KAS Newsletter, Issue 75, Winter 2007/08

nneeww ss ll ee tt tt ee rr K E N T A R C H A E O L O G I C A L S O C I E T Y Issue number 75 Winter 2007/08 www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Inside 2-3 Ringlemere Blacklands 4-5 KASConference Hasted Prize 6-7 What’s On DVDAdvertisement 8-9 Notice Board Committee Round Up 10-11 Committee Round Up A Forgotten Hero 12-13 New Books Heritage Marketing 14-15 Letters Rev Larking 16 Archaeology in Kent Book Launch KAS GRANT ENABLES FURTHER WORK AT THIS FAMOUS SITE Monument 3 As with M2, this monument had been identified on aerial photographs and also by geophysical survey. Its site was fully excavated in 2007 and was found to consist of a continuous ringditch enclosing a fairly precise circle between 15.25 and 16.25 metres in diameter. The ringditch was between 1.00 and 1.80 m. wide and 0.44 – 0.65 m. deep. Its filling produced a moderate quantity of prehistoric flintwork, together with some pottery. More than twenty shallow hollows, pits and In the summer of 2007 members of the C a n t e r b u ry Archaeological Trust re t u rned to Ringlemere, to resume investigations at the now famous Bronze Age gold cup site. The work this season was made possible through a generous grant from the Kent Archaeological Society and much of the fieldwork was undertaken by K.A.S. members. Two of the lesser ring-ditches (Monuments 2 and 3) now known to lie adjacent to the large barrow site previously excavated (Monument 1) were examined. These smaller circles were located immediately to the south-west of Monument 1. Monument 3 was fully excavated, whilst a single trench was cut across the ditch of Monument 2. Plough erosion had long ago removed any associated barrow mounds here so that, unlike M1, these smaller features are now invisible on the surface. Monument 2 This ring-ditch was first identified from geophysical survey and aerial photographs. It is approximately 28 metres in diameter. Unfortunately, a gas main had been cut through the central area sometime during the 1980s and this is likely to have caused significant damage. In 2007, a single trench was cut across the ringditch on its north side. This showed the ditch to be of very substantial proportions, about 3.30 m. wide across the top and 1.50 m. deep. The gravelly silts filling the ditch produced limited amounts of flintwork, helping to confirm a prehistoric date. In August 2007, archaeological students and members of the Kent Archaeological Field School descended on School Farm, just to the east of Faversham, and adjacent to Watling Street, to investigate the probable site of a Roman settlement found by field-walking, limited excavation and geophysical survey. Paul Wilkinson had discovered the site by field walking some years before and had excavated a small area with Brian Philp in 1996. The initial R E T U R N T O R I N G L E M E R E ( T R E N C H 9 ) I N V E S T I G A T I O N S AT BLACKLANDS, FA V E R S H A M Winter 2007/08 2 ABOVE : The ring-ditch of M2. FRONTCOVER: Monument 3, fully excavated in 2007. RIGHT: Mosaic fragments retrieved from the demolition debris of the hypocaust flues. The mosaic pavement covered an area of about seven square metres. It was full colour and pictorial, with individual tesserae sometimes smaller than one centimetre. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> investigations had revealed the remains of a Roman bath house with mosaic fragments and highly decorated painted plaster. It was thought that this was the only Roman building on the site - one of the socalled ‘isolated bath-houses’ found only in Kent (Detsicas 1987). Later, English Heritage generously offered to conduct a geophysical survey, with stunning results. The survey in 1997 revealed a further 18 buildings, albeit electronically. Investigation last summer of the areas highlighted by the geophysical survey exposed a huge Roman building further to the west of the known bath house, again with hypocaust heating with terracotta pilae still standing, and vast quantities of everyday painted plaster and pottery. A depression was also investigated which revealed a large terraced feature cut into the natural chalk. This was in use in the 4th century; however, its function is an enigma still waiting to be solved. this material appears to be Neolithic or Bronze Age in date. The excavations in 2007 have provided some significant new information concerning the Ringlemere site. One of the lesser ring-ditches (M3) has now been completely excavated and another (M2) sampled. The two field boundary ditches skirting the edge of M3 represent the first features discovered at Ringlemere that can be dated to Roman times, although finds belonging to this period, including pottery, tile and coins have been previously discovered. The new graves discovered adjacent to M3 provide further important information concerning the size and extent of the Anglo-Saxon cemetery. Once again, it would seem that an upstanding prehistoric monument had provided a focus for these later burials and a substantial cemetery, whose full extent has still to be ascertained, is now clearly indicated. Acknowledgements Thanks are again due to the landowners - the Smith family at Ringlemere Farm - who readily allowed access to their ground. The excavations would not have been possible without the aid of the Kent Archaeological Society grant and this must be gratefully acknowledged here. Most of the excavation and finds processing work was carried out by members of the K.A.S. and other volunteers from various local archaeological societies, together with a number of students from Archaeology Departments of different Universities. Without their hard work very little would have been achieved and sincere thanks are due to all concerned. Keith Parfitt and Barry Corke influence on activities in the landscape many centuries after they were first constructed. This seems to imply that the prehistoric monuments survived as upstanding barrow mounds, providing clear local boundary markers. Anglo-Saxon Graves Previous excavations on the south-western side of Monument 1 had shown it to be the site of an Anglo-Saxon cemetery, founded during the fifth century AD and containing over 50 burials. The full extent of this cemetery has still to be d e t e rmined but six more inhumation graves (Graves 53–58) were discovered in 2007. These new graves appear to represent a discrete group placed adjacent to the northern side of M3. The acidic gravel subsoil meant that no skeletons survived but the size of one grave (Gr. 55) indicated that it belonged to a small child. Gravegoods were recovered from four of the graves; Grave 53 contained five brooches and 42 beads and must represent the burial of a reasonably well-off woman. Provisional dating of the gravegoods recovered suggests that these burials are again of fifth century date. Finds The quantity of finds from the 2007 excavations was quite modest. Nevertheless, a significant amount of prehistoric flintwork was re c o v e red. A large irregular pit located immediately to the north of M3 produced a fresh Mesolithic adze (c. 8000 – 4000 BC), which joins several others found in previous seasons, and provides further evidence for activity on the site prior to the main Neolithic and Bronze Age period of activity (c. 2600 –1600 BC). Just over 200 sherds of pottery were found but little of 3 Winter 2007/08 post-holes were located inside the ring-ditch. These need not all be contemporary with the ditch and several are probably of natural origin. None can be closely dated. At the very centre of the enclosed area lay a neat, oval pit some 0.30 m. deep. This measured 1.02 m. by 1.22 m. and was aligned ENE by WSW. In the base at the north-eastern end, a deeper depression appeared to represent a substantial post-hole. This was Dshaped in plan and there can be little doubt that an upright wooden post had originally occupied this north-eastern end of the pit. Its D-shaped form indicates that this was probably a split tree trunk, with the flat (split) surface facing southwest. It remains less certain whether the main pit simply represents the construction pit for the insertion of this post or whether it formed a grave, marked by the post at one end. Certainly, the pro p o rtions of the main pit would have allowed the insertion of a crouched inhumation, such as have been found in similar positions within many barrows and ring-ditches. However, no traces of any bone survived and the question presently remains unresolved. Later Boundary Ditches On its north-eastern side, the ring-ditch of M3 was cut by two straight ditches. These were set on different alignments and their continuations beyond the excavated area are visible on air photographs and the geophysics plots. The pottery recovered indicates that they are of early Roman date and there seems little doubt that they re p resent field boundaries. From the positioning of the ditches in relation to the prehistoric remains it would seem that these ancient monuments were still continuing to have some RIGHT: The geophysical survey; the black lines are conjectural walls, some of which have now been shown to be Roman founda - tion walls. The Roman bath-house (left) has a hypocaust system built of chalk blocks which were full of demolished parts of the building including mosaic fragments and painted plaster. Bath-house Bath-house with full-colour mosaics. 30 metres Large-terraced feature. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Winter 2007/08 4 The second one-day conference got off to a flying start with inspiring lectures from two of east Kent’s finest arc h a e o l ogists. Opening the event was Keith Parfitt of Canterbury A rchaeological Trust, who provided an expert and entert a i n i n g s u m m a ry of the investigations at Ringlemere. He discussed the evolution of the site from a place of Mesolithic activity to a late Neolithic henge (perhaps the first to be certainly identified in Kent), and the henge’s re-use during the Early Bronze Age when a low mound and wooden stru c t u re (perhaps associated with the famous gold cup) were added. He also illustrated the subsequent abandonment of the monument and its eventual redeployment in the earlier Saxon period as a place of burial and later settlement. See also our front cover story on Ringlemere in this Newsletter. From Ringlemere we journeyed across the Wantsum Channel to see a picture of Iron Age Thanet presented by Ges Moody, Deputy Director of the Trust for Thanet Arc h a e o l o g y. He began by reviewing the early discoveries made by pioneer arc h a e o l ogists, followed by more recent investigations. He demonstrated that, while most of the finds have been made on small scale excavations or observations, they all reveal elements of Iron Age occupation evidence which have been seen in more complete form during the open-area digs of large sites elsewhere. Ges highlighted the importance of combining all this disparate data with modern GIS technology to reveal sites in their landscape context. Using mapped data from the Tru s t ’s own Sites & Monuments Register he showed that this analysis can reveal factors which influenced positioning of sites, suggest the potential functions of some, permit a re i n t e r p retation of evidence and indicate the large size of some settlements which had otherwise only been sampled by piecemeal excavation. Paul Hart Steve Clifton spoke about the KAS Abbey Farm Roman Vi l l a training digs of 1996-2004, from the perspective of the diggers/ trainees. He highlighted the great opportunity those digs had provided for KAS members and others to be fully involved and to develop their archaeological skills. He also spoke of the s u p p o rt, encouragement and expertise given by the p rofessional archaeologists, the new information discovered and published about the site and especially about the enjoyment of e v e ryone who had taken part . The development of high-class Anglo-Saxon jewellery in Kent was discussed by Andrew Richardson, stressing initially that it was neither ‘Anglian’ nor ‘Saxon’. His talk was superbly illustrated with pictures of jewellery, mainly brooches, from both a rchaeological sites and metal-detecting finds. He also clearly demonstrated the contribution that computer mapping of finds can make to analysis and interpretation. Christine Hodge Sarah Pearson took the stage to outline some of the likely findings of the re s e a rch project on The Town and Port of Sandwich up to the 16th century, of which Sarah is the arc h itectural historian. The documentary evidence begins with the extensive ro y a l grant of land and rights to Christchurch Priory in 1023, around the strategically important Wantsum Channel. A fresh contour surv e y showed the church of St Clement as a central focus of the early town; by the 14th century the centre had shifted with the draining of adjacent marshland to the west. In terms of commercial activity, by the 12th century the town was second in size only to Canterbury and a significant entrepot for both coastal and international maritime traffic, defended from the mid 14th century by walls and ramp a rts. It was in decline by the mid 16th century, probably associated with the silting of the Wantsum, but revived with the arrival of d i ff e rent skills with the religious re f e rees in the 1560’s . Significant thre e - s t o rey buildings remain from the early 14th c e n t u ry, now thought to have been for workshop or commercial use rather than domestic. There are few surviving domestic buildings b e f o re the 16th century. We await the publication of the Study with much interest. An d rew Butcher presented a re f reshing approach to the familiar disturbances of the 13th and 14th centuries, set in a ‘tendentious’ view of the work of historians covering the period f rom around 1200-1500. His own ‘pre - M a rxist’ view of the peasa n t ry and townspeople accepted that rebelliousness was pre s e n t at all periods in the late Middle Ages. He described a ‘top-down’ sense of the culture or ‘pays’ of Kent, first in the period of settlement up to about 1000, and then in the following period of population growth, colonisation of the landscape and growing towns. All this implied a much higher degree of interaction of peasantry and C rown. He mentioned widespread awareness of political agitation and disturbances elsewhere and particularly the influence of the Low Countries. He also stressed the local consciousness of Thanet itself. He then turned to the ‘micro’ – the Hundred of Ringslo, essentially modern Thanet, to provide evidence for the widespre a d weight of taxation, the local disturbances and the Inquisition held in Thanet in 1381 after Wat Ty l e r ’s rebellion earlier in the year. It is his view that essentially the revolt had little to do with London, but all to do with Thanet and its identity. This was a stimulating talk on an interesting subject, delivere d at possibly re c o rd speed! It certainly livened up the traditional post-lunch ‘death spot’. Charles Wo o d In ‘Fishing and Fishermen in Medieval Kent’, why, asked Sheila S w e e t i n b u rgh, should a Kent fisherman name their boat Robin Hood? Most boats were named after saints, birds, flowers or even the Tr i n i t y. The biggest of the 20-odd types of specialized THE SECOND KAS CONFERENCE M o re than 160 people attended the second one-day KAS conference in September last year, organised as part of our 150th anniversary celebrations and sponsored jointly with the University of Kent. Here is a round-up of the d a y ’s speakers, contributed by several of our members. 5 Winter 2007/08 Local history student Dr Celia Cordle, author of a thesis on 250 years of hop growing in the Weald of Kent and hop marketing in Southwark, is the first winner of the Kent Archaeological Society’s new £3,000 Hasted Prize. Launched during the society’s 150th anniversary celebrations, the prize – named in honour of celebrated 18th century local historian Edward Hasted – aims to encourage scholars to choose Kentish subjects for their research, and to promote publications that advance knowledge of the county’s past. It will be awarded every two years for the best thesis on any aspect of the county’s archaeology or history. Celia’s first acquaintance with hop growing came in 1970 when her parents, Frederick and Doris Squires, moved to Sandhurst in Kent, near the hop gardens of their new neighbours, John and Mollie Rummery. Celia, who had left school at 16, worked in the Agricultural Research Council until marriage and the subsequent birth of a daughter in 1961. Family matters and various part-time employment occupied the following years but when her younger son went to university she decided to continue her education. She joined a combined studies course at Kingston upon Thames Polytechnic (now Kingston University) and in 1994 was awarded a BA in the history of art, architecture and design with human geography. Then followed study at the University of L e i c e s t e r ’s Centre for English Local History, where her chosen options were Anglo-Saxon and Modern History. “It was a wonderful course”, said Celia, “and it opened up a new world for me”. She was awarded an MA with distinction and then embarked upon research for a Ph. D at Leicester University in 1997, continuing an interest begun in her MA dissertation. Betty Carman of Cranbrook Museum introduced Celia to the farm records of the Wickham family. Interviews with David Wickham about his own and his grandfather’s hop farming, and with Stephen Wickham about current hop farming, followed those with the Rummerys, and with the late Fred Farley about his work on hop farms. Among other interviewees were Ben Wright, telling of his work as a hop factor, and Dr Peter Darby of Wye College on the breeding of new varieties of hops. “Oral history was very important to this research”, said Celia, “and people’s own words were included as much as possible because the immediacy of the spoken word is so much more vivid to the reader than second-hand description”. Historical records were equally vital and during research at the Centre for Kentish Studies in Maidstone, and at Reading University’s agricultural archives, Celia ‘felt very privileged to be able to read manuscripts that hop farmers had written two and three hundred years ago’. Celia lives in Mapperley, near Nottingham, but has Kentish roots. Her mother’s ancestors settled in Kent and her gre a t - g r a n d m o t h e r, Sarah Hunt, was the daughter of a Sheerness shipwright. C e l i a ’s thesis ‘Hop Cultivation and Marketing: Wealden Kent and Southwark 1744- 2000’ gained her a doctorate in 2006 and has now won the 2007 Hasted prize. “What matters to me most is that my work has been validated in Kent and that the KAS found it worthy of its very generous prize. I am honoured to have been awarded the prize and I look upon it as a ”thank you” to all the people who helped me”. “I should like other people to know about all the things that I discovered – and that you’re never too old to go to university”. A copy of Celia’s thesis has been deposited at the Kent Archaeological Society’s Library at Maidstone Museum. The Hasted Prize was presented to Celia on the KAS’s behalf by Dr Shirley Black, author of a life of Hasted, at the society’s re c e n t Sesquicentennial Dinner. Part of the prize money will help pay for Celia’s thesis to be published as a book. Details of the 2009 Hasted Prize, open to all original master’s or doctoral theses that shed new light on the history of Kent and have been successfully examined by higher education establishments during 2007 or 2008, can be obtained from Dr James Gibson, 27 Pine Grove, Maidstone, ME14 2AJ, tel: (01622) 673050, email: pinegrove@blueyonder.co.uk STUDENT OF HOP GROWING WINS FIRST ’HASTED PRIZE’ ABOVE : Dr Celia Cordle (left) receiving her prize from Dr Shirley Black. boat displaced as much as 25 tons, carried a crew of 5, and were passed down through the family at a value of £60 or so. The big catch was herring, trawled early in the season off Newcastle b e f o re following shoals down to Ya rmouth and later to Sandwich. This last port was re q u i red to send 40,000 herrings a year to C h r i s t c h u rch Priory at Canterbury where the monks were expected to eat fish all year round and nor merely during Advent and Lent. W h e re the shoreline was distant from permanent hamlets, the f i s h e rmen built cabins to store ropes, sails, oars, lines, hooks, boots, breeches and, above all, the many varieties of sometimes heavy and expensive nets. The industry was important thro u g h o u t the Kent shoreline, and although Sheila couldn’t explain the ‘Robin Hood’ naming, she could tell us much about inheritance and family stru c t u re – and the important roles played by fish wives – fro m her analysis of documents. Paul Bennett, in the breathlessly illuminating style for which he is known, set out to demolish the idea (still illustrated in the Museum in Canterbury), that in AD410 the city stopped being Roman and became Anglo-Saxon. Already by the late 4th c e n t u ry, Roman Kent was undergoing rapid and profound change and the garrisons on the shore, far from being disciplined re g iments, were a ragged Dad’s Army full of local adolescents re m iniscent of young Pike rather than any aspiring centurion. The great 4th century pewter industry at Ickham was supplied with scrap metal by the local Steptoe & Son and no less than 5 mills – one of them a horizontal flue-mill – churned out such fashionable accessories as German belt buckles. The transformation of sub-Roman society and economy preceded apace after R i c h b o rough replaced Dover as the gateway from Europe, half the Riding gate was shut off to become a metal workshop; the N o rth gate city wall survived as the most complete piece of Roman walling in Britain, and experiments with pottery and tiles evolved which far outlived AD410 in oases of continuity and re b i rth. David Birm i n g h a m Winter 2007/08 6 pm at the Dominican Priory, St Peter’s Lane, Canterbury. Wednesday 26 March Metal Detecting in Kent by Andrew Richardson (Kent Finds Liaison Officer) 7pm at the Dominican Priory, St Peter’s Lane, Canterbury. Talks are all £2 for Friends of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust and £3 for nonmembers. CENTRE FOR KENTISH STUDIES Local History Talks 2007-2008 The Centre for Kentish Studies continues to present a joint programme of talks together with Maidstone Library and Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery, under the title of ‘Time Talks’. For more information about the talks, please contact Maidstone Museum on 01622 602838 or Maidstone Library on 01622 701943 for more details. Monday 18 February at 6.30pm “What I am I want you to tell me”: the ‘telling’ relationship of Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf by Lyndall Gordon 2008 is the 80th anniversary of Orlando, the novel Virginia Woolf based on Vita Sackville-West andKnole. In Vita’s amorous relationship with Virginia Woolf, reciprocal imaginative play and ‘telling’ were, I want to suggest, paramount. There will also be a book-signing at this event. All talks £3.00 each. Please make cheques payable to Kent County Council and send to The Centre for Kentish Studies, Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone ME14 1XQ, enclosing a stamped addressed envelope. TONBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY Thursday 21 February 2008 7.45pm Archaeology of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link – Part 2 Helen Glass Thursday 10 April 7.30pm AGM followed by The British Slave Trade & Abolition David Killingray Talks take place at the University of Kent Centre, Avebury Avenue, Tonbridge. Non members welcome. Further details on 01732 838698. Egyptology Courses With Frances Williams M.A., M.I.F.A. University of Kent dayschool: Tuthmosis III: Egypt’s Warrior King Canterbury, Saturday 15 March Study Tours to Egypt 1) the Western desert: Cairo-Baharya-Farafra-Dakleh-Kharga-Luxor 2) the Archaeology of Luxor – exploring a sacred landscape More details available from fwpetiset@hotmail.com or 01892 723013. For University of Kent dayschools contact v.j.woolnough@kent.ac.uk. CRAYFORD MANOR HOUSE HISTORICAL & ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Talks 9 Februar y Lord Mayors of London John Halligan 8 March The History of John Lewis and Waitrose A speaker from Waitrose 12 April Behind the Scenes at the National Trust Patty Judge All meetings are held at the Baker Trust Hall, Maxim Road, Crayford at 7pm for 7.30pm. Non members of CMHHAS are welcome to attend - £2 each. Enquiries to Mrs J Hear-Gillham on 01322 551279. The Society also has a summer excursion programme – please contact Mr Davies on 01322 525335. KAS CHURCHES COMMITTEE VISIT St Nicholas Church, Chislehurst and St Mary’s, Cray Saturday 26 April We meet at 1.45 for 2pm at St Nicholas and at St Mary’s at about 3pm. Tea and biscuits will be served at St Mary’s. Cost of the tour is £2. Tea and biscuits is £1 extra. A booking form for this event is included in this Newsletter. KAS HISTORIC BUILDINGS COMMITTEE Excursion to Westenhanger Castle and Barns Tuesday 26 May The castle is one of a group of quadrangular castles and manor houses that were strengthened in response to threats of attack from France during the 14th Century. This scheduled monument and the two medieval timber-framed barns are undergoing a programme of conservation. The three-hourtour will cover: l The development of Westenhanger during the period 1300-1750 l Historical facts relating to the site l Owners of Westenhanger l Phased restoration work since 1996 l Restoration and consolidation techniques l English Heritage connections Cost of the tour is £6.50 per person. Tea £3.00 extra. A booking form is included in this Newsletter. More details from Joy Saynor on 01959 522717 or email: saynor@shorehamkent. wanadoo.co.uk A second excursion will be to Boxley Abbey and Barn on Saturday, 28 June 2008. A third excursion will take place in September. Details of these two trips will be given in the April issue of the Newsletter. KAS MEMBERSHUPCOMMITTEESOCIALEVENT Visit to Provenders near Faversham Thursday 22 May Provenders is a Grade II 14c manor house being restored from decay by Princess Olga Romanoff. A detailed tour of the 29 rooms will repay the charge of £10. Full details in the next issue, but if needed before, contact Margaret Lawrence on 01622 671945. OTHER EVENTS AROUND KENT COUNCIL for KENTISH ARCHAEOLOGY Spring Conference on Rescue Archaeology 19 April Sevenoaks Community Centre, Otford Road. This conference focuses on rescue archaeology and is organised jointly with the organisation ‘Rescue’. Further details on speakers, cost and tickets on www.thecka. fsnet.co.uk. FRIENDS of CANTERBURY ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRUST TALKS Saturday 26 Januar y Frank Jenkins Memorial Lecture by Paul Bennett 6pm at Old Sessions House, Canterbury Christ Church University, Longport, Canterbury (Joint lecture with the Canterbury Archaeological Society). Wednesday 27 Februar y The Work of the KAS Historic Buildings Committee by David Carder (KAS). 7.00 W H AT ’ S ON > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> KAS EVENTS c a rved on each face. T h e re is a similar stone in the nort h e rn part of the churc h y a rd , also aligned with the west wall of the nave. It is on the extreme left in the picture below, close to a group of other ancient stones. Readers are invited to contact the editor with any clues or comments, or details of similar stones known to exist in other c h u rc h y a rd s . On page 15 of this issue you can read about Rev Larking, founder of the KAS, who is buried at St. Martins, Ryarsh. The c h u rc h w a rden there asks if anyone in the KAS can help him discover the history of two mysterious stones in the churc h y a rd. A re they gravestones or do they have some other significance? The stone pictured below stands in the southern section of the c h u rc h y a rd, in line with the west wall of the nave, and has a cro s s 7 Winter 2007/08 LOOSE AREA HISTORY SOCIETY Monday 11 Februar y Donald Maxwell – the unknown artist A talk by Bob Ratcliffe, President of the City of Rochester Society, on the man who wrote, drew and painted prolifically in the early part of the 20th century but is now largely forgotten. Bob’s talk will attempt to rectify this situation. Monday 10 March Hops and Hop Picking A talk by Richard Filmer, author and historian, on the history of hops from early times to the present day. Monday 14 April Cobham Hall A talk by Gerry Harris on the families associated with Cobham Hall since the 13th century, their place in English histor y, and the development of the Hall. Monday 12 May ‘Saxon Maidstone’ A talk by Karl Wittwer Monday 9 June, 7.30 pm * Private visit to Kent Police Museum Monday 14 July, 7 pm* Private visit to Tudeley Parish Church to see the Chagall windows Monday 13 October ‘Ration Fashion’ A talk by Lee Ault Monday 12 November ‘One hundred years of Scouting in Loose’ A presentation by the Scout management team Monday 8 December ‘Puppets, piers and pantomime’ A talk by Alan Stockwell * Please pay in advance for these events – 9 June £2, 14 July £4. Unless otherwise stated all meetings are held at Loose Infant School Hall and start at 7.30 pm. All welcome. Admission: £2.50. Pay at the door. For more details telephone 01622 741198. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > l Now you can have 125 volumes of Archaeologia Cantiana at the amazingly low cost of £31 for individual members and £76 for institutional members on the KAS Sesquicentennial DVD. l To order your copy, send a cheque payable to Kent Archaeological Society to James Gibson, 27 Pine Grove, Maidstone, Kent ME14 2AJ. Have you just joined the society? Do you wish you could collect all the back issues of Archaeologia Cantiana? W H AT D O Y O U T H I N K T H I S I S ? Grants may be made to societies and groups as well as to individuals and are not restricted to members of the Kent Archaeological Society. They are usually around £200 to £400 each but the trustees would consider a larger grant for a particularly imaginative or innovative project which might not be able to proceed without the grant. Awards may not be announced until the summer of 2008. The late Allen Grove left a legacy to the Kent Archaeological Society to establish this fund to be used for the purposes of research, preservation and enjoyment of local history. The trustees will consider applications for grants for any project with one or more of these purposes. Projects may be practical ones such as presentation, publication and education as well as research. Applications must be submitted, on the official application form, by the 31st March 2008. Application forms and further information may be obtained from the Hon. Secretary: Mr A. I. Moffat, Three Elms, Woodlands Lane, Shorne, Gravesend, DA12 3HH, or by email to secretary@kentarchaeology. org.uk. A form can be downloaded from the web site www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/Grove app form for web.pdf. MEMBERSHIP MATTERS Happy New Year! Many thanks to those of you who have returned your standing order mandates. These have now been sent to your banks and, with luck, they will have credited our bank with the correct amount. In case they do not do the correct adjustments, or even pay two amounts, please check your bank statements carefully. If the entry is incorrect or duplicated please contact your bank immediately to ensure that the correct amount is paid in future. In the unlikely event of you not receiving a form from me, or if you have mislaid it, please get in touch. I did send out nearly 750 letters with standing order mandates, so some may have got lost in the post! The new rates are as follows: Ordinary membership £25; Joint membership £30; Affiliated Societies £25. There is no alteration to those claiming the under-21 rate or the reduced rate if you have been a member for more than 10 years and are over state pension age. Those of you who prefer to pay by cheque should have received a letter from me in December with a renewal form. If you have not already returned this to me with your cheque please do so as soon as possible. It is interesting to note that very many of our new members find us through our website. Shiela Broomfield The address for all correspondence relating to membership is – Mrs Shiela Broomfield, KAS Membership, 8 Woodview Crescent, Hildenborough, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 9HD. Tel: 01732 838698. Email: membership@kentarchaeology.org.uk or s.broomfield@dial.pipex.com. We are pleased to welcome the following new members: Mr M Ashley, Walderslade Mr P A Collins, London N8 Mr D R Lewis, Canterbury Mr P McDonnell, Aylesford Mr N J Newell, Cranbrook Y O U A N D Y O U R SOCIETY Winter 2007/08 8 COPY DEADLINE FOR THE NEXT IS THE ALLEN GROVE LOCAL HISTOR Y FUND After the business there will be a presentation about the Society’s work and other topics of current interest. The results of the elections will be announced at the A.G.M. Nominations can be submitted for any office; it is the sign of an active society if there is competition for office. Any five members can propose a candidate for election as a member of the Council or as an officer. Nominations have to be received by the Ca n t e r b u ry will be the location of the S o c i e t y ’s annual general meeting on Saturday the 17th May this year. The meeting will be in the morning and we hope to be supported by you and the attendance of plenty of other members. Hon. General Secretary by the 1st March at the latest and must be accompanied by the written consent of the candidate. F u rther information and guidance can be obtained from the Hon. General Secretary Mr A.I. Moffat, Three Elms, Woodlands Lane, Shorne, Gravesend, DA12 3HH; email secretary@kentarchaeology. org.uk. Although a special nomination form does not have to be used, he can supply a suitable form. A.G.M. 2007 Miss C Palastanga, Langton Green Professor S R Palmer, West Malling Mr M F Powis & Ms J Taylor, Tovil Mr J E Walker, Larkfield Ms I Wedd, Ipswich Mr R C Churchill, Cheam, Surrey Mr A M Larkin, Kemsing, Sevenoaks Mr J C Window Bunkers Hill, North Cray Mr G R Evans Broadstairs 9 Winter 2007/08 ISSUE IS FRIDA Y 29th FEBRUAR Y KAS COMMITTEE ROUND-UP Over 40 people attended the visit to B e k e s b o u rne and Patrixbourn e c h u rches organised by the KAS C h u rches Committee in September. These two churches are suff i c i e n t l y close together for it to be possible to walk from one to the other in just a few minutes. It was a particular pleasure to do so on this day as we were blessed with a very pleasant afternoon. These beautiful churches are of great intere s t both architecturally and in their historical associations. Mary Berg, a member of the KAS Churches Committee, gave a talk at both churches and drew out the i m p o rtant points with clarity and h u m o u r. St Peter’s Bekesbourne is a Vi c t o r i a n re c o n s t ruction of an ancient medieval c h u rch, with a fine Norman doorw a y, set on what is most likely an even more ancient religious site upon a hill above the Nailbourne stream. The Norm a n c h u rch was extended in the 13th century both eastwards and westwards, with the c o n s t ruction of a tower. The manor of B e k e s b o u rne was acquired in the early 16th century by Canterbury Cathedral P r i o ry as a place for the monks’ re c reation. Following the Dissolution, the A rchbishop of Canterbury owned the manor and had a palace here until 1647. A brick south transept was added to the church in 1715, replacing an earlier chantry, probably to serve as a family pew for the Hales family of Howletts. It contains some intere s t i n g monuments including a memorial to R i c h a rd Fogge, a naval captain of the time of Charles I. The church owes its p resent appearance to the drastic but n e c e s s a ry restoration of 1882, apart f rom the tower which was rebuilt in 1841 having collapsed some time b e f o re 1817. Today the church is obviously well loved and cared for. St Mary ’s Patrixbourne is one of the most impressive and best pre s e rv e d monuments from the post-Conquest era in rural east Kent. Its Norman feature s continued on page 10 CHURCHES COMMITTEE Study Afternoon: A Parish Pump Revolution Visit to Bekesbourne and Patrixbourne Churches This half day exploring the local impact of the Reformation, held in N o v e m b e r, was the last special event of the KAS’s 150th anniversary year celebrations. It was led by Dr A n d rew Foster of the University of C h i c h e s t e r, who ably communicated his e x p e rtise and enthusiasm for the subject to the large gathering of p a rticipants. For, indeed, this was a KAS event with a diff e rence, in which Dr Foster got the audience actively p a rticipating in an exploration of how the Reformation was experienced in local society. Dr Foster began with a short discussion on the causes, characters, c h ro n o l o g y, concepts and consequences of the Reformation. He then gave a slide show giving examples of the changes to church interiors (and what these changes tell us) from the p re - R e f o rmation period to the 17th cent u ry. This re i n f o rced Dr Foster’s point that many scholars now see the R e f o rmation as a long process lasting well beyond the 16th century. Other themes included local variations in the impact of the Reformation, developments in education and the influence of the gentry in local society. Following an excellent tea, pro v i d e d by the East Peckham Historical Society, the participants were divided into g roups and asked to imagine themselves into the mentalities of various g roupings in a country parish in the 1580s. These included the law-abiding silent majority, the feckless teenagers, the traditionalist Catholics, the radical Puritans, the churc h w a rdens, etc. Together they explored how such g roups would have related to each other and responded to the social and religious turbulence of the period. In this they were assisted by the expert i s e of Dr Foster and his assistants for the d a y, Professor Kenneth Fincham and Dr D o reen Rosman from Canterbury. This p roved an enjoyable way of considering the dynamics of change and complexity of the Reformation. It also served as a reminder of how much historians do not know about the majority of English parishioners of the period, of what they thought and felt. The Churc h e s Committee chairman Philip Lawre n c e and secre t a ry Liz Nussbaum spoke for everyone in thanking Dr Foster for an enjoyable and thought-pro v o k i n g a f t e rn o o n . Above: The fine Norman doorway of St Peter’s Bekesbourne. Winter 2007/08 10 include a round east window (intriguingly of the same dimensions as that not far away at Barf restone) and a superb port a l with richly-carved tympanum. The village owed this high-quality rebuilding of its c h u rch in the 1170s to its Norman lords of the manor - the Patricks - the latest of whom had recently married rather well (to a great grand-daughter and heiress of the p rudent Henry I). The churc h ’s patro n s b e f o re the Reformation were Beaulieu (near Rouen) and Merton Priories. The south chapel was added in the 15th c e n t u ry to house the family tomb of the Isaacs, who were major local landholders. An unusual feature of the church is the position of the tower, on the south side of the nave, through which one enters the building. A north aisle with arcade was added in the 19th century, and Gilbert Scott re s t o red the church in 1857. One of the churc h w a rdens kindly attended to provide the welcome tea and biscuits and she spoke about the interesting 16th and 17th c e n t u ry Swiss glass which was installed second-hand in 1837. She and her fellow villagers are working hard to keep the c h u rch in good ord e r, and for that we can all be grateful. Paul Lee continued from page 9 The Churches Committee is keen to p romote the production and publication of church guides, with inform ation for those wishing to visit, or study, any particular church. Guides may already exist for many parish churches, but may be usefully supplemented with further accurate historical or archaeological detail of the building, its monuments, and its role in the local are a and community. It would, however, be ideal if each church were to have at least a simple information sheet available, p referably with a plan of the building. The Committee has already been able to assist with projects to produce individual guides, which have even included printed, coloured books. It may be able to p rovide advice on both content and s o u rces for new guides using its database, and knowledge of bibliographic or illustrative material, and churc h - re l a t e d websites; it may also have access to knowledgeable individuals. Additionally, t h e re is material held in the K.A.S. Library collections, which may include earlier published guides, or previous re l e v a n t s t u d i e s . If you are considering producing a c h u rch guide, or know of others who might wish to, whether as an individual, local historian, or member of a part i c u l a r c h u rch, the Churches Committee would welcome any queries. There are re s e a rc h facilities and assistance in locating re s o u rces which the Kent Arc h a e o l o g i c a l Society may be able to off e r. We would also be pleased to hear of anyone interested in becoming involved in actually producing new guides for any c h u rches where there is not at present a potential local compiler for an inform a t i o n sheet, or guide. Contact: Churches Committee, KAS L i b r a ry, Maidstone Museum and Bentlif G a l l e ry, St. Faith’s Street, Maidstone, Kent. ME14 1LH. E-mail: churchguideskentarchaeology.org.uk LEFT: The richly-carved tympanum of St. Mary’s, Patrixbourne. tectural features, Christopher Pro u d f o o t , C h a i rman of the KAS Historic Buildings Committee, kindly stepped in at short notice. He brought along part of his collection of doorknobs and locks, which formed the subject of a v e ry novel and amusing exposition on the evolution of door fittings from the 18th century. E v e ryone enjoyed his lively presentation as well as the opportunity for closer examination of the collection of fittings, which was on display during the lunch bre a k . After lunch, Elizabeth Finn of the Centre for Kentish Studies (CKS) explained how the CKS could help re s e a rchers trace the history of specific buildings in the county. She gave v e ry useful guidance on accessing the extensive documentary sources held by the C e n t re, followed by a ‘whistle-stop tour’ of the contents of the local studies collections and archives. Judging from the response of the audience, Elizabeth should expect an i n c rease both in requests for re a d e r ’s card s and in visits to the CKS website. the history of buildings, would live up to the high standard set by those earlier events. The day got off to a good start with first s p e a k e r, Andrew Linklater of the Canterbury A rchaeological Trust, whose topic was the complexities of the archaeology of buildings ‘ F rom Hip to Hearth’. Rather than dealing with high status buildings, he focussed on the type of domestic stru c t u res in which 90 per cent of the British population would have lived. Among Andre w ’s fascinating slides, of particular note were those of excavations that had taken place at Nort h S t reet and Stour Street in Canterbury, which he used with great effect to illustrate the evolution of buildings. The many questions and wide ranging discussion that followed were a measure of the enthusiasm stimulated by Andre w ’s pre s e n t a t i o n . The next speaker listed on the programme was Charles Brooking. However, as he was unwell and unable to give the planned talk on dating buildings by arc h i- Over 70 people attended the KAS Historic Buildings Conference held last October in Lenham Vi l l a g e Community Centre. The Confere n c e C h a i rman, David Card e r, opened the day by welcoming everyone and providing backg round on the KAS Historic Buildings Committee. He went on to explain that the c o n f e rence was the first to be held by the Committee. However, it could be considere d the successor of the annual Conference of Building Recorders, originally organised by the late Kenneth Gravett, which evolved into the Autumn Conferences organised so ably by Joy Saynor. David expressed the hope of the Committee that the day’s pro g r a m m e , dealing as it did with a variety of aspects of Promotion of Church Guides HISTORIC BUILDINGS COMMITTEE Historic Buildings Conference the Spring issue of the Newsletter. Advice leaflet In an earlier issue of the Newsletter it was announced that the committee was pro d u cing a leaflet entitled ‘Historical Assessment and Survey of Old Buildings’, an advice note for those who care about them. This document offers guidance to people who want to find out more about their pro p e rt y. In addition, a separate publications list is being prep a red. The list contains reviews of publications that might be helpful to anyone interested in carrying out an assessment or surv e y. Both documents will be available on the KAS website and in hard copy. In order to cover the cost of production, a small charg e will be made for hard copies. (Leaflet £1; Publications List 50p.) 11 Winter 2007/08 gramme of speakers, and Ted Connell, who had taken care of the equipment and other technical aspects, were also thanked for their contributions to the success of the day. F u t u r e Activities When the committee met on 10 November, in addition to deciding to hold another conf e rence next October, it agreed to org a n i s e t h ree excursions during 2008. All three will focus on Kentish barn stru c t u re s . The first will be a visit to We s t e n h a n g e r Castle and Barns on Tu e s d a y, 26 May. (See What’s On section for more inform a t i o n and how to book). The second visit will be to Boxley Abbey and Barn on Saturd a y, 28 June. More details on this event, and a third visit scheduled for September., will be given in Aided by slides and models, David Card e r then gave an overview of the construction of t i m b e r-framed stru c t u res, and more specifically of Kentish barns, as an introduction to the visit to the magnificent medieval tithe b a rn in Lenham. Thanks were given to the o w n e r, Valerie Woollven, for so genero u s l y allowing the rare chance to examine one of K e n t ’s finest barns, and to Martin Porter for giving his time to guide the group around the building. B e f o re everyone set off to visit the barn , Christopher Proudfoot rounded off the conf e rence by leading the expressions of appreciation that went to David Carder for org a nising such an enjoyable and inform a t i v e event. It had provided a remarkable insight into historic buildings from the arc h a e o l o g ical and documentary point of view. Debbie G o a c h e r, who had helped to arrange the pro- The French invasion of England in 1216 is a relatively neglected event in English history. Had it succeeded, England’s then-ruling dynasty, the Plantaganets, would have been extinguished and the country as thoroughly conquered as it was by the Normans in 1066. The invasion was led by Prince Louis, son of the French King Philip Augustus, and he was invited over to take the English crown by English barons sick of the misrule and oppression of King John (1199-1216). John did not put up much of a fight and retreated instead of opposing the French landing, but there were those who were prepared to resist. One of these was William of Cassingham (now Kensham, a town between Rolvendon and Sandhurst) a lowly but pugnacious country squire. The contemporary chronicler Roger of Wendover reports William’s appearance as the French army entered the south-east and conquered all in their path: ‘A certain youth, William by name, a fighter and a loyalist who despised those who were not, gathered a number of archers in the forests and waste places, all of them men of the region, and all the time they attacked and disrupted the enemy, and as a result of their intense resistance many thousands of Frenchmen were slain’ The archers that William gathered were local men from the forest of the Weald, the great expanse of forest that once stretched unbroken across Sussex and Kent. Under the leadership of William, who assumed the nickname of ‘Willikin of the Weald’, they soon became a terror to the invaders. William and his band of volunteers formed a core of stubborn resistance to the otherwise triumphant Prince Louis, ambushing French troops and inflicting fatal casualties on them. William’s efforts, along with the heroic defence of Dover Castle by Earl Hubert de Burgh, were the only sparks of resistance against the invasion in the south-east as King John wandered the midlands and south-west, desperately trying to raise support. By October 1216 it seemed that Dover must fall, which would leave nothing except William’s band of g u e rrillas to fight the French in the south-east. It was doubtful they could resist the invaders alone, but then King John perf o rmed the best service he could for his country: he died at Newark, leaving his little son Henry to succeed him as Henry III. English fortunes now changed, as many barons who hated John had no quarrel with his son, and by early 1217 Louis decided to return to France for reinforcements. Louis was obliged to fight his way to the coast as the forests were swarming with loyalists, and part of his army was ambushed by William of Cassingham and his band near Lewes. The French were routed and the rest of their army pursued to Winchelsea, where only the arrival of a French fleet rescued them from starvation. Still determined to conquer, Louis soon returned to England with fresh troops, but again his plans were spoiled by the efforts of William. As the invasion fleet approached Dover William’s men attacked and burned the French camp outside the castle, and in fear Louis turned aside to land at Sandwich instead. His cause was further shattered by defeats at Lincoln in May and the destruction of his fleet in August, and he was forced to sign a peace treaty at Lambeth and return to France. The war over, William of Cassingham was rewarded for his efforts with a pension and made warden of the Weald. He lived another forty years, quietly drawing his pension and performing lowly tasks such as fetching logs for the king’s household. He died in 1257, a humble Kentish man but one who the chronicler Holinshed was moved to laud as ‘O Worthy man of English blood!’ ‘WORTHY MAN OF ENGLISH BLOOD’ WILLIAM OF CASSINGHAM, A FORGOTTEN HERO Above: King John. Above: Contemporary depiction of 13th century warfare. Winter 2007/08 12 In the last issue of the KAS Newsletter, under Library Notes, the name of the new book by Anne Clinch was incorrectly listed. The title should be A History of Langley in Kent, not A History of Lingley in Kent. My apologies to Anne. The Editor KAS SUPPORT FOR LOCAL HISTORY RESEARCH Two local history enthusiasts have recently self-published books on their specialist subjects, with the help of research grants from the KAS’s Allen Grove Local History Fund. ‘FAMILIES OF WARTIME LOOSE” by Margaret Chapman In this book, the author of the Loose Area History Society tells the stories of the 65 men and women whose names are engraved on the village’s war memorial; the 15 servicemen from the area who for various reasons are not listed on the memorial; and several others who won battle honours but whose fate is unknown. Margaret’s book begins with an account of the unveiling of the war memorial by Private Harold Harris, who lost his sight while fighting in Flanders but with the help of St Dunstan’s set up a boot repair business in the village. She quotes extensively from official records and contemporary newspaper reports; features family memorabilia and the reminiscences of the casualties’ relatives; and records the casualties’ s e rvice histories and the locations of their war graves or battlefield memorials. There are more than 300 illustrations, including photographs of nearly all the men and women concerned; the places where they lived; ships, aircraft and battlefields – and much more! The 264-page book is available free on CD in pdf format from Margaret at 13 Northleigh Close, Loose, Maidstone, Kent ME15 9RP. To cover P&P please enclose a cheque for £5 payable to ‘Margaret Chapman’. The book can also be downloaded free of charge from w w w. l o o s e a re a h i s t o ry s o c i e t y.webeden.co.uk (click on News/Wa r Memorials). Enquiries to 01622 746630 or MChap53767@aol.com ‘THE LOST MANOR OF WARE’ by Kathryn Kersey Kathryn Kersey reveals some of the secrets of Ware Street, which runs from Bearsted Green to Weavering Street, Maidstone, and although less than a mile long, holds many clues to the days when it was a sleepy hamlet, deep in the county town’s countryside. “It was a medieval manor owned by Rochester cathedral”, explains Kathryn. “The earliest surviving records I found were some Latin documents, more than 600 years old, in Medway Archives Office”. “They were very fragile and about to be withdrawn from public inspection, perhaps for several years. Luckily I was able to have them transcribed and translated before they were taken away to be repaired by conservation specialists”. In her book Kathryn takes readers on a walk along the street, describing how the manor evolved over the centuries and identifying its historic pro p e rt i e s and buildings. She also brings to light the manor’s surprising links with such nationally i m p o rtant historical events as the Jack Cade Rebellion in 1450 and the ‘Swing Riots’ on Kent’s farms in 1830. The careers of local traders and craftsmen are covered and although f a rming was the main occupation along old Ware Street, it once had an important ragstone q u a rry and brickworks, whose ruined engine shed Kathryn discovered and photographed. There are also oral history contributions and extracts from local newspapers, parish magazines and census returns – and more than 200 photographs supplied by past and present residents and members of Bearsted and District Local History Society. ‘The Lost Manor of Ware’, ISBN 978-0-9545831-3-2; 262 pages, paperback, costs £17 inc. P&P available from 5 Greensand Road, Bearsted, Maidstone, Kent ME15 8NY. Enquiries to 01622 730444 or mjkersey@tiscali.co.uk. The book is also on sale at Waterstones, ABOVE: Margaret Chapman (left) at the Loose War Memorial with Carol Lockwood, whose father Flt. Lt. ‘Ginger’ Culver, an RAFpilot, is one of the servicemen commemorated here. Alfred never saw his daughter. He was posted missing, presumed dead, when she was eight weeks old. In the picture Carol is wearing his medals and holding his portrait . ABOVE: Kathryn Kersey in Ware Street. N E W B O O K S 13 Winter 2007/08 Fremlin Walk Shopping Centre, Maidstone. Allen Grove, who died in 1990, was curator of Maidstone Museum for many years and the KAS’s Hon. Curator from 1949 to 1975 and President from 1987 to 1988. He left a legacy to the KAS for the establishment of the Allen Grove Local History Fund to pro - mote research, preservation and the enjoyment of local history. For details of how to apply for a grant see page 8 of this Newsletter. KENTISH RAGSTONE by Malcolm Stocker This book attempts to give a balanced assessment of Kentish ragstone, its strengths and its drawbacks and traces the history of the most widely used building stone in the South East of England. The decline of the stone industry was particularly severe in Kent with the closure of most of the Kentish ragstone quarries making its future availability problematic. The difficulties this presents for those involved in conservation is discussed. A4 size paperback, 72 pages with 71 illustrations. Price £11.50 inc. P&P. Available from Malcolm Stocker, Crowham Cottage, Main Road, Westfield, East Sussex TN35 4SP. Email: stocker1@btinternet.com THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF KENT TO AD800, edited by Dr John Williams Kent's proximity to the European mainland has meant that it has always had a special relationship with its continental neighbours. At times this has been a positive force, with Kent a conduit for trade and new ideas, but on other occasions the white cliffs of Dover have symbolised defiance, with Kent being in the front line in the defence of England. The opening up of the Channel Tunnel and the construction of the associated high-speed railway line linking England and France, together with major development activity associated with an agenda for regeneration and economic growth, has resulted in unprecedented archaeological activity which has revolutionised our understanding of Kent's earlier past. The book begins with The Growth of Archaeology in Kent, from the early pioneers to today’s development-led work. Four chapters cover the Palaeolithic Archaeology of Kent, Prehistoric Kent, Roman Kent and Anglo-Saxon Kent to AD 800. Within the narrative a number of ‘boxes’ describe special sites and discoveries - such as Barnfield Pit, Swanscombe, home to the second oldest human remains from this country; the Dover bronze age boat; the Romano- British ‘cult centre’ at Springhead, near Gravesend; and the Anglo- Saxon watermill at Ebbsfleet. The contributors to this volume, Professor Timothy Champion, Dr Francis Wenban-Smith, Professor Martin Millett and Dr Martin Welch all have specialist research interests in Kent, and have combined established wisdom with the fresh information from recent work to create a new and exciting story. Hardback, 300 pages, well illustrated in colour with plans, maps, photos and re c o n s t ruction drawings. Published by Boydell and Brewer, Kent County Council, 2007, ISBN 9780851155807. Normal price £25, but £20 to KAS members on production of a KAS membership card, if collected from the Centre for Kentish Studies in Maidstone, Dover Museum, Dart f o rd Museum or Canterbury Archaeological Trust at 92a Broad Street, Canterbury. This offer ends at the end of February. Winter 2007/08 14 Dear Editor, T h e re are obviously more sides to the debate over the future format and presentation of the Archaeologia Cantiana. The hardback edition, although expensive, maintains the standard by which the society is judged. If the presentation migrated solely towards DVD then who can say that in 100 years time the format will still be playable? Remember the 12 inch optical discs that were buried in a time capsule for posterity by ‘Blue Peter’ in the 70’s ? This format is no longer readable except in a museum. The humble CD is a l ready going the same way; it is lucky that DVD players can still read the same form a t . No, paper is the guaranteed storage medium for the future! By all means publish by download also, but do not neglect the future ! Alan Buckman Dear Editor, I read Angela Muthana’s letter in the Autumn 2007 Newsletter with intere s t but disagree with her views. In my opinion our Journal is first class, not only as re g a rds its content but also its presentation and our editor is to be congratulated on a first class job. Angela queried as to whether any other ‘ j o u r - nal of equivalent standing continues to be published in hard-back’ – I am also a member of the Sussex Archaeological Society and am pleased to conf i rm that their Journal is also published in the same manner. In my opinion AC is ‘ w o rthy of a society operating in the 21st century ’ and long may it continue. In case any of our readers think I am a member of the ‘Save the dinosaur brigade’, I didn’t write this letter with a quill pen but on my computer. Tom Hollobone Dear Editor, I was pleased to read the letter about our work at Bax Farm from my ex-student Diarmaid Walshe. It is of particular joy that he is now engaged in i m p o rtant work in Israel. However, Israel is a long way from Kent and the Christian tradition of baptism is somewhat diff e rent in the We s t e rn Roman E m p i re than the East. Diarmaid explains in his letter that a defined entrance and exit for one person is the norm in the East, but if we look to Rome and indeed the Baptistery of Constantine built by Sixtus 111 in AD440, (pro b a b l y the first baptistery built) we see a ground plan exactly the same as the Roman building investigated at Bax Farm. Indeed the octagonal building at Bax Farm has all of the architectural details found in the Constantine B a p t i s t e ry in Rome. Both are octagonal, both have a roof supported by a ring of eight columns, and both have a large octagonal terraced central plunge pool, in the case of Rome 12 metres across compared with the 5 metres at L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R W I N T E R 2 0 0 7 / 0 8 Bax Farm. Patently, both are of a completely diff e rent design from those generally found in the east. The building at Bax Farm is of such an unusual and complex design that questions have to be asked of its function - to say it is just another Roman bath-house is not a valid interpretation of the evidence. Of course, other examples of octagonal baptisteries abound in the west; the Baptistery at Nocera is one, Ravenna is anothe r, in fact over forty of the same design as Rome and Bax Farm exist - most with attested Christian baptisms having taken place. On the question of the seal found at Bax Farm, it is in fact a fivebranched menorah, not the more normal seven-branched as discussed by D i a rmaid. Both have a completely diff e rent function. The type found at Bax Farm is called a ‘redemption of the first born’ medal. These were used by Jewish parents symbolically to pay priests upon the birth of their first born son. The priests, it is believed, could be either Christian or Jewish. Five such seals would be given to the priest to ‘buy back’ the first born from God. The ceremony would generally take place when the baby was 31 days old (Exodus 13:1-3). In summing up, we have a unique late Roman building which deserv e s f u rther investigation and may help in our understanding of late Roman K e n t . Paul Wi l k i n s o n Dear Editor, I sometimes wish there could be a little less crowing when pre s e n t - d a y re s e a rchers discover a mistake or an omission in Edward Hasted’s magnum opus, his 12-volume (or 4-volume folio) History of Kent. Of course t h e re are omissions in it – Hasted was working nearly 250 years ago, without the benefit of today’s catalogues, calendars and indexes, and the mountain of re s e a rch, historical and archaeological, which has accumulated in the intervening years. He had to journey on horseback to look at a family’s archive, to look at it by candlelight if it happened to be mouldering away in some dark place. And he was covering the whole c o u n t y, not just a single parish or town. A review of his first folio volume re p roached him on this basis, contrasting his work unfavourably with that of Edward Rowe Mores on Tunstall. Hasted was comforted by his great friend John Thorpe, who wisely pointed out that an undert a king on such a scale was quite unrealistic for one man: ‘Notwithstanding M o re ’s Hist. has such merit…yet to pursue his plan in a large County Hist. Good Lord! How voluminous would it be, and what few could purchase it, or indeed, what man’s life or pocket is adequate to it?’ Hasted, with his life devoted to his project, is certainly the father of Kentish local history, whom we should be proud to own. There are very few counties which possess a complete 18th-century history of this magnitude, although a large number were proposed or begun. It is fitting that the KAS should now have given him what one may hope will be a lasting memorial in the shape of the biannual Hasted Prize, for which students at any university may submit their final dissertation for an MA or PhD. Aw a rded for the first time this year, it was won by Celia Cord l e , a mature student, from her thesis on the hop industry, ‘Hop Cultivation and Marketing: Wealden Kent and Southwark, 1744-2000’ (see page 5). Celia was encouraged to re t u rn to education herself in 1993 when her son began university, and since then has achieved a BA at Kingston, followed by an MA and then a PhD at Leicester University, all of which she was able to work for on a part-time basis. She chose the Kentish subject for her thesis as her family has Kentish links, and her pare n t s lived at Sandhurst. I am sure we should all congratulate her on her persistence and hard work, and the successful outcome of this. ABOVE: The Baptistery of Constantine. Dr Shirley B Black Thomas Streatfeild in collecting material for a new history of Kent; working on a revised and updated version of Hasted’s History and To p o g r a p h i c a l Survey of the county (part of which, edited by Dr Henry H. Drake, was published 20 years after his death); a facsimile, translation and transcription of The Domesday Book of Kent (published in 1869); many articles in Archaeologia Cantiana (including more than 200 pages of Volume 1); and editing three volumes of records for the Camden Society. In his volume on Kent in The King’s England series, Arthur Mee wrote that Larking was ‘probably unmatched in the county for his mastery of the Saxon language and his understanding of ancient manuscripts’. HIS MEMORIALS Larking is commemorated in several ways in Ryarsh. There is a plaque in his honour at the main gate to The Old Vicarage, which stands a few yards south of the road to St Martin’s. His grave and that of his widow is in the churchyard, between the south wall of the nave and the church path. On the south wall of the chancel there is a fine brass memorial, erected by Larking’s widow and by John Wingfield Larking, his bro t h e r. Beneath the memorial another brass plaque informs us that ‘To the Glory of God and in Memory of Rev. L. B. Larking the interior of this church was restored AD 1872’. The restorations included installing new benches, choir stalls, a screen and a tiled floor. The nave and chancel are most impressive when seen under the church’s new energy-efficient subdued lighting. A booklet, published about ten years ago and on sale in the church, gives a brief outline of St Martin’s history and architecture. However, visitors will learn much more if they are fortunate enough to be accompanied by the churchwarden, David Parkins, who has known the building for 60 years and is familiar with its every nook and cranny. With acknowledgements to various KAS members and to Rob Wraight (www.ryarsh.info) and David Parkins (churchwarden). Our likeness of Rev. L.B. Larking is from a lithograph reproduced in Dr Henry Drake’s edition of Hasted’s History of Kent. LEFT (top): Rev. Larking. (Middle): The commemorative plaque at the main gate to the Old Vicarage. (Bottom): The nave and chancel of St. Martin’s church showing restorations dedicated to Larking’s memory. 15 Winter 2007/08 Before memories of our 150th anniversary fade, let us remember our founder, the Rev. L a m b e rt Blackwell Larking, cleric and antiquary. In September 1957 a group of our members laid a wreath on his memorial in St Martin’s Church, Ryarsh, before gathering at Maidstone’s Royal Star Hotel for their centenary dinner. Fifty years later Larking was not singled out for special celebratory attention; indeed, it seems that not much at all was said about him, so we must resort to Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. 70, published in 1956, in which Frank W. Jessup, our Hon. General Secretary at the time, paid his respects in a detailed account of the origin and the first one hundred years of our society. He reported that it all began on September 19, 1857, when 11 ‘noblemen and gentlemen of the county’ met at Mereworth Castle at the invitation of Viscount and Viscountess Falmouth, and decided to form a Kent Archeological [sic] Society. ‘Thus the origin of the Society is chronicled in the official records,’ wrote Jessup. ‘However, a less official journal, kept by the Rev. Lambert B. Larking, Vicar of Ryarsh and the Society’s first Hon. Secretary, shows that he, in fact, was the only author and true begetter of the Society and that the initiative in its formation lay elsewhere than with Lord Falmouth’. Larking was born at Clare House, East Malling, Kent, on February 2, 1797 and baptized there at St James’ parish church.. He was the eldest son of John Larking, who became High Sheriff of Kent in 1808, and Dorothy (nèe Style) Larking, daughter of St Charles Style, Bt, of Wateringbury Place. Dr Shirley Burgoyne Black’s biography in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (which can be read online at www.oxforddnb.com) reveals that Larking was a learned and diligent scholar who found time to combine his pastoral work with deep and serious academic research. He lived for most of his life in villages close to the one in which he was born. He was curate at St M i c h a e l ’s, East Peckham, from 1820; vicar of Ryarsh from 1830 to 1868; and, during the last year of his life, also vicar at St Michael’s, Burham. He was also chaplain to Viscount Falmouth, which explains his presence at Mereworth Castle on that important day in September 1857. Larking died at Ryarsh Vicarage (now The Old Vicarage) in Roughetts Road on August 2, 1868, aged 71, and was buried at St Martin’s. His widow, Frances (nèe Twysden), eldest daughter of Sir William Jervis Twysden, Bt, of Roydon Hall, East Peckham, died on March 25, 1873, aged 86. They were married in 1831, when he was 34 and she was 44. They did not have any children. L a r k i n g ’s achievements, over and above founding the KAS, include collaborating with Rev. ‘ L E T U S N O W P R A I S E FA M O U SM E N ’Ecclesiasticus xliv RE V . LAMBERT BL A C K W E L L LA R K I N G (1 7 9 7 - 1 8 6 8 ) Published by the Kent Archaeological Society, Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Gallery, St Faith’s Street, Maidstone, Kent. ME 14 1LH www.kentarchaeology.org.uk EDITOR: LYN PALMER 55 Stone Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2QU Telephone: 01892 533661 Mobile: 07920 548906 Email evelyn.palmer@virgin.net or newsletter@kentarchaeology.org.uk Copy deadline for the next issue in April is Friday February 29th. The editor wishes to draw attention to the fact that neither she nor the Council of the KAS are answerable for opinions which contributors may express in their signed articles; each author is alone responsible for the contents and substance of their work. INSET: Alex King, Deputy Leader of Kent County Council, (centre) presents a copy of The Archaeology of Kent to AD800 to Martin Welch, at the books recent launch event. Martin was one of several distinguished contributors to the book. Another contributor, Timothy Champion, browses his copy on the right. The editor, County Archaeologist John Williams, stands beside Alex King. For further details of the book and a special offer to KAS members, see page 13. Winter 2007/08 16