Archaeology at Work
Following the successful meeting held last September at New Ash Green, another Archaeology at Work has been arranged for this year at Faversham on Saturday, 29th September, at the Queen Elizabeth School, Abbey Place. The format will be very much the same, comprising a series of static exhibitions, practical demonstrations and teach-ins on a number of subjects related to archaeology and local history. Here then is your opportunity to extend or perhaps share your knowledge of a particular subject that interests you, together with a chance to see and hear about some other aspects of archaeology and local history.
There will be five classrooms set aside for particular themes, such as Studying Your Parish Churchyard, Heraldry, The Written Record, Medieval Pottery Studies and Building Recording. In the main hall there will be a wide variety of displays by K.A.S. Subject Branches, Affiliated Societies and other organisations studying the history of Kent.
It is hoped that visitors will wander round joining in or just looking and listening, spending as little or as long in each area as they wish. All the activities will run simultaneously, with some being repeated later in the day, so that participants can plan their day accordingly, seeing first those areas which interest them most. The workshop will include the following.
Building Recording
There are more than 400 listed buildings in Faversham, so there will be a unique opportunity for students of vernacular architecture to walk round the town and see many examples of buildings ranging from the 16th century to the 19th century. There will be a display of various surveys including plans and photographs. In the morning Mr Arthur Percival of the Faversham Society will give an illustrated talk about the buildings of Faversham, followed by Mr Tim Tatton-Brown speaking about the techniques of building recording. Members can then walk around the town, ensuring that they call in at the Faversham Society's Fleur De Lis Heritage Centre.
Studying Your Parish Churchyard
There will be an illustrated talk and practical guidance on how to study and record your local churchyard by Mr Duncan Harrington. This will be followed by a visit to Faversham Church to demonstrate in practical terms how such a survey can be done. In addition there will be a display on Sundials and Scratch Dials of Kent.
Heraldry & How to read a Coat of Arms
An exhibition on Heraldry intended to enable those who always wished they could, to take the first steps towards 'reading' a coat of arms; and perhaps to stimulate an interest in the subject. Members are invited to bring along any drawings or photographs of coats of arms that they have encountered locally and they will be helped with the steps that can lead to some very useful information being obtained about local families.
The Written Record
Palaeography (reading and translating old documents), talks on basic knowledge with practical sessions with plenty of opportunity to try your hand with photocopies of local documents. Or bring along any of your own copies that you are researching for assistance in reading them.
Medieval Pottery Studies
Various displays and an opportunity to handle and compare fabrics, ranging from the hard green glazed wares to the common shell/flint-tempered cooking pots. Short illustrated talks on the production and distribution of medieval pottery will take place throughout the day. Please bring along and discuss with others pottery from your own excavations.
Local Archaeological Site
The school playing fields cover the remains of a Roman villa and Royal Abbey of Faversham, which was founded in 1147 by King Stephen. During the construction of the school in 1965 members of the Reculver Excavation Group, led by Brian Philp, recovered the plan of this important monastery, which was destroyed by Henry VIII in the 16th century, and in addition, the plan of a Roman villa of the winged-corridor type. Finds, plans and photographs of the excavations will be on display, together with publications of the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit.
Chart Gunpowder Mills
Rescued and restored by the Faversham Society in 1967, they date from 1760. Just picture the powder being mixed under the huge 3-ton edge-runners and remember that without it Nelson could not have won Trafalgar or Wellington Waterloo. Members of the Faversham Society will be on hand to show visitors around during the afternoon.
Faversham Station is just 5 minutes walk from the school, just off of Abbey Street, with frequent trains from Canterbury and the Kent Coast, and Medway and Bromley to the west. Motorists from London, Dover and the Kent Coast reach Faversham via the M2 motorway.
All are welcome, K.A.S. Members, Affiliated Society members and any interested people, but admission is by free ticket which can be obtained by sending a s.a.e. to: Archaeology at Work '84. To make a really successful day we need you to be there. Please come and join us. It should be an enjoyable day and perhaps we shall all learn something new.