at present engaged in research into the game called 'Merrills' or 'Nine Mens Morris' at the request of a French organization, GERSAR (Groupe d'Etudes, de Recherches, et de Sauvegarde de L' Art Rupestre). GERSAR are doing a survey of existing merrills throughout Europe and are also making a list of all known merrill-boards in Europe.
There are two sites reported in Kent. I recently visited them both and am writing to you for further information. The first one, in St. Mary in Castro, Dover, is a very complex board drawn on a large clay tile. I wondered if there is any information about its date and origins. Is it Roman, Norman, Medieval? Where was it originally placed?
The second site is in Canterbury cathedral. I arrived too near closing time and could only look briefly but am I correct in thinking that the board is of the type as illustrated - and that it is situated in the south-west corner of the cloisters, on the stone seating? I would be most grateful if you could give me any further information.
June Knowles.
The KAS Conference on Church Archaeology makes me wonder whether there is a call for occasional organised visits to our ancient churches. Judging by reports in Arch. Cant., this is a tradition of the KAS which seems largely to have died out.
Thus, if any interested member would like to contact me, we could perhaps try one or two informal visits which, if successful, might lead to further visits being advertised in the NEWSLETTER. I would also like to hear from any member who would be willing to guide such a group around a church of which they have particular knowledge.
D. E. Carder
I have recently been tracing Roman Roads in the area, using the published material of I. D. Margary as a reference.
Unfortunately, field observation has led me to question several suggested locations of routes described by the above and in some cases to find strong evidence for alternative routes, only very generally in the areas described.
I am currently attempting to locate positively the road from Sutton Valence to Ashford and would be pleased to hear from any Member who might share any interest in this or other roads in this area.
Mr. R. De Ste. Croix.