KAS Newsletter, Issue 49, Spring 2001

KENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER No.49 Spring 2001 Your Fieldwork Committee The Fieldwork Committee's Terms of Reference are:- To consider any matters relating to fieldwork, to receive applications for grants for fieldwork and to promote research, excavations, field-walking and training courses. To give advice to excavators (when they request it) and to provide practical support whenever suitable. The Committee is comprised of some fifteen members, ranging in experience from some that have been active for over 40 years to relative newcomers with seven years experience. We meet about five times per year to discuss fieldwork matters, but each member is active to a greater or lesser degree in their own field of interest. Training Excavations The Society's Training Excavation at the Roman villa at � Minster-in-Thanet continued with a fourth season of two >,; �eeks at the end of August 1999 directed by David Perkins, assisted by supervisors Tim Allen, Emma Boast, and Keith Parfitt. Twenty-eight people attended, all but one were members of the K.A.S. The Society is grateful to the Trust for Thanet Archaeology, Canterbury Archaeological Trust, Thanet Archaeological Society and Dover Archaeological Group for their assistance. Work centred on the main villa boundary wall and ditch. 'Trainees hard at work excavating walls' An adjacent building was investigated. Crop rotation precluded excavation during the summer of 2000, so the priority has been to ensure that the site archive and post­ excavation work is completed. A number of trainees are taking an active part in processing and reporting on the fragments of mosaic, painted wall plaster, animal bones, roof and box flue tile, and pottery from the site. We are pleased to announce that a further two weeks training will take place during 2001. See below for details on how to participate. The Society continues to endeavour to seek ways of amateurs being allowed to take part in PPG 16 archaeological excavations in conjunction with archaeological contractors. Such an opportunity arose at the site of a small Roman town at Westhawk Farm, Ashford where ahead of housing development by Wilcox Homes, the Oxford Archaeological Unit were carrying out extensive excavations. Dr John Williams, K.C.C. County Archaeologist, arranged for access by amateurs. The Society made a grant of £2,400 towards a training course over three weeks during July and August 1999. Nineteen people attended, eighteen of which were members of the Society. In addition, over fifty volunteer diggers, many of which were members, assisted on the excavation for varying periods throughout July to October. As a result of these two training excavations the Fieldwork Committee are compiling a list of volunteer diggers who are interested in being notified of opportunities to take part in archaeological excavations. If you would like to have your name added to the volunteers list please write to or e-mail me at the address below. Resistivity Surveys The Society's resistivity meter has been in great demand with amongst others, surveys being carried out by members at Minster Roman Villa, Cossington Manor, Aylesford, Stanham Farm, Dartford, Fawkham Junction, Longfield, Woodchurch, Isle of Thanet, The Green, Canterbury Cathedral, East Hill, Dartford and Mount Castle Farm, Lenham. One such survey and field walking work around the Roman site at Little Famingham. Sissinghurst lead to trail excavations reported on by eil Aldridge. If you wish as an individual member or as part of a local group or society to use or to be shown how to use the resistivity meter please contact me at the address below. Grants The granting by the Society of relatively small amounts can often enable fieldwork projects to be undertaken by members that might otherwise not take place. The following grants were made in the past few years. £3,000 to the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit for post excavation work on the work carried out at the Roman fort at Reculver. £470 to the Gravesend Historical Society for surveying equipment. £250 to the Upchurch 'Fawkham 14th Century Manor House under excavation' Archaeological Group for storage containers for some of the vast amounts of pottery and other finds they have discovered on the Upchurch Marshes. £50 to the Dartford District Archaeological Group for processing materials used during work on the finds from the Sedgebrook, Plaxtol and Minster Roman villas. The granting of £1,000 towards a project propos:d �y Tim Allen, has contributed towards the cost of sinking of boreholes in the Lower Halstow area to investigate the prehistoric land surfaces. Exci�g new evidence �f Mesolithic horizons have been discovered and work 1s continuing. A grant of £250 to the Fawkh� � Ash Arch�eological Group has assisted in the continwng excavation of the Medieval Manor House adjacent to Fawkham Church. Detectorists & Archaeologists Fieldwalking by amateur archaeologists to discover new sites is at an all time low, whereas the amount of fieldwalking activity by detectorists has increased dramatically. The essential difference in both activities is that detectorists are normally looking for items that people have lost, i.e. coins, brooches, buttons, strap ends etc, whilst archaeologists tend to be looking for signs of habitation in the form of struck flints, pottery shards, bones, oyster shell, tile etc. There is an enormous overlap in interest and members of the Fieldwork Commmee such as Keith Parfitt and myself have been actively engaged in attending detectorists meetings gi�g tal� appointment, ownhatcihs aeesoselongtiiaclallyaacticovmitimesoinn oabnjeecftfiovret.tTohbem_ld bndges m Lewis is a member of the Fieldwork Committee. with Lottery Funding, of a Finds Liaison Officer in Kent, over the last three years has brought about enormous changes in the reporting and recording ?f fin�s by detectorists. The current holder of that pos_ition, Michael Archiving Archaeological Activity The Committee is very conscious of the changes that the introduction of PPG 16 into the Planning process has caused with the growth of activity in the County by 'contract archaeologists'. The gradual fading away of many former active local archaeological groups would � seem to be one side effect. During the 1960's there was a tremendous increase of activity by amateurs in all fields of archaeology throughout the County. Due to any number of reasons this activity was not always adequately reported upon.· The Society's Council has approved an initiative by the Fieldwork Committee to endeavour to 'archive' the results that survive of this important work. Where it is known that • any archaeological activity has taken place, from fieldwalking, excavation, to building recording, efforts are being made to obtain permission from the participants to allow the digitilisation of any notebooks, drawings, plans, photographs onto computer so that the information can be archived for future research. In addition the purchase of a high quality digital camera The information gathered about previous archaeological activity will be held on a computer located in the Society's Library in Maidstone Museum. Copies of the archive will be made available to the National Monuments Record at Swindon and other interested organisations. It is felt that this archiving will go some way to making available the results of all the hard work carried out by many amateur archaeologists over the last will allow any pottery, bone and other finds to be photographed at little cost and to be added to the archive. "' 35 years. I hope that you approve of the efforts being made by your Fieldwork Committee on your behalf to enable members to participate in and to benefit from archaeological activities throughout Kent. If you have any comments or suggestions please contact me. Ted Connell 2 CANTERBURY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Research and Publication Grants The Society has limited funds available with which to support individuals researching the archaeology and early local history of the Canterbury District. It is envisaged that grants would not normally exceed £500 �d would be awarded annually. Preference will be given to work which will lead to early publication. Pl�ase apply in writing to the Honorary Secretary by Fnday 29th June 2001. Your letter should mention your qualifications, the nature and length of your research, the am?�t you are asking for, and any other funding anticipated and the end product (e.g. article, pamphlet). You should name a referee whom the sub-committee 0, making the grants could consult. If successful you would be expected to account for the money spent and give a copy of any article or pamphlet etc to the Society's Library. For further details, please contact the Honorary Secretary: Mrs Jean Crane, Dane Court, Adisham, CT33LA Association of bronze ibis with Roman Tum ulas at Snodland An 8 inch hollow bronze ibis can be seen at the Guildhall Museum, Rochester. Evidence obtained recently by Snodland Historical Society relates the find to the Roman tumulus excavation at Snodland. It appears that the /\ artefact was recovered by a workman from excavation spoil bulldozed over thequarry edge. Excavation report: UP Jessop, RF & Others. 'Excavation of a Roman Barrow at Holborough, Snodland', Archaeologica Cantiana Vol. LXVIII (1954) pp.1-61. Artefact: Toynbee, J.M.C., Art in Britain under the Romans, p.95, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1964. Both publications can be found in the Society's Library. Denis Anstey Lower Trans-Medway Project Three Pottery Finds from Eccles Some KAS members of long-standing will remember the many Reports written by Dr Detsicas on the excavation of a Roman Villa at Eccles. Dr Detsicas, as Director, was most anxious to have the publication of a complete book which would cover the work of many years (1962-1976). Unfortunately, although very fullsome notes and drawings covering plans of ancient building foundations had appeared in Volumes of Arch. Cant., under Interim Reports, See also Progress Report Vol. CVII 1989, a special write-up on the extensive finds of pottery, etc. is at present unavailable. A very short article of only about one page on 'pottery wasters' appeared in the Antiquaries Journal Vol. LIV 1974. This brief note is based mainly on a description of three Roman vessels, small and or unfamiliar design. They were thought to have been rescued from a quantity of Kiln wasters. See illustration, Fig. 1, taken from the A n t iq u a r i e s Journal. It shows the shape of one of these pots but the second vessel was slightly more globular, though of similar colour and fabric. The third was thought to have been underfired as it was of different quality and paler in colour. Dr Detsicas described them as being datable to about AD.65 but he could not deduce definitely a particular use to which these Roman pots could have been put. Soon after his short article was published this writer contacted him regarding a personal theory as to what use they could have had in a Roman household. However, he was not interested in the suggestions put to him at that time! This, the following theory, may be considered by K.A.S. readers to be a somewhat 'way-out' thought that these pottery finds could have connections with some Ancient Egyptian pottery designs and shapes. It seems almost certain that the Eccles find was of three 'Spinning Buckets'. See illustration, Fig.2. Note the illustration of an Ancient Egyptian spinning scene shown on the wall of a 12th Dynasty tomb, at Beni Hasan, (circa 1991-1785 BC). This scene, one of many similar in various other local tombs ranging from 11th to 12th Dynasty, demonstrates just how these 'buckets' were used to promote an expert production of proper twisted, useable thread which could then be passed on to weavers at looms. Buckets and baskets used for the same function were known to ladies of Rome. The British Museum has a number of decorated urns and vases with pictures of Roman women holding their spindles and placed beside 3 them was a bucket, or sometimes a same shaped basket, filled with rough combed thread and waiting to be hand spun. There are also ancient spindles on show with a Frg 2 -&..- I decorated pot, shaped and painted to look like an elegant basket and designed to 'hold Wool'. It is approximately the same size as an Eccles pot. The unspun thread was pulled up by hand under tension to the spindle, allowing the finished thread to be made into whichever type the spinner required for use on a loom. The cultivation of flax for the production of linen goes back for about 5,000 years in Egypt. It was harvested at different times of the year in order to make very fine cloth from treated young green stems, then to the other extreme, tough ripe fibres were gathered and, which when treated, could be made into ropes and mats. Hemp was also used from early times and could be spun into coarse textured cloth. The Romans in Britain also used wool for the weaving of warm cloth and clothing. The Ancient Egyptian 'buckets' are very rare in most museums. There is quite a hefty one in the Petrie Museum (Egyptology Collection, University College, London). It is of unknown manufacture and the top half of the vessel is missing so the two internal pottery loops can be seen. Their ability to give tension to the combed material drawn up to the spindle by the spinner is usually made by a loop or loops of pottery being fixed on the interior wall of the pot or else could be drawn up through a top containjng holes. With the Eccles pots the unspun thread would be tensioned by drawing it up through the apex of a triangle cut out of the sides of the pot. Some expert spinners could use two spindles together with two types of rough thread or even two contrasting colours blended together but each colour would be drawn up through a separate triangular hole. Dr Detsicas put forward the notion that each of the three pots - which may have been wasters, could have been the top tiers made for Roman chimney pots but he also remarked that they were soot-free and rather small. Another idea he had was that they might have been used to cover up a 'source of light' i.e. a small Roman lamp or 'candle'. This writer is convinced that if they really were Kentish spinning buckets it is a very rare find and may have been used by textile workers in a Roman household of wealth and self-sufficiency. _ 7 Therefore, it is admirable of Dr Detsicas to ha�e sorted them out as 'specials'. If the pots are ava1la�le for interested people to look at it would be splendid 1f they could be on show in Maidstone Museum, Kent. Nesta Caiger. KENT UNDERGROUND RESEARCH GROUP _ The Kent"Underground Research group will have be�n in exjstence for 20 years this year. We are an affiliated society and were originally a group until_ the Chari� Commission decided otherwise. We are interested m anything subterranean and this interest ranges from the distant past to the present day. If a hole appears in the county then we are prepared_to go down it. We have the. skills to get people and eqwpment up �d do':° deep shafts and wells. This often includes air testing and sometimes this may involve pumping fresh air down to disperse high carbon dioxide levels. Although our members are well practiced in caving techniques for getting up and down we do have a powered winch, which has been tested and certified for carrying people. This does take the slog out of coming up a 300 foot well. .A. We have been working on an extensive iron mine exploration just over the border into Sussex. This has involved digging out two shafts. One of these is 40 feet deep and the other 35 feet deep. This excavation has enabled us to get into the old mine passages. Nearer home this winter and the high rainfall has resulted in a crop of deneholes, Victorian cesspits and soak-aways and several wells. We have even dug a tunnel into chalk. (It is surprisingly hard stuff). Over the years one of our members has designed security grills for many dene ......,, holes and icehouses so they can remain open as bat hibernation refuges and not become full of rubbish. As mentioned, our members are experienced in the techniques of underground exploration and are covered by public liability insurance. A common problem is that subsidences occur in the most unexpected places and these are often the result of old mine workings which have collapsed. Perhaps the most frequent occurrences are:- The grubbing out of woods or field boundaries to make larger fields exposes old deneholes, which were commonly located in such features. Many of these deneholes were not infilled upon abandonment but merely capped with brick cones or blocked at the top with branches and a layer of soil. The vibration of agricultural machinery or irrigation can cause the shaft to open up. Many old brickfields were converted into allotments or orchards on abandonment because they left a flat area of fertile soil. Any associated chalk workings are likely to subside eventually if they are not effectively capped. Many such holes were badly infilled with rubble and this settles over the years to leave a void, which will eventually collapse. Old houses often had a well until the introduction of a mains water supply when the disused well was slabbed over. Where such a house is demolished and built upon, the presence of a well may be unsuspected and it may eventually open up. New housing developments on the site of old brickfields or farming land may be built on top of old deneholes or chalk mines. Such features were not always shown on old maps and their existence unsuspected. The extra weight of high-density housing may eventually cause collapse of the mine workings under houses or in gardens. We are mining historians - a unique blend of unlikely ('"\opposites. We are primarily archaeologists and carry out academic research into the history of the underground features and associated industries. To do this, however, we must be practical and thus have the expertise to carry out exploration and surveying of disused mines. Such places are often more dangerous than natural caverns but our members have many years experience of such exploration. Unlike other mining areas, the South East has few readily available records of the mines. Such records as exist are often found in the most unlikely places and the tracing of archival sources is an ongoing operation. A record of mining sites is maintained and constantly updated as further sites are discovered. Members are encouraged to carry out research into the individual sites and this information is published in the Group's newsletters and publications. (""'\Mining history is a relatively recent branch of archaeology and there is great scope for original research in the South East. We welcome new members who have an interest in mining history and are able to teach them the techniques of safe underground exploration. They are welcome to assist with ongoing projects and we can suggest many areas where they can carry out their own research. The unique feature of this interest is that there are many aspects and members can contribute just as much from surface recording and archival research as underground exploration. All are welcome, including those who merely have an interest in the subject and wish to receive the publications. If you hear of any underground features please let us know of their whereabouts and we will investigate. Mike Clinch, Secretary, Kent Underground Research Group. A ROADSIDE FIND In January 2000, retired farmer Paul Mills• was clearing a roadside pond (NCR TQ484674) near his property in Waldens Road, St Mary Cray, and was understandably surprised to discover an ancient iron'helmet buried in the mud. The find obviously warranted investigation, and it was taken initially to the Museum of London. From there it was transferred to the Wallace Collection for examination by the Head of the Armoury Section and his metallurgist, who removed a fragment for analysis. The helmet was subsequently identified as being that of a late seventeenth century cavalryman. How it came to be thrown into the pond remains a mystery, but it could have had links with Richard Spencer of Orpington Priory. He is known to have been a 32cm E u r­ N supporter of the King, Charles I, for whom he had raised two regiments of horse. Although Spencer died in 1661, it is just possible that the helmet dates fro[!l the Commonwealth period and re-used after the Restoration when Richard's widow, Ann, was allowed to return to the Priory. One thing is certain. The helmet is not a copy or a theatrical piece. It could have found its way into a private house or one of the local parish churches. Thieves could subsequently have stolen and later discarded it, although there is, as yet, no evidence for this. If any reader of this article can throw light on the subject, please contact the editor. John Blundell (" Paul Mills, owner of the helmet, is a member of the St Mary Cray Action Group, and has agreed to the publication of this article. He also sanctioned the inclusion of the helmet in the Group's major Millennium Exhibition ('The Cray Experience') which was held in the Museum during September 2000). 5 KAS HOJ YOU A DYO ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Following the problems holding the annual general meeting last year (when too few members attended the first meeting), the Council hopes members will attend this year's A.G.M. if they can. It will be held on Saturday 19th May at 11 a.m. in Maidstone. The notice and other papers will be sent out during April. The agenda will include proposals to change the rules. The main change would be to reduce the quorum for attendance at annual general meetings to 25. Others would reduce the size of the council and limit the number of years the President, Council members and members of committees can hold office. The report of the Way Forward Working party was approved by the Council in January. Members will be given an opportunity to discuss its implications at the A.G.M. • We are fortunate that in the afternoon Dr Michael Zell, Reader in English Local History at the University of Greenwich, will speak on the subject of early modem families and households. NEW MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Margaret Lawrence will be retiring as Hon. Membership Secretary at the A.G.M. on 19th May after seventeen years collecting subscriptions, sending reminders, keeping up with members' movements etc. and, more recently, organising successful social functions such as the Christmas lunches and barbecues. We are fortunate that Mrs Sheila Broomfield has agreed to take over as Hon. Membership Secretary from the A.G.M., but she will not take on the social functions. After the 19th May please contact her about all membership matters. INFORMATION OFFICER WANTED The Society plans to increase the amount of news and information supplied to members, mainly by expanding the Newsletter and increasing the frequency of its publication, but also by improving its website. It wishes to appoint an Information Officer whose main responsibility will be to act as both editor of the Newsletter and its reporter. It recognises that this will involve a substantial commitment in time and is prepared to pay for about one day's work a week and expenses. The work may include involvement with the Society's website which it plans to develop as a source of information about archaeological and local history activities. The post offers the opportunity to become involved in the expansion of the Society's activities and to develop contacts with similar organisations and individuals involved in archaeology and local history in the County. If you would like more information, or are interested in applying for the post, please contact 6 [_ EPAGE Andrew Moffat, Hon. General Secretary, secretary@kentarchaeology.org.uk K.A.S. WEB SITE By the time you read this the Society's website should have moved to a new Internet address,www.kentarchaeology.org.uk and has been hosted on generous terms by a Kent company, Medway Internet. The Society plans to use the facilities offered by this company to expand its website so it provides more facilities for its members and others interested in archaeology and local history. The site is still being run by the Hon. General Secretary who does not have time for the work this will �valve. Any member who has experience of producing content for websites and would be .villing to help is invited to contact the Hon. General Secretary: secretary@kentarchaeolo�Jorg.uk Medway Internet is also offering 20% commission on most purchases by members of KAS. For instance, if your e-mail address looks a little strange or too anonymous - David829@aol.com or pamela@smith.freeserve.co.uk - and you would like something reflecting your real name and where you live, Medway Internet can help - and the Society can benefit too. Examples are DavidSmith@Bredhurst.com or A.J.Williams@CanterburyKent.com - see the link on the Society's website, or ring Medway (01634) 845839 for details. NEWS OF SHORT SUMMER VISITS FROM THE HON EXCURSIONS SECRETARY Saturday June 28th - all day visit to Lullingstone. In the morning Susan Pittman will guide members through the historic landscape of the Park and an afternoon visit will be made to Lullingstone church and castle. Lunch can be arranged. �unday August 12th - in the morning t�ere w�l be a vis�t to the Royal Engineers Museum at ..,illingham and after lunch members will be given a guided tour of Fort Amherst. Saturday August 25th - an all day visit to Sheerness with an extensive tour of its ancient buildings and monuments, guided by Jonathan Firth. There are still a few places available for the week long Irish excursion, June 9th to June 16th inclusive (details in Newsletter No. 48, Winter 2000-01). Details from: Hon. Excursions Secretary, Jpy Sayner CHURCHES COMMITTEE Since our recent offer of help with sources, advice and financial support for those preparing to write guides to their parish churches, we have been pleased to receive applications. Such potential authors are reminded of our readiness and ability to help. Applications should be made to Mrs Sue Petrie, Sunninglye Farmhouse, Bells Yew Green, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 9AG. The database of Kent churches being established for the Churches Committee of the K.A.S. by Mr David Carder is progressing. Information concerning churches is however still required and such data would be welcomed by Mr Carder. 7 Courses, Events and Teaching Aids EXCAVATIONS AT SCADBURY MOATED MANOR, CHISLEHURST . On Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th September the archaeological excavations at the medieval moated manor site at Scadbury will be open to the public. There will be a self guided trail around the excavations which will show the work that is currently being carried out on the site as well as the remains of the foundations of the buildings associated with the Walsingham family. Unlike many similar moated sites, the island is still completely surrounded by water. Members of the Orpington and District Archaeological Society (ODAS) will be on hand to answer any questions. The site will be open to the public from 2.00 pm until 4.30 pm. There will also be a photographic display, refreshments and a bookstall. Admission is free. Limited car parking is available close to the site, by ticket only, for which application should be made (enclosing a s.a.e. and stating for which day required) to: ODAS, 27 Eynsford Close, Petts Wood, Kent, BRS lDP ROMAN VI LLA AT ABBEY FARM, MINSTER-IN-THANET This season of excavation at Abbey Farm looks set to be an exciting one. The discovery of Building 4 with a hypocausted room, remains of painted plaster and tesserae south east of the main villa building was an unexpected treat and this season we plan to revisit it to establish its nature and extent. There is a bit more to explore between the wings of the villa and at the end of the eastern range. This will, we hope, give us a complete plan of the main villa building within its boundary walls. We also plan to revisit the boundary ditch partially excavated in 1999 and the corner of the boundary wall and the corn drier /latrine uncovered in 1997. If this is not enough to be going on with, we also plan to geophys the whole field to gain more information about the villa, its boundaries and any previous or subsequent occupation to the Romano-British period on the site. Aside from the fieldwork, post excavation work has been proceeding at a steady pace. Most of the records have been computerised and a CAD plan of the villa is in progress. The report for the Bath House has almost been completed. The finds have been processed, catalogued and are ready to be entered into the computer. Some of the finds have been assessed including the animal bone and the glass, which has been written up and drawn by Dr David Perkins. This has shown a wide variety of vessel and window glass mainly fragments of mould blown prismatic or cylindrical bottles but also cups or beakers, a jug and a base fragment from a cup or bowl decorated with a ring of finely ground oval facets. For further details about this year's excavation please contact: David Bacchus. 8 Courses, Events, Teaching Aids Opportunities to Study Archaeology with the University of Kent Archaeology can be studied at the University of Kent on either a full-time or part-time basis. Degr�e programmes are run in the daytime on the University's Canterbury Campus in both Classical & Archaeological Studies and History & Archaeological Studies. Candidates can apply to follow the programmes on either a full or a part-time basis. Students choose combinations of courses drawn from the archaeology of Europe and the Mediterranean, and Ancient and Medieval History. Part-time programmes in Archaeological Studies specifically for mature students are also run at Certificate, Diploma and Degree level in the evenings, at both the University's Canterbury Campus and its Centre in Tonbridge. Students usually start with the Certificate, then progressing to diploma and finally degree level study. Courses range from prehistoric studies and the archaeology of ancient civilisations to that of the medieval world. There will be intakes in September 2000 to the Certificate at Canterbury and the Diploma and Degree at both Tonbridge and Canterbury. Applications are welcome from anyone who wishes to study archaeology at university level. Mature students need not have formal academic qualifications if they can demonstrate commitment to the discipline and the aptitude to study at the appropriate level. For further information, please contact the Unit for Regional Learning, Keynes College, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NP. Tel: 0800 9753777 (24 hours). E-mail: part-time@ukc.ac.uk. University College London Field Archaeology Unit Five/ two/one day practical archaeology training courses at Barcombe Roman Villa, East Sussex, part of the first season of research and rescue excavations. Excavation Techniques, Timber­ framed Buildings, Surveying for Archaeologists, Archaeological Planning & Section Drawing, On-site conservation. Brochure and application form available from website: www.archaeologyse.co.uk or send s.a.e. (1/3 A4 size) to Miss H Dixey, UCL Field Arch.a eology Unit. The Faversham Society Open House Scheme (the longest established event of its kind in the UK) takes place on Saturdays 7, 14 and 21 July. Most of the historic buildings participating (more than 15) are not normally open to the public. Among these are the Old Grammar School (1587), 40 Court Street (C16 with C18 front); 6 Market Place (C13-16); 1 Hugh Place (Cl6, part of original Fleur de Lis inn); Cooksditch (C18); Court Lodge, Oare (C16-18); Catholic Church (C19- 20, painting by Edward Ardizzone); Ospringe Church (C12-19); Goodnestone Church (C12, CCT); Kingsdown Church (E W Ougin, 1865, CCT): and Luddenham Church (C12-15, recently restored by CCT). Cars needed for the last four churches: all other properties within easy walking distance of town centre (M2, 1 mile) and Faversham Station (London Victoria 70 minutes, half-hourly). Faversham is a richly rewarding historic town, with nearly 500 listed buildings. programmes (with full descriptive notes on each building) admit to all properties, may be used on more than one Saturday: available on the day, price £5, at the Faversham Society HQ the Fleur de Lis Heritage Centre, 10-13 Preston Street, Faversham, Kent, ME13 8NS (10795 534542), or in advance by post from late May, price £6 (cwo, please). All proceeds to the Society, run by 100% voluntary effort. Chart Gunpowder Mills (oldest in the world), Maison Dieu, Ospringe (c 1234 - additional charge), and Stone Church (ruin since C16, only church in UK to incorporate pagan Roman shrine) will also be open. 9 L PUBLICATIONS Hor/011 Kil by n11rl So11t/i Dnrenth Locnl Histor:1 St•::iet; The \ 'Jute House, Horton Kirby and Musse11.len F.m11. Two pam�hlets produced by the soci.:ty, lnve beeu d posited m the Society's library, price S0p each. Copies St fv!ary's Cray Action Group of these and other publications of this society can be obtained from the Secretary, K.H. Saunderson, town's more senior citizens, spread over as wide a range of personal circumstances as possible. These transcripts have been used to compile eleven chapters describing topics such as employment, school, living conditions, transport and so on. In all these the emphasis has been placed on what was actually said, with as little commentary from the various chapter editors as possible. Those who have been involved in the work - which has taken five years to bring to fruition - have found it fascinating, and it has been very well received in Sandwich. Copies of the 175 page AS book may be obtained from the Society's Secretary, Dr F.W.G. Andrews at for £8.00 (incl. p & p). An_ 1//11strated guide to St Mary Cray by John Blundell . Th.is super cede s the 1992 edition. Copies are obtainable from the author, Mr J Blund ell, 35 T a n dridge D ri ve Crofton, Orpington, Kent, BR6 8BY. Price £7.50 + £1 p & p. Dockyard ' AMacBDrioeufgaHlli.ston7J6 pofagSesh,eelrnaregses by Philip format comb bound, This is now available and is priced at £3 (inc p & p). Archneologicnl Committee ofthe Gravesend Historical Society The Gravesend Blockhouse by VT.C. Smith & E.R. Green Cheques should be made payable to 'New Tavern Fort project' and sent to Mr V. Smith. New Book on the Romnn Town at Springhend. The Gravesend Historical Society's, The Roman Town at Springhead is long out of print. The Society hope to produce an entirely re-written 3rd edition in 2001 to mark the 50 years since its first involvement with this impor�ant site. The major figures from within the Society who d1rected excavations at Springhead were the late Bill Penn and Syd Harker. Important additional work was undertaken by Brian Philp. The Society's Springhead Unit was also active there in the 1990's. Further investigations of a non-invasive kind across the greater Springhead area are planned. Within the book it is intended to re-assess the findings of the Society's investigations, to refer to the published more recent discoveries by others and to include some contributions by specialists in various fields. The Society has a very large collection of artifacts found at Springhead, many of wh.ich are on display at the Milton Chantry Heritage Centre in Gravesend. Full use of these will be made in illustrating the book. The Society is also keen to complete an archive of bibliography, index, 5 maps. Limited circulation. £6.75 (incl. p & p). Available to K.A.S. members direct from the author at 38 Arnold Way, Bosham, Chichester, West Sussex, P018 8NJ. Ph.ilip MacDougall, who has written and researched widely on the subject of Kent's naval dockyards, has put together th.is brief account of Sheerness. Providing for the first time, much newly researched material, it is an attempt to put this greatly neglected dockyard into fuU historical context. Of particular value is a description of the numerous problems faced by the yard during the 18th century and a detailed reconstruction of the dockyard during the early 19th century. Among the several appendices included are a complete Listing of all vessels constructed in the yard as well as those deliberately sunk as breakwaters. WROTHAM H1STOR1CAL SOCIETY As a follow up to its recent highly successful 45 minute video covering the history of the village over the past � l,�00 ears - '�rotham - a Place in English History' - tl-A Historical Sooety is planning a long overdue writter' history which it plans to publish in 2002/3. Research into a whole range of topics is well underway but we would greatly appreciate the loan of any do�ents/ records/ photographs relating to Wrotham wh.ich fellow members may have in their possession. They would be taken great care of and returned safely to their owner after use. photographs taken during the excavations at the site and If ny reader is able to help could they please contact me: appeals to any past excavators who may have taken � . photographs there for the favour of being able to borrow and copy them. Any such material would be carefully handled and returned, with postage refunded. Please send material to Victor Smith, Convenor of the Society's Archaeology Committee. history covering the years 1914-1950, based Sandwicohf LtohcealtoHwisnto, ry Society has just published an oral on transcripts of taped interviews with twenty five of the Chve Thomas L LETTERS Dear Editors THE ROMAN INVASION May I add something to Alan Ward's very useful discussion of the Claudian invasion of AD 43 in the Winter 2000/1 issue? A long shot is that at least some of the Roman fleet may have made fo� the harbour north of present day Faversham. This does not exist today, because of land reclamation undertaken in medieval and modern times but in Roman times, at least at high water, would hav; provided a large, sheltered anchorage in the area around Thorn Creek, between what are now Faversham, Nagden and Goodnestone. This was probably better protected from the elements than its counterpart at Richborough. �ugh the voyage ('east to west' along the North Kent Luast, once the Wantsum or North Foreland had been n�gotiated) would have been longer than to Richborough, it might have enabled troops to land just as soon, or sooner, since marching time would have been s�ved - and there was as yet no Roman road linking Richbo�ough with Canterbury and further west. The groups might have 'met no resistance' because the harbour was quite well concealed and this would have given the native inhabitants a sense of security. (Faversham itself, though an important port in medieval times, seems never to have been walled, presumably because its harbour was more hidden from view than those of ports like Sandwich and Rye). The invaders might have been 'driven back in their course' by the Thames/Swale tide. If Bigbury was a force .J.l..be reckoned with, they would have cut it off. If the '""'ching camp which Paul Wilkinson thinks existed at Judd Folly Hill (probably at or near the small Roman own of Durolevum) has earthworks dating from the early Claudian period it could have been one of the first, or even the first, to be established, just a couple of miles from the landing point. Then Nagden Bump, at the NW tip of the Nagden promontory, might have been raised for an early beacon soon after the invasion. It was destroyed after the 1953 floods but we know that it was man-made, not a natural outcrop of London Clay, and too big to have been built as a sheep refuge. Worth a moment's thought anyway? Arthur Percival, MBE MA DLitt FSA Honourary Director Faversham Society Dear Editors The Roman Invasion As one who h�s spent two years researching the question of where the Roman invasion task force landed in A.O. 43, I was very interested in Alan Ward's article in the Winter 2000/2001 Newsletter and I should like to offer some comments on it. Mr Ward's approach is to stress the uncertainty and ambiguity of both the documentary and archaeological evidence. While it is true that the ancient accounts, chiefly Dio Cassius and Suetonius, are garbled and often less than specific, nevertheless they are not always as ambiguous as he suggests. Similarly a rigorous interpretation of the archaeological (and topographical) evidence can lead to conclusions which are quite unambiguous. For example, Mr Ward repeats a suggestion, first made, it seems, by John Hind, that Richborough might not have been a safe harbour and that the Wantsum was subject to treacherous tidal flows. I made an analysis of tidal differentials influencing the flows in the Wantsum, comparing them with those affecting two channels which exist today and whose tidal flows are known, the Swale and the Menai Strait. This shows that the tidal flows in the Wantsum were moderate, of a similar order to those in the Swale rather than the Menai Strait. If anything they were probably weaker than in the Swale. Unlike the Menai Strait, known for its treacherous currents, the Swale can in no way be regarded as a difficult waterway. As to the shelter offered by the Wantsum, the anchorage close to Richborough was in the lee of the high ground of mainland Kent and Thanet from winds in all directions except the east. From the east the anchorage was protected by the long spit running south from Thanet, known as the Stonar Bank. There can be no realistic doubt about the security of the anchorage offered by Richborough. Again Mr Ward suggests that a voyage by a Roman invasion fleet to Sussex from Boulogne might have taken twenty-four hours, as opposed to twelve from Boulogne to East Kent. Julius Caesar records the times of three of his passages to a landing point in the Deal/Walmer area as approximately sixteen hours, as approximately nine hours and, to the South Foreland, perhaps as little as seven and a quarter hours. So Mr Ward's suggested figure of twelve hours for the Dover Strait crossing is not unreasonable. It must, however, be remembered that these passages of Caesar's would have had considerable assistance from the tidal streams flowing at up to two knots through the Strait. However, because of its greater length such assistance from the tide would not have been available for a passage from Boulogne to the Solent. What might initially be gained from a favourable stream would be lost from an unfavourable stream when the tide turned. I undertook a detailed analysis of the likely performance of the ships available to the Romans and of the tidal and 11 meteorological environment of a passage from Boulogne to the Solent. This suggests that the time required for the pas age would be mud1 longer than the twenty-fo'm hours proposed by Mr Ward. An important consideration is that this was a fleet operation, involving perhaps more than a thousand ships (or a third of that number if the invasion passage was in three waves). For a whole variety of reasons fleets travel much more slowly than single ships and it is difficult to see that the passage to the Solent could have taken less than two and a half to three days. As an exercise in naval logistics it would pose a considerably greater challenge than a Dover Strait crossing. Turning now to the documentary evidence, there can be no real doubt that Dio's Berikos is the Verica of the British coins. The evidence of the Slavonic alphabet is that by the tenth century the Greek letter 'beta' had the same phonetic value as the 'v' of modern Romance languages. The strong likelihood, therefore, is that in Dio's time 'beta' had the same value as Latin 'v'. Similarly, there is little ambiguity in Dio's account of the organisation of the invasion fleet 'in threes' and the reason for it, namely to avoid congestion at the invasion beachhead. It is true that confusion has been caused by translations which variously offer the reason as 'to avoid being hampered in landing' or 'to avoid having an opposed landing'. However, there is no confusion in Dio's Greek text; the word he uses means to 'hamper' or 'hinder', not to 'oppose'. Moreover, nothing in Dio's account requires us to believe that there were three disembarkation points, rather than the one that logic and logistics would suggest as the optimum. What Dio is saying is that the invasion force of fom legions and supporting units disembarked in three consecutive waves because if they all attempted to land at the same time there would have been an unacceptable traffic jam at the beachhead. And again there is no ambiguity in Dio's statement that the direction in which the invasion fleet was headed, when it had been 'driven back in its course', was east to west, even if we argue about its implications. But it is not the powerful argument for a landing in West Sussex that some would believe. There is a very close parallel with Caesar's account of his passage to East Kent in 54 B.C. In Caesar's case the wind failed overnight and the fleet drifted offshore with a north-east going tide. At dawn, they saw the coast of Britain 'afar on the port side'. Their course, like that of Aulus Plautius's fleet, then lay east to west. I have just finished writing up my research thesis. My approach has been to use the resources of maritime archaeology and allied disciplines to ask what constraints would have influenced the naval strategy of the cross­ Channel operation of A.D. 43. Others will make their own judgement of my research, but in my view it amounts to a strong case refuting the hypothesis of a landing in the Solent. Gerald Grainge Finglesham, Nr Deal Dear Editors I have attempted to construct a website on which people can access the transcipts of Leland L Duncan's notebooks recording M.I.'s from various churchyards throughout Kent from the early 1880's to 1923. The address is: http:IIwww.btinternet.comI-archaeologyandlocalhistory/ I would welcome any constructive criticism or suggestions. Ted Connell Dear Newsletter Editor I would like to draw your attention to the two articles by me on Kingsgate (Thanet) which have appeared in the latest issues of Follies magazine which may b� of �terea to your Society. As research goes on there 1s still ne­ material turning up and I would be very interested to know if any of your members have information which they would be willing to share with me. I have already been advised of a few people with old pictures or have associations with the area and I am in the process of contacting them. The various local libraries and archives have been of great help and trawling through the Holland correspondence at the British Library has been most rewarding. With the assistance of Diana Reynall I am also trying to piece together a more accurate account of the grotto at Margate so if anybody has leads or contacts for that they would be much appreciated. Mike Cousins Co-Director The Folly Fellowship Newsletter Copy Deadlines Spring issue - copy deadline is 1st March. Summer issue - copy deadline is 1st July. Winter issue - copy deadline is 1st November. Newsletter welcome communications, especially The Editors of the requests for research information , finds, all letters, articles and books and other related topics. The Editors wish to draw the reader's attention to the fact that neither the Council of the KAS, nor the Editors express in the are answerable for opinions which contributors may course of their signed articles. Each author is alone responsible for the Editors Announcement Kent ME14 lLH contents and substance of their letters, items or papers. Material for the next Newsletter should be sent by 1st July 2001 to Newsletter Editors, Mr & Mrs L. E. flott. Published by the Kent Archaeological Society, The Museum St Faith's Stree� Maidstone, ' • Printed by Comolith, Kemble Road, Forest Hill London 5623 2D) Tel: 020 8699 8759 Fax: 020 8699 8981 e-mail: sal es @comolith.de,;,on.eo.uk 12