KAS Newsletter, Issue 70, Autumn 2006

PRE HISTORIC AND MEDIEVAL FEAT URES AT FOSTER ROAD, ASHFORD: PRELIMINARY RESULTS B etween June and August this year Wessex Archaeology undertook excavation of an area of approximately 0.65 hectares off Foster Road. Ashford. The dig was commis• sioned by CgMs Consulting on behalf of PPG Southern Ltd and Cirrus Properties. The excavation was interesting for its discovery of timbers preserved due to the high water table. Only a relatively small finds assemblage was uncovered. ranging from prehistoric to medieval. with an emphasis on the later prehistoric period. Pottery provides practically the only currently available dating evidence for the site. although scientific dating of charcoal and the waterlogged timbers will be possible later in the post-excavation analysis. On the basis of the initial spot dating of the pottery, the archaeological features and deposits encountered have been 2 grouped into five periods. detailed below. Middle-Late Bronze Age The earliest feature on the site comprised a large probable pond or waterhole that extended beyond the southern limit of excavation. The very irregular sides appear to be the result of poaching by livestock. implying stock-keeping during this period. The upper fill of the pond was cut by a recti· linear enclosure ditch on its north-west side and by two contemporary ditches that continued to the north-east. A number of small pits and post• holes were recorded within the area bounded by the enclosure ditch. Seven of the postholes appear to form an arc, which continued beyond the limit of excavation. and probably represent a roundhouse between 3.7m and 4m in diameter. The two ditches that extended to the north· east of the pond partly enclosed a shallow coomb that ran down the prevailing slope and may have been intended to drain this area. Within the coomb lay a hearth, postholes. slots and shallow pits. also broadly datable to this period. The postholes and slots. although proba• bly structural, do not appear to form any coherent structure and limited intercutting between them demonstrates that they are not al I contem· poraneous. The activity that this group of features represents is uncertain. however. as they all contained relatively large quantities of charcoal, as did the overlying buried soil horizon in this area. It is hoped that analysis of environmental samples will shed light on these features. In the north of the site a few irregular ditches or gullies suggest that they may represent drainage channels. KT'.,, ..,,..- - -- • 􀀉􀀊 , .i,􀀆i􀀇{ ,. Later Prehistoric Overlying the shallow coomb and partly overlying the enclosure ditch and pond was an extensive buried soil horizon. Pottery, broadly datable to the Late Bronze Age to Late Iron Age, was recovered from this, along with small quantities of animal bone, burnt flint and worked flint. Several shallow, irregular gullies ran down the prevailing south-west facing slope. While some COVER: One of the Saxon pits under excavation. LEFT: Preserved wood exposed in the Saxon pit. BELOW: Site plan Medieval m Saxon • Late Iron Age/Romano-Bnlish • later Prehistoric • Middle-Late Bronze Age [=:J Limit or buned soil (later Prehistoric) were very irregular and were probably naturally formed. others were certainly man-made. although in all cases their function appears to be drainage. Two shallow depressions were excavated in the east of the site and a large, waterlogged pit in the south, all broadly datable to this period. Although the function of this last feature is unclear. analysis of environmental samples taken from its fills may shed some light. The potential for scientific dating also exists on a large, possibly worked, timber that was recovered from the basal fill of this pit. Late Iron Age to Romano-British Several ditches and gullies of this period were recorded, again running down the prevailing south-west facing slope. Once again their function I I I I appears to be drainage, although their form was more regular than the earlier drainage features. In the north-east of the site one of these ditches was cut by a large pit, from which Late Iron Age and Romano-British pottery was recovered. Saxon Only three features. all in the north of the site close to the crest of the prevailing slope, were dated to the Early-Middle Saxon period on the basis of pottery in handmade, organic-tempered or sandy fabrics. A sub-rectangular feature, approximately 4.4m long, over 2m wide and 0.20m deep, with gravel metalling in its base. may be a 'sunken-feature building' (SFB). although the lack of any associated post-holes make this 􀁔SFB 􀁕- interpretation uncertain. Approximately 30m to the west of the possible SFB were two large pits, also dated to the Early-Middle Saxon I "' / period. Both contained preserved timbers. comprising square linings to the pits with redeposited local clay and stone packing. These are currently interpreted as wells or waterholes; however, analysis of environmental samples may enhance this interpretation. Roundhouse I I I Pond/Waterhole (Mlddle Broru:e AQe) I / I ( I I I I I I I I / o====----====----===50m Medieval Two phases of shallow gullies, some of which, unlike the majority of earlier features. ran across the prevailing slope, were dated to the medieval period. The potential date range appears to be 12th to 13th century, although there was little which is clearly diagnostic. These features appear to represent a small system of enclosures or land divisions of uncertain function. All were very shallow and no indications of maintenance or r e -cutting were seen in any of the excavated sections, suggesting that these were probably fairly short-lived features. Vaughn Birbeck Wessex Archaeology 1-1: 􀀡; f! , ; \'i 􀀂 [ 1} I􀀢 ADDITIONS TO THE KAS LIBRARY JUNE TO SEPTEMBER 2006 Hill Figures of Kent (Dr Mark Hows). For the Sake of the Children (Peter Hayward). Sussex Archaeological Collections, Vol.143, 2005. Revue Historique de Dunkerque et du Littoral, Nos.37 & 38. Nomina, Vol. 28, 2005. Surrey Archaeological Collections Vol. 92, 2005. Archaeologia Cambrensis, Vol.153, 2004. Anglo Saxon Cemeteries of Kent. Vais 1 & 2. (A. Richardson). Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, Vol. 127, 2005. Glorious Past - Women and Evangelical Religion in Kent and Northamptonshire (Sibyl Phillips). Wroxeter Archaeology; Excavation and Research on the Defences of the Town 1968-1992, Vol.CXXVIII. Archaeometry Vol.48 P.3. Archaeological Journal, Vol.162, 2005: and "Finland and Tallinn", Summer Meeting of the R.A.I. 2005, Supplement to Vol.162. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Vol.134, 2005. Jahresschrift fur Mitteldeutsches Forgeschichte Band 89. Fornvannen 2006/3. Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, Vol.75. Suffolk Records Society- "Savage Fortune", History of the Savage Family. St. Radigunds Abbey, Dover (Grace Moylan). Gender and Petty Crime in Late Medieval England; The Local Courts in Kent 1460-1560 (Karen Jones). COURSES IN THE LIBRARY GEOARCHAEOLOGY Led by Dr. E. Jarzembowski On Wednesday afternoons, commencing 7th February 2007 between 2 .00pm and 4.00pm for ten weeks, at a cost overall of £40.00. Lectures will include: Dating the past Natural cycles e.g. erosion Sediments Building stones and strategic minerals Landscape evolution Geological maps and sections Our geological history Pa laeoenvironment Darwinian evolution The course will be approximately 50/50 theory and practice and students will be expected to apply what they have learned and to report back. A booking form for the course is included in this Newsletter. COMPUTER KEYBOARD SKILLS? '""""" 2006 Help Wanted The .ac web team is looking to recruit volunteers to copytype the text from old publications in order to produce new editions of them. The text will be used to produce a new publication for download on the internet and be available to produce a paper-based print on demand. The work can be undertaken at home or in the KAS Library. Most document formats can be used. The team uses open source software. Please telephone Denis Anstey on 01634 240015. 4 ARCHAEOLOGIA CANTIANA NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD C elebrati􀂰n of th􀂱 Kent Archae_ ological Society's sesquicentennial year in 2007 has kicked off with an early start as the Publications quick browsing through the volume to the desired page. Once you have found your article, you can zoom in or out to increase Committee begins taking ,-------------------- or decrease the size of the page; you can move through the text from page to page or article to article; you can print copies of articles or illustrations; and in some versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader you can search electronically for individual words. The DVD is not fully searchable, however, because of the inordinate time and expense of proofreading and correcting ocular character recognition (OCR) text. You will, of course, be able to consult on screen the six index volumes and the individual indexes at the end of the more recent volumes, just as you do now when Kent Archaeolog1cal Society pre-publication orders for the Archaeologia Cantiana DVD. After two years of careful planning and hard work by the IT Subcommittee of the Publications Committee, the entire run of Archaeologia Cantiana from Volume 1 in 1858 to Volume 125 in 2005, plus Testamentia Cantiana and the specialised Index to Archaeologia Cantiana 1858-1968, is now available on one DVD. Dr. Frank Panton, KAS Hon. Librarian and chairman of the IT Subcommittee, said, "The Archaeologia Cantlana lip ,1 '"It.I •q· ,.., .. , ........ , ... ,,. 0 Volumea I lo CXXV plu1 Teatameni. C1ntlana and Ind•• Volume project links the scholarship of the Society over the past 150 years with modern day technology to provide a unique tool for future historical and archaeological research on Kent. It is a very fitting way to celebrate the Society's sesquicentennial." User Friendly Format The DVD starts automatically when you insert it into your computer's DVD drive, and will open in any version of Adobe Acrobat Reader software. A contents page appears with a list of volume numbers, and one click of the mouse takes you directly to the opening page of your desired volume. Each volume of Archaeologia Cantiana has been scanned and converted to a PDF file so that the pages and illustrations appear on the screen just as they do in the printed volumes. The text appears on the right hand side of the screen, and on the left hand side you will see the table of contents for the volume. Each entry in the table of contents has been 'bookmarked' so that clicking on the title of an article will take you directly to the beginning of the chosen article. Every page has also been paginated electronically, and 'thumbnail sketches' of each page also appear on the left hand side of the screen to allow using the printed volumes. Best of all, you can do all this without ever going to the library or getting up from your chair. Pre-publication Orders The DVDs will be officially published during the sesquicentennial year in 2007. To determine how many copies of the DVD to make, however, the Publications Committee is now taking orders at the pre-publication price of £20 from individual members of the Society and £50 from institutional members of the Society. Imagine having a complete run of Archaeologia Cantiana on your PC, including all those difficult-to-find rare volumes, to view in the comfort of your own home. Imagine being able to carry around the entire run of Archaeologia Cantiana on your laptop and being able to access any article at any time of day or night. Reserve your copy of the Archaeologia Cantiana DVD by filling in the order form flyer included in this issue of the Newsletter and returning it with your cheque (made out to the Kent Archaeological Society) to Dr. James M. Gibson, Secretary, KAS Publications Committee, 27 Pine Grove, Maidstone, Kent ME14 2AJ. James M. Gibson Publications Committee 5 11/RII 2006 • >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> KAS EVENTS SEE PAGE 8 FOR INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SESQUICENTENNIAL EVENTS IN 2007. OTHER EVENTS AROUND KENT CONFERENCES CBA South East The Archaeology of the Weald: Bridge or Barrier? Saturday November 4, 10am - 5.30pm at Gatton Hall, Gatton Park, Reigate, Surrey Once a great forest stretching some 100 miles east-wes miles north-south across the counties of Kent. Susse Hampshire, the Weald is still one of the most areas of England. Traditionally seen as a b eastern England, it was penetrable only much of its history. To explore the truth CBA SE has brought together a nu archaeology and history of the Human presence in the 􀁖 University of Sussex Archaeology Team The Roman peri Late Iron roup aeologist, Surrey orking; some fresh en Iron Research Group ttle where? Early Medieval sh, University of Sussex -Saxon times Dennis Turner, Surrey """"•.c,,,_./ of vernacular building techniques across the Surrey Wea artin Higgins, Historic Buildings Officer, Surrey County Council Gatton Hall is a Palladian-style mansion located close to junctions 7(M23) and 8 of the M25. There are no easily accessible catering facilities in the area, so CBA SE has arranged a two course lunch (choice of hot/cold/vegetarian) and coffee/tea to be included in the ticket price of £15 for CBA members and £17.50 for non-members. Tickets available from Eva & Steve Corbett, 4 Ditchling Close, Eastbourne BN23 BLS, email: cbase@scorbett.co.uk, tel: 01323 743889. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Council for Kentish Archaeology The Battle Against the Sea - The impact of the sea over 2000 years on the coastal settlements of south-east England. Saturday 4 November from 2 - 5.30pm Canterbury Christ Church University, North Holmes Campus, Canterbury. How past sea-level changes have affected the coast from Suffolk to Sussex Basil Cracknell (author of Outrageous Waves) From settlement to abandonment: the drowned Bronze Age landscape of Shirewater Park, Eastbourne, East Sussex Chris Greatorex (Lecturer 411111111112 6 on Prehistory) . The lost coastline of Kent Brian Philp (Chair of CKA) and David Plummer (University Senior Lecturer) . . Dover Harbour Bill Fawcus (General Manager, Special ProJects, Dover Harbour Board) Tickets £4 available from CKA (cheque payable to CKA). 7 Sandy Ridge, Borough Green, TN15 BHP Please enclose SAE. Further information on www.the-cka@fsnet.co.uk or from Ruth Plummer tel: 02087 777872, emai I: davru58-conorgcka@yahoo.co. uk. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> TALKS Crayford Manor House Historical & Archaeological Society 11 November Grinling Gibbons: The Art of Woodcarving Cyril Baldwin 9 December - Members evening and buffet (additional charge) The Humorous Side of Being an Actor Jonathan Fyer 13 January 2007 lghtham Mote: History and Conservation Pat Mortlock 10 February 2007 The Huguenots Michael Peters 10 March 2007 Good, Bad and Ugly: 150 Amusing Years of Libraries in Kent Christopher Bull 14 April 2007 Wine, Ships & Pirates Jane Fraser-Hay All talks on a Saturday at 7pm for 7 .30pm, in the Baker Trust Hall, Maxim Road, Crayford. Non-members are welcome, cost £2.00 each. Further enquiries, tel: 01322 551279. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Friends of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust Thursday 26 October at 7pm Sandwich's Domestic Architecture by Sarah Pearson (a talk in association with Darwin College) Lecture Theatre 1, Darwin College, University of Kent, Canterbury. Saturday 27 January 2007 at 6pm. Frank Jenkins Memorial Lecture by Paul Bennett (Director, Canterbury Archaeological Trust). Old Session House, Canterbury Christ Church College, Longport, Canterbury. Wednesday 14 March 2007 at 7pm. Recent developments in Thanet Archaeology by Ges Moody (Deputy Director of the Trust for Thanet Archaeology). Friends Meeting House, The Friars, Canterbury. Suggested donations for all the above talks; FCAT members £2; students £1; others £3. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Tonbridge Historical Society 26 October Passports, Assassins, Traitors & Spies Martin Lloyd >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 18 November Folklore and Customs of Kent and Sussex Dr Geoff Doel 4 January 2007 The De Cabhams and Randall Manor Lyn Palmer 15 February 2007 An Illustrated Walk Round the Saxon Shore - Part 2 Christopher Wade 5 April 2007 AGM Tunbridge Ware Dr Ian Beavis All lectures held at the Adult Education Centre, Avebury Avenue, Tonbridge at 7.45pm, except for the AGM at 7.30pm. More details from Shiela Broomfield on 01732 838698, email: s.broomfield@dial.pipex.com >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Loose Area History Society 13 November The Caged Lady Lee Ault 11 December Shakespeare's International Globe Anne Carter All meetings are held at Loose Infant School and start at 7.30pm. All welcome. Admission £1.50, pay at the door. For more details tel: 01622 741198. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sevenoaks Historical Society: Gardiner Lecture Faith and History: the place of religion in the record of the past Professor David Bebbington. Friday 17 November at 8pm in the Undercoft of St Nicholas Parish Church, Sevenoaks. The Sevenoaks Historical Society annual lecture, named after S R Gardiner, the distinguished historian of 17th century England, who died in Sevenoaks in 1902. Professor Bebbington, University of Stirling, has written major books on nonconformity, the mind of Gladstone, and historiography, and is President-elect of the Ecclesiastical Society for 2006-7. Admission is free and all are welcome. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> EVENTS ELSEWHERE The Rye Partnership Aspects of Medieval Warfare and Rye's Response 28th & 29th October 2006 All lectures take place in Thomas Peacocke Community College Hall, Rye. Saturday speakers include: The Mary Rose and Medieval Archery Robert Hardy CBE, FSA Edward I/I's Crecy Men: Archers and Archery in the Early Years of the Hundred Years War Dr Andrew Ayton The European Response ta Archery Prof. Matthew Strickland Agincaurt 1415: A Band of Brothers? Dr Michael Jones The Medieval To urnament Dr Juliet Barker Revolutionary? It's a Wander They Caught an at All: Guns in Medieval Warfare Prof. Kelly DeVries At 6.30pm, a concert at St Mary's of medieval music and dance, in aid of the church restoration fund. Sunday speakers include: Archaeology of the Battlefield Helen Fenwick Medieval to Modern - The Rebuilding of Rye David Martin The Tale of Two Towers - the joint Angla/French lnterreg Project Jo Kirkham History of the Ypres Tower Allan Downend The Ypres Tower Restoration Project Robert Clay The Falleville To wer Daniel Cotrell Pirates, Wreckers and Smugglers - Patriots at War, Villains at Peace Dr Gill Draper At 3.10 pm, a Tour of Rye's Medieval Tower. It is not too late to book for this conference; contact Alison Rowland, The Rye Partnership, 25 Cinque Ports Street, Rye, East Sussex, TN31 7 AD, tel: 01797 229600, email: alison.rowland@ryepartnershi p.org.uk. Booking can be for one or both days, cost (including full lunch, and tea/coffee) is £70.00 for 2 days or £45.00 for one day (full time students £60.00 and £40.00 respectively). The Concert on Saturday is an extra £5.00, the Tour on Sunday is free. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Courses at The Weald & Downland Museum, West Sussex. Tuesday 31 October 9.30am - 5pm Traditional Timber Frame Construction, led by Museum Director Richard Harris A one-day course on traditional systems of timber framing, including timber conversion, principles of layout, pegs and assembly, and their importance in interpreting historic timberframed buildings. Wednesday 15 November, 9.30am - 4.30pm How to be a House Detective, led by house historian Penny Olsen Techniques for tracing house history will be revealed in this day school, covering both physical features and the use of primary sources commonly held in record offices and local history libraries. Friday 27 April 2007 9.30am - 4pm From Hangleton to Poplar: the history of the Museum's houses. Part I - 13th to 17th centuries, led by Museum Research Associate Danae Tankard. Exploring the history of six of the Museum's houses by placing them in their social and economic context and looking at the social status and household structure of their earliest inhabitants. An overview of the methods and sources for reconstructing the past will also be provided. 7 AuJumn 2006 CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF THE Several events are planned to take place during 2007, the sesquicentennial of the KAS - come and join the celebrations! Significant Advances over the last 50 Years in the Knowledge of Kent's History and Archaeology Two one-day conferences on the above theme are to take place. The date of the first conference is fixed for 21 st April at the Medway Campus of the University of Kent, near Rochester. The second conference is provisionally booked for Saturday 15th September at the University of Kent's Canterbury Campus. Celebration Dinner A dinner will take place on the evening of 15th September in Darwin College at the University, at which the Hasted Prize will be presented. This is a KAS-sponsored prize for the best thesis on some aspect of Kent's history. The Hidden Treasures of Kent This exhibition in the Bentlif Gallery within Maidstone Museum has been provisionally scheduled to start on 12th May and run through until early September. On display will MEMBERSHIP MATTERS be artefacts ranging from the Palaeolithic to the Anglo Saxon period which, although all originally from Kent, are now dispersed in museum collections across Britain. This will be a rare opportunity for KAS members to view some of Kent's little-seen but important finds gathered together under one roof, and it is hoped that many public visitors will also benefit. In an English Country Garden Dig out your boaters and striped blazers, your fringed dresses and your fans, for we are partying, 1920's style! The Society will be holding a garden party in the beautiful grounds Here is my usual plea to you to let me know of any changes to your details, including email addresses etc. Also, there are still some banks paying monthly instead of annually, so please check your bank statements. If you do spot such an error let me know so that I can arrange for a refund for you - unless you wish to give any overpayment as a donation! Autumn 2 If you have mislaid your membership card, send me a stamped addressed envelope for a replacement - you need it to be able to use the KAS library. We are pleased to welcome the following new members: JOINT MEMBERS Hammond Miss K, & Mcconnel, DJ 3 Flora Cottages, Marley Lane, Battle, Kent. TN33 ODO ORDINARY MEMBERS Birks, Ms S Morse, Mr T Simmons, Mr T R Walshe, Mr D 87 Sycamore Avenue, Horsham. Sussex, RH12 4TR 44 Woodstock Road, Golders Green, London, NW11 BE 1 Poultry Farm Catts, Plain Road, Marden, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 9LS 55 High Street, Seal, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 DAW For all correspondence relating to membership contact Mrs Shiela Broomfield, KAS Membership Secretary, 8 Woodview Crescent, Hildenborough, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 9HD. Tel: 01732 838698, email: membership@kentarchaeology.org.uk or s.broomfield@dial.pipex.com 8 KENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY of Allington Castle. just outside of Maidstone. on Sunday 20th May from 3.30pm onwards. A jazz band will play whilst afternoon tea is served - plenty of cucumber sandwiches. strawberries and cream. cakes and Pimms. Not to be missed! Confirmation of dates and further details of all these events will appear in the January 2007 Newsletter. Booking forms for the two one-day conferences. the evening dinner and the garden party will also be included. COMMITTEE ROUND-UP CHURCHES COMMITTEE The summer evening visit this year was to Cranbrook. First. we visited the parish church (St Dunstan). The building is reminiscent of the large East Anglian churches. said to have been 'built on the backs of sheep.' It is light and spacious but does not feel excessively big. A local historian. Tony Allison. who wrote the current excellent illustrated guide to the church. gave us a most informative and interesting talk. There is only the faintest trace of the 12th century, although there are documentary references to a church on the site at that time. and the present building dates from the early 14th century when the cloth trade established by Flemish weavers in Cranbrook was flourishing. The 14th century church was increased in height and side chancels added between 1480 and 1540 and there are records of the many donors who paid for those changes. There have been very few changes to the fabric since then. There is some good glass from 1500 and some splendid memorials and brasses but the church's most unusual feature is a total immersion font. It was commissioned by the Rev John Johnson around 1710 in an attempt to win Baptists back to church. although there is only one record of use. That brings us neatly to our second visit. which was to the Cranbrook Congregational church. We were greeted by the Minister, Peter larcombe, who told us that the present building dates from 1867 when it replaced an earlier chapel on another site. When the United Reform Church was established in 1972. Cranbrook Congregational chapel was one of 700 Congregational churches that chose not to become part of the new church. The first Congregational minister was recorded in Cranbrook in 1672 and there have been many changes over the years. The Congregational movement was the first to give women charge of churches and it provided a spiritual home for many leading thinkers as well as the Pilgrim Fathers who set sail for America. The church is 'free' in that there are no instructions about who should lead services or how they should be led. Mr Larcombe provided us with a good potted history of the movement in general and its development in Cranbrook, after which tea was served. The two visits provided plenty of food for thought and it was interesting to learn about the development of Cranbrook's Christian community from two points of view. Mary Berg FIELDWORK COMMITTEE Throughout the summer months members of the Society have been busy carrying out their fieldwork activities, be it looking for remains with electronic devices, ie: the restivity meter. or helping to excavate, pot washing or carrying out the many tasks that are needed on a site. The excavation of Ringlemere has finished but it is hoped that the site will be available for a 'Minster type' dig next year. subject to the landowner agreeing and members supporting the project. It is hoped to hold a dig during the latter two weeks of August 2007. so watch for further details. During this summer a variety of visitors have been attending the site, including three members of the profession from Russia who spent two days with Keith Parfitt and his team at the site and various work placement students who carried out much work for the project. The Maidstone Group have continued to excavate the East Farleigh Roman Villa. This culminated in an Open Day on the 28th August to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Medway Valley Railway that runs along on the other side of the river from the excavation. An exploratory excavation. including resistivity, fieldwalking, metal detecting and dowsing has been carried out at a possible future site to the south of Faversham on farmland. The results of this initial search are featured on page 15 of this Newsletter. There are further exciting developments in store for excavators as it is understood that Heritage Lottery Funding has been applied for to carry out excavations on a community basis at the Folkestone Roman Villa. a site in danger of slipping into the sea due to cliff erosion. It is also hoped that forthcoming Fieldwork events can be advertised on the KAS website. so keep logging on! Mike Howard MEMBERSHIP & PUBLICITY COMMITTEE Summer Social Meeting Boughton Monchelsea Place is not normally open to the public, so members appreciated the arrangements made for them to visit the house and grounds. Entered from a main road by an unobtrusive gate, the house only came into sight after a long woodland drive. This emphasised the glory of the fifteenmile Wealden panorama which suddenly burst into view. Owner Mrs.Kendrick impressed and charmed members with her enthusiastic appreciation of her home and by the provision of an ample tea. An abiding memory of the afternoon was the visit to the church for an audio visual presentation of the millennium window. This is an experience thoroughly recommended to other KAS members, as the church is open to the public although arrangements need to be made in advance for the presentation. For further information contact St Peter's Church Office, 01622 743321 or email admin@stpeters-church.org.uk. Margaret Lawrence 3 D years ago this autumn, in the Lower Medway Valley, the final season of excavations on the site of the large Roman villa at Eccles came to an end; yet the site has neither benefited from full publication, nor has it been fully explored. The Eccles Roman Villa is recognised as a site of unusual significance in the story of Roman Britain, as well as a major landmark in Kentish archaeology. However, with the passage of time, the likelihood of completing the project lessens, as do prospects for the publication of a final report. In 1961, as one of its first projects, the Lower Medway Archaeological Research Group compiled a sites and monuments index for much of north Kent. In July 1961, during the course of followup aerial reconnaissance of the Medway Valley, I photographed faint crop marks revealing the presence of a large villa-like structure close to Aylesford's parish boundary with Burham. The existence of substantial buried structures of the Roman period was subsequently confirmed in August 1961 through limited trial trenching carried out by members of the Group under my direction, with invaluable guidance provided by Peter Tester (1 ). The villa lies close to the east bank of the River Medway about 4 miles north of Maidstone and 6 miles south of the City of Rochester. What we know of the site results largely from a programme of excavations initiated by the Lower Medway Archaeological Research Group in 1962, then conducted annually from 1965 until 1976 under the auspices of the Eccles Excavation Committee. Our member Dr. Alec Detsicas, for many years editor of Archaeologia Cantiana, was director of the excavations from 1962 as well as secretary and treasurer of the Eccles Excavation Committee and the driving force behind the project until his death in 1999. The excavations attracted local and national publicity and interim reports were included annually in Archaeologia Cantiana (2). Autumn 200 10 The main site consists of a large RomanoBritish villa, with 125 rooms and many ancillary structures. Nearby pottery and tile manufacture took place on an industrial scale during the Roman period. Despite modern quarrying and the construction, in the 1970's, of large industrial buildings, the area immediately surrounding the villa site and to the east remains largely undisturbed except by modern farming, with some evidence of continuous landscape use from the late Iron Age. In Roman times the Medway Valley was intensively occupied. The sites of a significant number of buildings are known, although few are adequately recorded. The Eccles villa is the largest and most interesting so far examined by excavation. The date of its foundation soon after the Claudian invasion, coupled with extensive ' I structures and complexity of building periods, suggests an establishment of considerable status. Excavations have found evidence of several early ditches underlying the villa building, some possibly military in origin, and occupation continued until late in the Roman period. There was both an Anglo Saxon cemetery and material evidence of early medieval occupation (3). Recent discoveries at the Roman site at Eccleston on the River Dee, near Chester, remind us that the placename Eccles is significant, associated possibly with the religious re-use of late Roman structures in the early medieval period. Following Alec's retirement from a career in education in 1986. work on a final report gathered pace, helped by several grants. To facilitate work on the extremely complicated trench-by-trench stratigraphy, all the excavation records (about 6,000 entries) were transferred to a database over a period of two years. In May 1999, recognising his failing health. Alec transferred responsibility for the Archive and completion of the excavation report to the Kent County Archaeologist, John Williams, with the request that the Canterbury Archaeological Trust (CAT) should undertake the remaining work when funds were available. The finds are presently held by the Trust and Rachel Shaw. who dug for several seasons and worked latterly with Alec towards the final report, has care of the written archive and all field records. The finds will ultimately be deposited in Maidstone Museum in accordance with a longstanding agreement between Alec, the landowners and David Kelly, the Museum's then Keeper of Archaeology. It was also agreed that. until further decisions are made, all other site records should remain in Rachel Shaw's care. Apart from dealing with research queries. work on the Eccles project came to a standstill about three years ago. The current position of the Eccles project is most unsatisfactory, both for Kentish Archaeology and for Roman studies in general. 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To fimsh ll".e ,•,m - ac:a:rdar,0; W";;' A!a:'s WISleS will 􀇖 a great de.a r..ore th2J: w-as e-.,;r raised ,,, his ff c 􀇗.e (!esμ:e t!"-E ccrple of rne grea:zr 􀇘 of the pro1ect We C2I1 r.o knJer rely oo the CEdca-..or a' the unpa d fe.,, to l2ke res!X]f\Sib11ir1 ta, nanor.a' f urport2llt \'JOfk. ra should we er:+.ati:'11 the pass ·r ty --- 􀇚 ::£ :':t:ES s;:::; -ccr.::r: r:r.:."' - cS :! i;G2;: .::..c ':£"0: - 6- ,_- " f'::J-2£ fr.a m:d 􀇙 er: - Ard- Can Vol In. !Ell 11- 2. !E!T,., 􀇛 a􀇜 arrua! Cz ; fror.i 􀇝 !l6'.l to 3 Arch. Car. . vol or, 199! I 165-1 􀇞 OPPOSITE. Dr Alec Detsicas. RIGHT 1964: blocked testudo arch in Room 46, Baths/. DOWN YOUR WAY • LOCAL HISTORY IN THE 1800s AT CLIFFE, COOLING AND HIGH HALSTOW This was the title of an exhibition organised by KAS Member Ted Connell at the ASPS Countryside Fair on Saturday 2nd September 2006. The Countryside Fair is an annual event at the ASPS Reserve at Sromhey Farm. Cooling, which this year was celebrating 50 years of conservation in the area. Some 3,000 people visited the Fair on the day. Members of the Public looking at the KAS display were able to see a copy of the 1839 Tithe Map, showing the field names, owners and occupiers at Bromhey Farm. In addition the names of the occupants of Sromhey and Eastborough Farms were listed from the 1841 to 1901 Censuses. Printouts of the tithe schedules for the parishes of Clitte. Cooling and High Halstow, together with printouts of the whole of the 1841 and 1851 Censuses. were displayed in ring binders. The exhibition attracted much interest as local residents searched for their house. or the field on which their house now stands. Many people commented that the surnames of the earlier occupants were still common in the area today. The tithe maps and their accompanying schedules provide an excellent starting point lor those interested in finding out more about the local history of their area. Transcriptions of over one hundred and fifty tithe schedules from Kent can now be consulted on the Society's website at www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Research Section. Pam & Ted Connell Ted.Connell@BTlntemet.com BELOW- Members of the public were able to see Tithe Maps and transcriptions of over one hundred and fifty tithe schedules from around the county. TO THE MANOR SHORNE! D eep within Shorne Wood Country Park. near Gravesend. medieval Randall Manor 1s emerging after several hundred years lost in the woods. In celebration of National Archaeology Week. Lyn Palmer. the Park's Community Archaeologist. organised a week long excavation at the manor site Led by KCC's Heritage Conservation Group and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Kent Archaeological Society. the investigation involved several archaeological societies. university stu- 12 dents. primary and secondary schools. scout groups and park visitors. For many participants 11 was their first encounter with archaeology and the children in particular were thrilled to be able to dig for themselves As well as the excavation. a medieval fun day took place at the new park visitor centre. including displays by a number of archaeological groups and museums Although the origins of the manor of Randall lor 'Rundale') are not known. it 1s generally accepted as being part of the Cobham estate purchased by Henry de Cobham in the early 13th century The manor of Randall remained in the possession of the powerful Cobham family until bought by the Wyatt family in the 14th cen tury. The ruins of the manor remained hidden in Randall Wood until the early 1960's when local school teacher George Dockrell excavated a number of small trenches. Although his work was never published. the project team 1s examining his original records. As trees are cleared, the plan of the manorial complex 1s emerging. The main buildings occupied RIGHT: A pupil learning to survey on site. BELOW Schoo/children investigating the probable gatehouse. a substantial plateau artificially constructed between two stream valleys. The northern valley had been dammed in several places to create a series of substantial fish ponds. The focus of this summer's work was the reexcavation of Dockrell's trenches in the north western corner of the plateau. resistivity survey and a number of small trenches to locate the boundaries of the main building complex. The excavations have provided a much better understanding of the building complex in the north western corner of the plateau. Here, the remains of flint and chalk walls suggest a range of probably single-storey buildings once lining the plateau boundaries. The centre of one building is dominated by a substantial stone hearth, itself a replacement for an earlier tile hearth. Sited close to the fishponds, it may be reasonable to speculate that the room was employed for smoking fish, a common method of preserving. A more substantial building was found where the present pathway into the site crosses the western boundary. The building, which was probably two storeys high, may have been the main gatehouse to the manorial complex Substantial dumps of flint rubble and tile provided some indication of the buildings construction. The geophysical survey indicated further substantial buildings which will be tested in the future. The remainder of the manor will be cleared of trees in the coming winter and the site surveyed and prepared for further excavation. Already schools are booking their places on the two week community excavation next July. Overall, the project has been extremely successful in enabling children of all ages to engage directly in archaeological excavation and generated huge interest amongst visitors to the park. KCC are grateful to everyone who helped out during the very hot week's work and in particular the support of Roger Cockett and Gerald Cramp of the Fawkham and Ash Archaeological Group who have put great effort into the documentary research and provided the Dockrell archive. Thanks are also due to DKR Surveys for the geophysical survey and James Elford for his illustration work. Simon Mason & David Britchfie/d EPE LAUNCH EVENT N ow almost a year since its inception, the Victoria County History's England's Past for Everyone (EPE) programme has made considerable advances across the country. In Kent the project has now reached an important milestone with the production of the first draft text. A team of around fifty volunteers has been recruited and is hard at work in the archives. Survey work has also commenced, with a study of Eccles completed in late July. To mark this progress and celebrate the involvement of the local community in the project, a launch event was held on 19th July at the University of Greenwich's Maritime Chatham campus. Over a hundred people gathered to listen to presentations and meet others involved in the project. Many of those attending were EPE volunteers and their families. Also present were representatives of the Kent Archaeological Society and other local history societies from the Medway area; staff from Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre and the Centre for Kentish Studies, and several members of the EPE support team from London. Jane Longmore, Head of the School of Humanities, welcomed everyone to the University of Greenwich, and underlined its continued support for the EPE project, and for the revival of the Victoria County History (VCH) in Kent over the longer term. The VCH's General Editor, Alan Thacker, gave a general outline of the EPE programme, explaining the reasons why it had been developed and the benefits it was expected to bring for the VCH and the wider community of local historians. He explained that whereas VCH has in the past relied primarily on the efforts of directly employed county staff, the new EPE model would see a growing engagement with local historians and the wider historical community. Stuart Bligh also said a few words on behalf of Kent Archive Services. He particularly commented on the recruitment and involvement of so many volunteers. something that the Centre for Kentish Studies had struggled with in the past The main presentation of the evening was given by the Team Leader of the Kent project, Andrew Hann. His talk looked at different aspects of the research, focusing especially on the work done by volunteers. Some early findings relating to wages and working conditions were also presented. Once formal proceedings were completed guests mingled and sampled the refreshments laid on by the University's catering staff. Many also took the opportunity to peruse the poster displays at the back of the room. Some of these posters showcased volunteer work; others provided an introduction to some of the main project themes. Extracts from the successful volunteer newsletter were also on display. Overall this was a very successful evening helping to raise the profile of the England's Past for Everyone project in Kent, and to thank the volunteers for their continued support, without which the ambitious programme of work would be impossible. Hopefully we will be able to gather again in a couple of years' time to celebrate the launch of the Kent paperback volume. BELOW, LEFT TO RIGHT: John Vigar (architectural consultant working on village surveys), Andrew Hann and Dean Johnes (EPE Volunteer). 13 The summer excavation of the Kent Archaeological Field School was on a possible Roman building, located by fieldwork as part of the Swale Archaeological Survey in 2000. 67 students from most of the major universities in Britain gathered for a weeks training and excavation. at the end of which we had exposed a large part of a unique and magnificent late Roman octagonal structure with a huge octagonal central plunge bath. This bath had been re-built in the early 5th century as a smaller circular central plunge bath with a fountain. The blue-coloured fresco floor still survived. as did the Roman lead water pipe leading from the massive earlier Roman brick conduit. Our evaluation trench also revealed the concrete base of an enormous Roman corn mill. and a huge 'holloway· road leading down from other Roman buildings - again revealed by evaluation - to a possible harbour. Earlier Iron-Age ditches and later Anglo-Saxon buildings all added to the rich repertoire of the site. The octagonal bath house is unusual. unique in Kent and even south-east Britain. The structure is about 10 metres across and has arcading surrounding the huge central octagonal pool. itself over 5 metres wide. The pool still had in situ a massive brick conduit built to supply fresh cold water. The walls of the building were originally covered with highly decorated painted plaster and the floors with tesserae in black. yellow. red and blue. which were smaller than usual. Smaller marble mosaic cubes were also retrieved which suggest that some of the floors had mosaics. Octagonal buildings of this type are to be found in the West Country at Lufton and Holcombe; others are further afield in Ravenna. and of course. Rome. The function of these elaborate and exotic buildings has often been discussed. but some experts keep returning to the idea that the astonishing octagonal frigidarium in the centre could have been used for Christian baptism or even Jewish sacred bathing. This scenario has been reinforced at our site by the finding of a Roman lead seal probably depicting the Jewish minora. Some rooms had underfloor heating as well as alcoves which contained hot plunge baths. It is logical to assume that above the central pool and its fountain was a vaulted ceiling, carried on arcading or columns. Some elements of a stucco ceiling - again unique - had survived. and possibly a large dome set on pendentives that would have echoed and reflected the sound of cascading water. Ceilings such as these would have been possible with the columns or arcading bearing the vertical pressure. and the surrounding ground floor rooms providing a buttressing ettect to counteract outward thrust. This is very sophisticated Roman engi- ,-----·-· --------- , ,,, .,.... .I.. i I I I L_________ . ____ j neering and belongs more to the late Roman and Byzantine Mediterranean world. opening discussion on why, and also how late. such Roman influences were prevalent in Britain. ABOVE: Plan of the excavated area. BELOW- Dr Paul Wilkinson A member of the KAFS standing in part of the brick conduit which fed cold water to the 5 metre octagonal plunge pool. Built in the 4th century and rebuilt in the early 5th by a much smaller circular pool, it still has its blue fresco paint and lead pipe to the fountain. NEW ROMAN VlllA AT SHElDWICH 0 1er the weekend of 9th and 10th of September this year, members of the Kent Archaeological Society, along with members of the Faversham Society, carried out a programme of fieldwork on a site near Sheldwich, just south of Faversham. The site had come to notice back in 2004 when metal detectorist David Button located a scatter of Roman coinage of the 2nd to 4th centuries in a field he had obtained permission to search. Along with his colleague Gill Davies he recovered about 60 coins across an area of about 100 square metres He also noticed large quantities of tile and brick across this area. This discovery led to a preliminary resistivity survey, carried out by the author under the supervision of Ted Connell; subsequently a 2m x 1 m trench dug by the author located a pit containing large quantities of Roman pottery, tile and animal bone, as well as some fragments of painted wall plaster. Since it seemed probable that a substantial, hitherto unknown, Roman building was present on the site, it was decided by the KAS Fieldwork Committee to undertake this September's programme of fieldwork, with the aim of confirming this and assessing the scale and state of preservation of the site. Brian and Carole McNaughton led a resistivity survey, surveying an impressive sixteen 20m x 20m grid squares over the two days. The results suggest considerable activity across the survey area, and possibly indicate the presence of a large ranged structure approximately 80m across. At the same time, the author led the excavation of a second trial trench across a very strong result located in the previous resistivity survey. This revealed part of a hypocausted Roman building. The floor of this structure had been removed, along with most of the hypocaust stacks that were visible in the trench, and the underfloor area, which had a concrete base, had been backfilled with compact rubble which probably represents a demolition deposit. This layer was overlain by two deposits, the lower of which contained significant quantities of mortar lumps and ceramic building material as well as fragments of painted wall plaster. Cutting through both these layers was a shallow ditch or elongated pit containing amounts of carbonised wood, animal bone, and pottery and tile. The pottery included a sherd of Rhenish fineware and a large sherd of Oxfordshire Ware. In addition, the upper level of the ditch contained a bronze coin (pinpointed by David Button's detector) minted between AD 364 and 378. In all. it seems clear from the work carried out thus far that this site can be added to the corpus of villas known from east Kent. Andrew Richardson Chair, KAS Fieldwork Committee ABOVE Trench 2 from the south, showing the excavated wall and hypocaust system. Below: Detail of above; note the patch of plaster on the base of the wall, and section of Opus Signinum floor on the top of the brick. 15 LEIGH GUNPOWDER MILLS After decades of neglect. the site of the gunpowder mills at Leigh, near Tonbridge , is to receive some care and attention. aided by a grant of nearly £20 ,000 won through the enthusiasm of a local group The Local Heritage Initiative (a now-discontinued award of the Heritage Lottery Fund). have given the money to Leigh Histoncal Society to investigate. conserve and interpret this fascinating place The mills were started in 1811 by two wealthy local families. the Burtons and the Children Humphry Davy, leading sc1ent1st of the early 19th century, was a fnend. and he expenmented with the manufacture of gunpowder with members of the families The mills were sited on land that they owned ad1acent to a disused flour mill. since a millstream off the River Medway already existed to serve this. A new canal was also dug out from the Medway to the mills Over the next 40 years the mills expanded greatly, by 1851 they were employing 16 men. 5 boys and 4 women. all of whom had homes built near to the works. The hamlet of Powder Mills comprised 15 cottages and appears to have fiercely maintained its own identity - there are tales of the Powder Mills gang battling with their counterparts from Leigh, despite being educated together at Leigh School' In 1859 the mills were sold to Curtis & Harvey, whose annual profit reached between £2000 to £3000. a sizeable sum. Over the nex:t 50 years this firm acquired over 100 mills. and further dramatic expansion of their business took place dunng the First World War. This was the heyday of Leigh mills. and a site map of this period. some 5 foot long and 2 foot wide. shows 91 buildings, including 2 firing ranges. and 20 individual mills. By this time the mills were being modernised and water power was phased out Nearly a mile of narrow gauge railway, with handpushed carts. ran around the site. After the stage in the production process where the goods became volatile and dangerous. they were transported around the site by barges on the waterways As with other gunpowder mills in the south-east. in 1934. by which time ICI owned the site. the works were moved to Scotland This was partly because of the looming threat of hostil it1es. ICI then razed most of the site and dragged away the machinery to make it into a wilderness. so much of the structures only exist at ground-level. The foundations are still in place throughout. however. and Leigh Historical Society have identified 2 mills that are worthy of restoration so that future visitors can appreciate how they once operated. The Society aims to make a record of the historical information, tied in with an archaeological report Would you like to help with any of this work over the coming winter and spring? If you are interested please contact Chris Rowley, Chairman. Leigh H1stoncal Society, Oak Cottage, The Green. Leigh, near Tonbridge. TN11 80L. telephone 01732 833176. Copy deadline for the next issue m Januaiy 1s Friday December 1st The editor w,shes to draw attention to the fact that neither she nor the Coone,! of the KAS are answerable for opirnoos wt11ch ctJlU1butOfs ma1 exprass m their signed an1cles each authO! 1s alooe restmsible for the ABOVE Two views of the Powder Mills, soon to be investigated thanks to the aid of the recent grant 16 cootents and Stlbstne ot the,r 'Mlll ·• • ," I I I : J ' • I .. I I J ii;; •- , • • 55 Stone Street Tunbridge Wells, Kent TNI 20U Telephone: 01892 533661 Mobile. 07920 548906 Email evelyn pafmer@virgin.net or newsfetter@kentarchaeology.org uk Published by the Kent Archaeolog1cal Society, Maidstone Museum and Benthf Gallery, St Faith's Street. Maidstone, Kent ME 14 tLH www kentarchaeology org uk