KAS Newsletter, Issue 77, Summer 2008
Written By KAS
NEOLITHIC DISCOVERIES AT
PEGWELL BAY, ISLE OF THANET
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n the summer of 2007 the Trust for
Thanet Archaeology carried out an area
excavation on a development site in
Pegwell, near Ramsgate, formerly occupied
by a 19th century lodge used most
recently as a Nursery School. The site is
on high ground on the eastern side of a
north-south aligned valley leading down
from Nethercourt towards the coast at
Pegwell. To the rear and west of the site
are the grounds of the Court Stairs Lodge
Hotel and to the east are the imposing
West Cliff Terrace Mansions. The site had
been extensively terraced and built over
in several phases as recently as the
1970's, but surprisingly when the build·
ings and foundations were carefully
removed, two I in ear features were
exposed, cut deep into the chalk and sep·
arated by a narrow gap between their terminals.
Although only a small element
remained it is likely that they were part of
a causewayed enclosure, the second
Neolithic structure to be found in the
same valley. Part of another causewayed
enclosure was discovered during excavations
for the Ramsgate Harbour Approach
Road at Chilton in 1996.
The primary cuts of two linear ditches
with rounded terminals formed a narrow
causeway entrance at the northern extent
of the feature. In plan the ditches formed
S11mmrr 20 2
ABOVE: Ditch terminals under excavation facing south east.
FRONT PAGE: View of the excavated enclosure facing north west.
FRONT PAGE (INSET): Selection of Earlier Neolithic flint blades.
a gentle curve which when projected suggested
a diameter of around 104m for the
feature and may have enclosed an area to
the south of the excavated elements. The
features had been formed by a series of
separate component cuts that combined
ABOVE: Sherd from an Earlier Neolithic carinated bowl.
to form a continuous curvilinear ditch. No
internal features were encountered when
the area was stripped, probably due to
terracing of the site in the past. The earliest
deposits within the ditch were chalk
spreads and fine silty clay of natural origin
that appears to have eroded into the
ditch through frost action. The ditches
may have remained open for some time,
being carefully cleaned out and maintained.
Pottery and animal bone were
mixed within the earliest deposits and
two cattle skulls were found with other
bones close to the base at the eastern
terminal and at the western end of the
same ditch. The natural processes of frost
erosion and weathering occurred fairly
soon after cutting of the ditches and was
unchecked by human activity for some
time. Periods of abandonment and recutting
were suggested by the stratigraphy,
indicating that the area was only sporadically
occupied over a long period of time.
The earliest fills in the ditches were truncated
by a pit cut to search for flints.
This sparsely occupied phase was followed
by more intensive activity involving
scooping out hollows from the accumulated
debris which were filled with
deposits containing significant amounts
of cultural material and food waste from
butchered bone and shellfish. Evidence of
recutting and additional deposition suggests
a sustained. possibly seasonal reoccupation
by a fairly large number of
people. The deposits of large disarticulated
animal bones suggest the dumping of
butchery waste, perhaps after extracting
residual nutrition by splitting the bones
for marrow and boiling for stock. This
could indicate the by-product of a seasonal
slaughter perhaps carried out within
the enclosure. The eastern terminal
had a small pit cut in the centre. filled
with fine ashy material containing more
decorated pottery and fine flintwork. The
pit had been filled with a deposit of clay
then recut with a broader hollow with
sloped sides. This second cut was also
filled with a fine ashy deposit containing
Neolithic pottery and mussel shells. The
western terminal contained similar recuts
filled with organic debris, marine shells
and animal bone. In many of the hollows
the uppermost fills contained spreads of
animal bone in large quantity suggesting
the disposal of substantial amounts of
butchery or food waste into the gentle
hollows that formed over the ditches and
cuts below, possibly in the later prehistoric
period. The final phases of deposition
in all the segments explored had
large quantities of disarticulated animal
bone from a variety of species including
pig, sheep or goat and cattle and horse. In
one deposit at the eastern end three cattle
ribs apparently still in their correct
assoc1at1on was encountered, possibly
indicating the deposition of a butchered
cut of meat. At the eastern end of the
excavation area a large quantity of animal
bone was deposited in what must
have been nothing more than an earthwork
of the enclosure.
The Finds
A review of the worked flint shows
that a significant proportion is residual,
only a few contexts do contain solely
fresh-looking lithics, while other contexts
feature a combination of fresh, phasecontemporary
and earlier residual material.
Many blade flakes were recovered
from the fills. with some contexts producing
significant quantities. Finely worked
blades and bladelets which had been soft
hammer-struck from blade cores were
particularly noted, as were the relatively
frequent occurrence of serrated blades.
Most of the finely worked flint is Earlier
Neolithic. Several residual flints tools of
Neolithic type have been recovered,
these include at least two leaf-shaped
arrowheads, a single piece flint sickle
and scrapers on large, thick, hard hammer-
struck flakes. Both residual and fresh
cores of likely Earlier Neolithic date have
been recovered from differing contexts.
Some contexts provide evidence for the
use of glauconitic Bullhead Bed flint and
the utilisation of nodules, which had been
freshly extracted from the Upper Chalk.
Some instances of the burning of pieces
of worked flint have been recognised.
A review of the pottery during postexcavation
processing revealed that the
assemblage was dominated by flint tempered
fabrics in varying degrees of
coarseness; only one small, thin, worn,
oxidised sherd of grog tempered pottery
was noted. A selection of the Neolithic
pottery reviewed by Dr. Alex Gibson were
dated to 3800-3600 cal BC, closely paralleled
by the assemblages from enclosures
at Sheppey and Chalk Hill nearby.
Examples of the 'thumbed' sherds, carinated
sherds and linear decorated rim
sherds were seen. A couple of pieces
exhibited a finger-tip decoration more
typical of Middle Neolithic Peterborough
Ware, though in comparison with those
examples known from Thanet the new
sherds appeared to be from vessels with
a more organised decoration. Pierced
holes of both small and large size were
noted on several rim and body sherds.
Among the more unusual sherds was a
rim from a thin-walled fineware vessel
that had been decorated internally with a
single row of small round impressions
above two rows of narrow oval impressions
set in a herringbone pattern and
externally with a single row of narrow
oval impressions.
Gerald Moody and Paul Hart
Trust for Thanet Archaeology
The Trust would like to thank Mr John Baker and
Mr Nick Baker of Willow Construction for commissioning
the archaeological work. Mention must also be
made of the large number of volunteers and members
of the Trust's wider family who assisted in achieving
the near complete excavation of the feature and the
post excavation processing of the finds. Lee
Cunningham made sterling efforts on the excavation;
Eileen Boast. Harold Boast. Marilyn Bishop, Sue
Calder, Jose Gibbs. Jan Lawton. Becky McDonald,
Carolyn Moody, Christine Moody, Jan O'Hare. Julie
Perrin, Jenny Price. Maggy Redmond. Chris Gibbs.
Anthony Moody, Geoff Orton. Gordon Taylor, Bob
Pantony, Dave White. Andy Woodgate and the two
mystery diggers from Maidstone all made significant
contributions.
BELOW Plan of excavated area showing
primary cuts.
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l t
r
0 5m
::::=:::::s:s =..::-:=.-:s -·
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John Williams has been awarded an MBE in
the Queen's Birthday Honours List and the
University of Kent is conferring on him an
Honorary Doctorate of Civil Law.
S ome years ago John Williams featured in our 'Back Page
People' series. Readers may recall the story of the lad
from North Wales who read Latin at Manchester
University, did an MA in Stone Building Materials in Roman
Britain, met his future wife Frances while excavating a medieval
cess pit in Colchester and 'cooked a mean curry'! After heading
up the archaeological unit at Northampton Development
Corporation for 13 years he moved to Lancaster University in
1984 as Director of their archaeological unit. His PhD was
awarded in 1986 for published work on the archaeology and history
of medieval Northampton. John arrived in Kent three years
later. as its first County Archaeologist.
John retired recently. For 19 years he has been the lead figure
for KCC's Heritage Conservation team. nowadays numbering
around a dozen. It wasn't
always so; when John
was appointed he had
only one assistant. This
was just before the
inception of PPG16, legislation
which brought big
changes to the amount of
archaeological investigation;
Kent in particular
was facing major development.
Within a few
months of John's arrival
he was involved in preliminary
studies for the
Channel Tunnel Rail Link;
almost twenty years later
the final reports are nearly
ready.
John's belief in the
large-area 'landscape'
approach has led to
'strip, map and sample'
investigations on many of
the massive schemes
which Kent has seen during
the last decade - for
example, the current
Thanet Earth glasshouse
site, covering 90
hectares. Information
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from this approach has provided major new insights into
Kent's rich heritage - going beyond the single site mentality into
how Kent's archaeological past articulated spatially and
chronologically. The results of much of this work appear in 'The
Archaeology of Kent to AD 800', edited by John. The book's
designers created the image below for his retirement!
Building up a team to deal with development-led archaeology
has been a key task for John; another has been to develop
and ensure access to the Sites & Monuments Record, now
known as the Historic Environment Record (HER). Access for all
to archaeology has been an increasing concern, and 'the role of
volunteers is crucial, even with archaeology being so 'professionalized'
today. It's not a case of professionals vs. 'amateurs'
- there is only good and bad archaeology, and unnecessary
destructive work (eg excavation) should not be done by amateurs
or professionals unless the resources are available to see
a project through to proper publication". John would like to see
BELOW: John's farewell card based on his book cover.
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more volunteers working in an integrated way alongside local and
other archaeological units on development-led work. where
resources ought to be available. He would also like to see more
parish-survey work undertaken. Community projects have been
instigated. at Shame Wood Country Park. and by the HER team.
who regularly involve volunteers and it is intended to have active
volunteer participation in the archaeological work programmed
for the major East Kent Access road scheme. Another means of
public access to archaeology came through the very early appointment
of a Finds Liaison Officer for Kent.
It is perhaps John's pro-active approach to Europe which singles
him out from others in similar positions. He led on Planarch.
a project with partners in France. Belgium. Netherlands. Germany
and England. which aimed to integrate archaeology better into
the planning process. He played a major role in the Historic
Fortifications Network between Kent. Nord-Pas-de-Calais and
West Flanders. conserving, promoting and making accessible the
rich defence heritage of these regions. Nearer to home. John is
proud of his part in securing the future of Oare Gunpowder Works.
of incorporating Thurnham Castle within White Horse Wood
Country Park and in the restoration of KCC's eight windmills
through a successful Heritage Lottery Fund bid.
On John's wish list for Kent's future is an Archaeological
Resource Centre - a central facility for the innumerable finds (and
their associated documentary archives) that have been made in
the county over the years (often now in storerooms around
Britain). It would not be just a store but also an active hub, to
make the material available across the county for display and
education and for research by everyone. "We desperately need
this ... we're travelling more hopefully than before. but still not
quite there". He also emphasises the need to continue providing
a high quality response to development pressures. The Heritage
Team will now be led by Lis Dyson. who has worked with John at
KCC for the last 15 years and is a member of the Society's
Fieldwork Committee.
And what of John's future? 'Tm looking forward to abandoning
the (ever-increasing) mountains of emails and paperwork and
seeking to find anew that other half of my split personality- the
academic". He plans to research and write on Northampton and
Kent and would relish some work abroad if the opportunity arose.
He will also be involved with the Dover Bronze Age Boat Trust.
In July the University of Kent is conferring an Honorary
Doctorate of Civil Law on John, in recognition of the way he has
raised the profile of archaeology in local government and developed
the European dimension.
Kent's heritage has faced massive pressures over the last two
decades. The county was fortunate to have someone who rose to
the challenge of protecting and enhancing that heritage. The
citation accompanying John's MBE. 'for services to local government'
very much recognises John's contribution to archaeology
and heritage within local government. We wish John well in his
(probably very active!) retirement.
MORE CAT KIT TEACHING
RESOURCES FOR KENT SCHOOLS
B uilding on the success and experience
of the initial CAT KIT project
Canterbury Archaeological Trust,
Ian Coulson of Kent County Council
Schools Advisory Service and the Kent
Archaeological Society all felt a Phase 2
project. to produce CAT KITs for use in
the county beyond the Canterbury district,
to be a desirable goal. In recent
months, schools in Tonbridge, Dartford,
Folkestone, Walmer, Dover and
Maidstone have borrowed 'spare' kits
from the original project and expressed
great interest in having regional access
to the resource.
The Society was quick to donate
some suitable material as a 'starter
pack' and gave £1000 to buy tool kits
and lining material to kick start Phase 2.
As a result. currently 10 new CAT KITs
are now held in the Dartford area for
loan to local schools. Most recently
Kent County Council has granted a generous
£12,000 and the Trust now has the
funds to produce a total of 100 new kits
for use across the county, organise a
regional loans system and provide some
teacher training. I would like to thank
members of the KAS Education
Committee who have been committed to
the aim of extending the original project
across the county and KCC (in particular
Keith Ferrin and John Williams) for supporting
CAT KITs Phase 2. Time to get
the assembly line rolling!
To find out about CAT KITs and how
they are being used go to
http://www.canterburytrust.co. uk/scho
ols/catkitpg.htm
Marion Green, Education Officer
Canterbury Archaeological Trust
5 \un,mfl !008
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KAS EVENTS
KAS CHURCHES COMMIT TEE VISIT
St Nicholas at Wade & St Mary the Virgin, Chislet
Saturday 4 October
The autumn occasion in our series of visits to Kent churches will be on
Saturday 4 October. meeting at St Nicholas at Wade at 1.45 for 2pm.
Later at St Mary the Virgin. our President Mr Chris Pout will be our speaker.
En route from St Nicholas to Chislet. arrangements have been made
to see the rarely accessible underground chapel at St Nicholas Court.
Over 50 of our county's churches and chapels have now been visited .This
October programme appears to be rich in interest. A booking form is
included in this Newsletter.
KAS HISTORIC BUILDINGS COMMITTEE
Historic Buildings Conference
Saturday 18 October, 9.30am for 10am, until 4pm.
Lenham Community Centre. Groom Way, Lenham ME17 2QT
Illustrated talks by:
Andrew Linklater (Canterbury Archaeological Trust): Kentish Rock - An
Examination of Kent's Natural Resources;
Charles Brooking (creator of the Brooking Collection of architectural features):
The Window of Time - Dating by Detail;
Jane Davidson (of House Historians): Following the Sources - Some
Examples of House Histories.
There will be also be a guided tour of Lenham Church. Lunch available.
A booking form is included in this Newsletter.
KAS CHRISTMAS LUNCH
Saturday 29 November
Festive Buffet Lunch at the Banqueting Suite. the Hop Farm. Paddock
Wood. Full details in the September Newsletter. Any previous enquiries
please contact Margaret Lawrence on 01622 871945 or email
p. lawrence.801@btinternet.com.
KAS LECTURES IN THE LIBRARY
Held in the KAS Library, Maidstone Museum. St Faith's Street. Maidstone
Life in Elizabethan and Stuart England, 1558-1720
Dr. Jacqueline Bower
20 meetings from 22 September 2008 (excluding half-terms and holidays)
at a cost of £80.00
Economy and society in England in a period of religious and political difficulties
and economic transition. Topics will include population and
plague; agriculture; trade and industry; towns; cultural and intellectual
life. There will be a brief account of the politics of the seventeenth century,
but this will not be the main focus of the course.
History of Kent: from Hengist to Jack Cade, 450-1450
Dr. Jacqueline Bower
20 meetings starting 22 September (excluding half-terms and holidays) at
a cost of £80.00.
Looking at the land and people of Kent from the earliest Jutish settlements
to the end of the Middle Ages. Topics will include place names and settlement;
peasants, population and plague; towns and trade. This is the first in
what is planned as a three year course, studying the history of Kent down to
the twentieth century
Booking forms for both these lecture series are included in this Newsletter.
Summrr 10 6
OTHER EVENTS AROUND KENT
NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGY WEEK
12-20 July
For fuller details of all NAW events in Kent and around the country go to:
www.nationalarchaeologyweek.org.uk
Crofton Roman Villa, Orpington
Sunday 20 July
Meet Secundus and Agrippina
The Life of a Soldier' at 10.30am & 2.30pm
'Home Life in the Villa' at 11.30am & 3.30pm
For the whole family. Entry £2/£1, YAC members free.
Further information on 020 8460 1442.
Shorne Wood Country Park
Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 July
'Archaeology in the Park'
10.30-4.30
A whole weekend of medieval living history with cannons. crafts and
combat.
On Sunday only: guided tour of the excavation of a medieval manor
house. lots of free kids 'make & do' activities, including mini dig with
real finds to keep, shield painting & brass rubbing. Everything free.
although normal car park fee of £2.00 applies. Further information on
07920 548906.
Events also take place at Maidstone Museum; St Peter's, Sandwich;
Central Park. Dartford; Museum of Canterbury, Stour Street; Roman Bath
House. Orpington.
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Orpington & District Archaeological Society
EXCAVATIONS AT SCADBURY MOATED MANOR, CHISLEHURST -
OPEN DAYS
Sat 6th & Sun 7th September, 2 - 4.30pm
Self-guided trail around the excavations which will show the work currently
being carried out on the site as well as the remains of the foundations
of the buildings associated with the Walsingham family. Members
of ODAS will be on hand to answer questions.
There will also be a photographic display, refreshments and a bookstall.
Admission is free - just turn up and park in St Pauls Wood Hill. then take
the public footpath between house numbers 12 and 14. Alternatively, limited
car parking is available close to the site, by ticket only, for which
application should be made (enclosing a s.a.e. and stating which day) to:
ODAS, 27 Eynsford Close. Petts Wood. Kent BR5 1 DP
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Council for British Archaeology, South East Conference
TRADES AND INDUSTRIES OF THE SOUTH EAST
Saturday 8 November
University of Sussex
Further information on themes, speakers, times and cost will be available
soon, from Steve Corbett on cbasem@scorbett.co.uk
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KENT HERITAGE EVENT
SATURDAY 26 JULY 12.30-Gpm
Mere House, Mereworth, Kent ME18 5NB
Promoting a range of ideals, interests and skills illustrating all that
is best in Kent's heritage
Amenity societies exhibiting include -
• Ancient Monuments Society
• Churches Conservation Trust
• Campaign to Protect Rural England
• Friends of Friendless Churches
• Friends of Kent Churches
• Historic Houses Association
• Kent Gardens Trust
e NADFAS
• Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
• Traditional Buildings Preservation Trust
DEMONSTRATIONS BY CONSERVATION SPECIALISTS
furniture, paintings, sculpture, woodland crafts
ADMISSION FREE
Home-made teas available
Email: andrewwells@mere-house.co.uk Web: www.mere-house.co.uk
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LOOSE AREA HISTORY SOCIETY
Monday 13 October
'Ration Fashion' by Lee Ault
Monday 10 November
'One hundred years of Scouting in Loose·
A presentation by the Scout management team
Monday 8 December
'Puppets, piers and pantomime' by Alan Stockwell
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
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Crayford Manor House Historical & Archaeological Society
TALKS 2008/2009
Saturday 11 October
The History of Waitrose and John Lewis Kevin Salkind (Waitrose)
Saturday 8 November
The History of British Broadcasting - 30 years of radio broadcasting from
1922, with voices, comedy, music, events, wartime memories Don Dray
Saturday 13 December
Christmas with Dickens - a programme of dramatic readings and seasonal
stories Gerald Dickens (great-great-grandson of Charles). Preceded by finger
buffet & wine - tickets £8 for non-members.
Saturday 10 January
Idea to Item - History of silversmithing from 1238 - present. including hallmarking
& formation of silversmiths company Alan Moore
Talks take place at the Baker Trust Hall, Maxim Road, Crayford.
Saturday 14 February
Stuart London - the expansion of London westwards in the 17th century, the
disasters which befell it and the new institutions which developed Ian Bevan
Saturday 14 March
History of the English Country House, 1600-Edwardian John Vigar
Saturday 18 April
AGM and President's Lecture
All talks held in The Baker Trust Hall, Crayford at 7.30pm. Non-members
are welcome to attend at a fee of £2.00 per lecture, except December
which is £8. Enquiries to Mrs J Hearn-Gillham 01322 551279.
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Council for Kentish Archaeology Conference
ROMAN DISCOVERIES IN KENT AND LONDON
Saturday 25 October
Powell Lecture Theatre, Canterbury Christ Church University, North Holmes
Road, Canterbury
The Early Roman Cemetery at Toi/gate, near Gravesend Tim Allen, Oxford
Archaeology
The Hoard of Roman Metal Vessels found in a well at Drapers Gardens Neil
Hawkins, Pre-construct Archaeology
Roman Canterbury Paul Bennett, Canterbury Archaeological Trust
Tickets £4.00 available from CKA. Sandy Ridge, Borough Green, Kent TNl 5
BHP. Please enclose S.A.E. Further information can be found at www.thecka.
fsnet.co.uk, or email davru58-aeol@yahoo.co.uk, or tel: 0208 777 7872 or
01732 884059.
COURSES
University of Kent Centre for Flexible Learning - Courses
'RESEARCHING and PRESENTING LOCAL HISTORY'
Autumn Term at Ashford & Tonbridge centres
'WRITING LOCAL HISTORY'
Spring Term at Ashford & Tonbridge centres
Two courses are being run by the University of Kent's Centre for Flexible
Learning, taught by Or Gill Draper. The first is entitled 'Researching and
Presenting Local History'; the second is entitled 'Writing Local History'.
They are being offered on Tuesday evenings at the Tonbridge campus and on
Friday mornings at the Ashford Adult Education Centre. You can take these
courses for interest or as the first step towards a degree. They are intended
to help (local) historians acquire the skills needed to identify or develop interesting
projects and present them with the help of modern tools such as data
projectors and PowerPoint. Students will also begin or improve their skills in
palaeography, including Latin records for those who wish. They will also
explore different ways of writing up their findings for personal satisfaction
or for publication in local history journals. For further details contact Gill on
G.M.Draper@kent.ac.uk or 01732 452575.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES with the University of Kent
Archaeology can be studied at various levels with the University of Kent on
its well-established part-time programmes. The prospectus is now available.
Applications are welcome from anyone who wishes to study for a university
qualification in the subject.
The part-time evening programmes leading to the Certificate, Diploma or BA
in Archaeological Studies (at Canterbury or Tonbridge) are recruiting for entry
in September 2008.
Programmes in Classical & Archaeological Studies are also run in the daytime
on the University's Canterbury campus. They can be followed on either
a full or part-time basis.
Demonstrable aptitude and commitment are more important than formal
qualifications for entry to the Certificate in Archaeological Studies.
For further information, contact the Recruitment Office, the Registry,
University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NZ Tel 01227 827272 or e-mail: information
@kent.ac.uk or look at http://www.kent.ac.uk/studying/parttime/
subjects/archaeological.html
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
Many thanks to all of you who have sent me a cheque for the underpayment of your standing order, plus the new forms which
have now been sent to the banks. Please check to make sure that you have done this as it should avoid my writing to you again
in 2009!
Joint members:
Mr & Mrs P Borrough, Ramsgate
Mr & Mrs E A Stally, Maidstone
Junior members:
Miss C Baker, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells
Mr S Barnick, Hythe
Mr L A Cannon, Willesborough, Ashford
Ordinary members:
Mrs V Armed, Tunbridge Wells
Mrs M Arthur, Grantham, Lincolnshire
Major I Corrigan, Folkestone
Mr D Cotton, Deal
Mrs M Criddle, Cheriton, Folkestone
Ms P M Doolin, Snodland
Dr M Fenton. lckham. Canterbury
Mr S W Fleming, Hawkhurst, Cranbrook
Mr A lnstone, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
Mr W J Mort, Kennington. Ashford
Mr R Pitchford, Lamberhurst
Mr D H White, Birchington
The address for all correspondence relating to membership is: Mrs Shiela Broomfield, KAS Membership, 8 Woodview Crescent,
Hildenborough, Tonbridge TN11 9HD. Tel: 01732 838698. Email: membership@kentarchaeology.org.uk or
s.broomfiled@dial.pipex.com.
Shiela Broomfield
Our congratulations go to Shiela. who was presented with the Ralph Merrifield Award jointly with Clive Orton at the London & Middlesex
Archaeological Society's Annual Conference. mainly in recognition of their long association with the London Archaeologist.
AT,o !!Eid!o!lNG ;iGtLlWUt\
of the Society on the 19th May. Hon. scnpt1on rates were changed, there had been \ 1 I I
marked at the annual general meeting . A'. the previous A.G.M., when most subrl
t'J· 1 J 't\ Treasurer. Robin Thomas, who remains on discussion about encouraging younger mem- J
the Council as a Vice President, was thanked bers, so the rate for junior members was left r'
Ll i I \l.-1
for looking after the Society's finances for 11 at £10. This year the rules were changed to .,J { 1
j'" I r'
years and Dr John Williams. who had retired increase the age limit for junior members J J · J
as KCC's County Archaeologist the day from 21 to 25 so that most young people in
before. spoke on developments during his full time education could benefit from the
time in the county. concession.
Barrie Beeching was elected as the new Speakers after the formal business, as
Hon. Treasurer but otherwise there was no well as Dr Williams, were Dr Andrew
change in the officers. Mike Clinch and Ian Richardson who spoke on fieldwork support-
Coulson were elected to the Council for the ed by the society's Fieldwork Committee and
first time to fill vacancies but some vacan- Christopher Proudfoot who described the
cies remain as members did not nominate work of the Historic Buildings Committee.
8
Otters are invited for a set of AC's from
1857 -1996. In the first instance please
leave your contact details with the
Newsletter editor, either by email on
evelyn.palmer@virgin.net or by phone on
01892 533661. Your details will be
forwarded to the seller.
I
COMMITTEE ROUND-UP
KAS MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
VISIT TO PROVENDERS
Although the visit realised all its advertised potential, what made
it such a memorable occasion was the intense enthusiasm of 62
members appreciating the opportunity to see a Kentish home
developed over seven centuries. Moreover, a number of long standing
members were making their first personal contact with the Society. It
was good to meet them; quoting from a well known phrase, our members
'are important to us·, because without them there is no Society.
Being such a large gathering, we were shown around in three
groups. Each group had a share of Princess Olga herself, with her first
hand knowledge of her family and growing up in the house. Hardline
KAS members peered into the nooks and crannies of the timber framing,
absorbed in what could be seen and contemplating what might be
hidden. Much will be revealed as restoration continues and it is hoped
KAS HISTORIC BUILDINGS COMMITTEE
PRESENTATION AT THE KAS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
At the Society's AGM on Saturday 17 May, the Committee
Chairman, Christopher Proudfoot, gave a brief account of the
Historic Buildings Committee, explaining how it differs from the
CPRE committee of the same name, and giving an improbable-sounding
list of relevant buildings from castles to airports.
He recalled the 2006 and 2007 Annual Conferences, and drew particular
attention to the recent publication of Roger Cockett's Historical
Assessment and Survey of Old Buildings. The six copies he had with him
were snapped up instantly! Christopher concluded by reporting the
Committee's preference for the existing format of Arch. Cant.
VISIT TO WESTE NHANGER CASTLE AND BARNS
Approximately 50 KAS members made up the group that visited
Westenhanger Castle and Barns on the afternoon of T ue day, 27
May. After welcoming everyone, Graham Forge summarised the
development of Westenhanger, starting from the first record of a manor
on the site in 1035, up to the Forge family purchasing Westenhanger in
1997. He explained that over the last 11 years a small team, including a
specialist architect, surveyor, archaeologist and conservators, has been
working closely with English Heritage on a programme of repair and
consolidation.
Luckily, after the very wet bank holiday weekend, the weather was
fine for the two-hour guided tour around the site. The group were able
to see the impressive curtain wall and towers of the 14th Century
quadrangular manor house, the remains of which are now a Scheduled
Ancient Monument. In its heyday this building was the second largest
dwelling in Kent after Knole. However, by the late 17th Century the fortunes
of Westenhanger had changed for the worse, and in 1701 much of
the stone of the curtain wall was taken down and sold. Since the Forge
family took over there have been ten phases of restoration and conserva-
ABOVE: Princess Olga shows KAS members around the 14th century hall.
that the Society will be kept informed.
A footpath walk led to an unrestored Kentish country pub, where
the delicious tea maintained the enthusiasm of the afternoon.
ABOVE: Rosamund's Tower, at Westenhanger, partially restored by the present
owners.
tion work so far. After an initial assessment, extensive repairs, consolidation
and, in some places, rebuilding have been meticulously carried out.
Where necessary, the orientation of individual stones was recorded so
that they could be put back in the right place.
While being taken around the perimeter of the Castle, members of the
group were intrigued by several rectangular pits close by the East Stour
stream. These contain the mechanism of a disused hydraulic ram pump.
For those, like the writer, not having heard of a ram pump before, it
employs water pressure to elevate water to a higher level. This 19th
century example used to pump water from the stream right up to the
manor house.
Outside the western range of the Castle stand two medieval barns,
both of which are constructed mainly of ragstone with galletting. The
smaller, although longer of the two at 140 feet, was built in 1520. This
barn does not have any large wagon doorways. Instead, along its south
continued on page 10
Summer !008
continued from page 9
side there are several smaller doorways, which have interesting freestone
mouldings. It is thought that these mouldings might have come
from the chapel or ecclesiastical buildings that were once at
Westenhanger. The later of the two barns, built in 1588, is 120 feet long
and 32 feet wide, with walls over three feet thick. It has four wagon
porch doors, and spans a stream at its north end. In 1997 English
Heritage granted substantial funding for full restoration of this remarkable
barn. Work is well underway and due to be completed by mid 2009.
At the time of the visit there were no tiles on the roof, and scaffolding
was erected in the interior and exterior of the barn. The magnificent oak
hammer-beam trusses, normally only found in very high status buildings,
had just been replaced after being removed for renovation. For some of
KAS CHURCHES COMMITTEE
Thirty six people attended the April visit to St Nicholas,
Chislehurst and St Mary Cray Parish Church. The churches of
these neighbouring (and very different) parishes are both of
interest.
Mr Peter Mosson gave the talk at St Nicholas, where he is treasurer.
Two members of the Orpington & District Archaeological
Society were also in attendance to answer questions. St Nicholas' is
essentially a 19th century rebuilding of a 15th century structure,
although traces of a Saxon window have been uncovered in the west
wall. Rectors we know back to 1260, and there is a Norman font. The
15th century rebuilding was carried out under the rector Alan Porter
(1446-82) to whom a brass survives in the chancel, and it was funded
by the Walsingham family who owned the local manor of Scadbury.
The Scadbury Chapel in the north aisle preserves tombs of the wellconnected
Walsinghams and their successors as lords of the manor,
including notably the Townshends. Part of the 15th century rood
screen survives (not in its original position). The 19th century rebuildthe
KAS group particularly interested in timber framing, the opportunity
of being able to examine the hammer-beams at such close quarters was
the highlight of the visit.
Back in the courtyard of the Castle, there was more restoration work
to see in the west range, Rosamund's Tower and the completely rebuilt
Dovecote Tower, which contained nesting alcoves for over 500 stock
doves.
Tea was served in a permanent marquee on the southern perimeter
of the lawn used as a venue for social and corporate functions. After
tea, those of the KAS party with the stamina to see more divided into two
groups. One group went into the restored manor house, which is now
used for civil weddings. This has an elegant Grade 1 listed Queen Anne
facade, which had been added to the much-reduced manor house in
1700. Meanwhile, the other group went with the Westenhanger archaeologist
to examine the
west range in greater
detail.
It was a very full
afternoon. Everyone was
very appreciative of the
warm welcome, as well
as the very animated and
informative presentation
of the history of
Westenhanger given by
Graham Forge and his colleagues.
Grateful thanks
also go to Joy Saynor for
making all the arrangements
for such an enjoyable
visit.
Angela Davies
KAS Historic
Buildings Committee
LEFT: Looking at the brickwork
of a garderobe that
was installed as one
of the improvements by
Henry VIII.
ings included heightening of the tower and spire and lengthening of
the chancel. Tw entieth century features include stained glass by
Kempe, the pulpit and the south aisle reredos.
St Mary Cray Parish Church is a fantastic sight to rail passengers
who zoom past over the adjacent viaduct. Until the railway
brought about expansion of the local settlement this church was a
chapelry of Orpington. It is a lofty later-13th century structure consisting
of nave, aisles, a long chancel (rebuilt in the 1860's) and a
western tower with shingled spire. Old drawings on display in the
church also show a wooden structure above the porch, now gone,
which served as a priests room before the Reformation and as a
school room and meeting room thereafter. One of the most interesting
items inside the church is the 18th century Greenwood brass, in
the chancel. notable for being the last of this genre of memorial to be
made. The tower contains six bells (heard by KAS members on arrival.
following an earlier wedding). of which three were cast in St Mary
Cray in 1655. The talk was given by Mr John Blundell. whose wife
helped serve the welcome tea and biscuits.
Paul Lee
MORE WORK ON THE IRON AGE INDUSTRIAL
SITE Al CHAPEL FARM, LENHAM HEATH
This site is one that Lenham Archaelogical
Society has been working on for about four
years. The oval enclosure ditch, some
150m X 300m, has two gateways, east and
west. and is visible on the Windows Live website,
an image taken in 1999. This particular
year showed the site well as the photos were
taken in early July when the barley gave a good
crop mark.
The site is under cultivation so we invariably
have a short window of oportunity from the
end of July till the beginning of September.
Continuing the work reported on in our Journal
Vol.1 of Discovering Ancient Lenham. we
returned to this site in August 2007 to section
the enclosure ditch again and to find out more
about this site.
We used the KAS resistivity machine to
good effect and our results matched the aerial
image exactly. Dark areas were ditches or soft
ground.
We decided to section across the ditch to
the north of the site and across the northern
arm of the west gate.
The results of our northern section showed
a flat bottomed ditch (Fecamp style). typical of
c.50BC (diagram below). We also encountered
two sets of post holes with hard cement-like
OUTSIDE of
SETTLEMENT
sand around them, suggesting that there was a
boarded defence on the inside bank.
A Severus Alexander AD222, silver denarius
fell out of the section at a depth of 1.2m.
There was another 50cm of striated ditch fill
beneath it. That area of the IA ditch therefore,
could have been filling up slowly throughout the
Roman occupation.
When we sectioned the ditch across the
west gate terminal we encountered a layer of
iron slag, spread by the plough, which appeared
to be a Roman track crossing the whole site.
The ditch area closest to this roadway was
shored up with a large amount of slag. Again,
the ditch had a flat bottom.
The interesting pottery found in the 2007
dig is mostly Late Iron Age. Two pots have highly
burnished roulette design around the shoulder
and are very finely thrown (only 2mm thick).
They are a type of fine ware. Gallo-Belgic, that
we believe was imported before the conquest.
This might fit with the dating of the Late Iron
Age La Tene brooch also found on site (see Arch
Cant 1988). In the gate terminal ditch we found
half of a large sandy ware pot (27cm high) that
appears to be Late IA. It is unusual in having a
rounded base.
Lesley Feakes
ABOVE: Pat Norris in the trench - the Severus
Alexander coin came out at a level with her
knees.
INSIDE of SETTLEMENT
Ir -·I,- -,\:::==- PMOISSSTISN G? I l l
Ditch depth (from surface level) 1I 1I1/1////4 1! h / RAMMED SAND? = 1.70 m
..
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✓ DITCH
BASE
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SCALE 1---.-11 1m
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1 Summrr !OU.I
THE ISLE OF THANET
from Prehistory to the Norman Conquest
by Gerald Moody
The History Press ISBN 978-0-7524-4689-9
The Isle of Thanet is located at the north-eastern tip of the
county of Kent. In the Bronze Age Thanet was separated from
the mainland of Kent by the Wantsum Channel. Its unique position
made it part of a key trade route with the continent from
the prehistoric to the later medieval period. The island has a
unique and diverse archaeological heritage which has been
revealed over three centuries of discovery. In this first compre-
THE
ISLE
OF
THANET
from Prehistory to the
Norman Conquest
GERALD
MOODY
hensive and up-to-date survey of the archaeology of the area,
Gerald Moody explores the history of Thanet from prehistoric
times to the Norman Conquest, through the story of the rich
and varied archaeological finds and a study of the key sites
identified on the island. This is an important account of a fascinating,
but little-known area of Britain.
The book will be available from November this year. Normal
price will be £17.99 but a flyer with a special 15% discount will
appear in the October issue of the Newsletter.
S11mmrr 1 12
SITTING BOURNE - A HISTORY
by John Clancy
Unlike Mr Clancy's previous books about Sittingbourne, this one
concentrates on Sittingbourne alone, thus allowing the author
more space to devote to the town's past. Whereas most authors
have in the past told how the crossroads at the High Street, East
Street, Bell Road and Crown Quay Lane was once the epicentre of
the town, Mr Clancy rolls back the pages of history further with
the help of colleagues from the Historical Research Group, to a
time when it was located at Bayford on the Iron Age trackway
where there was once a ford crossing the Creek. He also considers
whether Sittingbourne grew from a collection of different settlements
located hereabouts.
Sittingbourne was once renowned for its hospitality to passing
travellers and there are records of many royal personages and the
nobility passing through. Mr Clancy has come up with a new name
to add to the list - William the Conqueror. Recently, archaeologists
have conjectured that the Norman lord stayed here awhile
whilst en route from Hastings to London, and they have a pretty
good idea where that encampment might have been.
Published by Phillimore and Co Ltd, this 116-page hard-back
book contains 104 pictures and illustrations from the author's own
collection, many of which have not been published in books
before. The front and back of the dust jacket is illustrated by two
views of the High Street painted by local artist, David Harvey. The
book is £15.99 and is available at W.H. Smith and other outlets.
Dear Editor
I write regarding the photographs on Page 7 of the Winter 07 /08
Newsletter.
In my opinion the mysterious stones in the churchyard at St
Martin's, Ryarsh, are evidence of the earlier boundaries of the
area of consecrated ground. Saxon charters mention large
stones as important boundary landmarks, and the church adopted
the tradition with the addition of a carved cross on the outward
side of the stone. This was immediately recognised by the
population passing or entering the church.
Burial in consecrated ground was very important to the
medieval culture, demonstrated by the priest being called
urgently to a mother upon the birth of a child to effect baptism,
thus protecting the child's soul should it die very young. Children
were assumed born with 'original' sin, which needed to be
expunged. An unbaptised child was buried outside consecrated
ground and condemned to an afterlife in purgatory, or worse
still, in hell.
Richard Bidgood
The following also relates to the Ryarsh stones. Two ancient
stones in West Malling churchyard, described in an article of
1904, bear resemblance to those of Ryarsh.
Dear Editor
I was interested to read the article on the two stones in Ryarsh
churchyard. Enclosed is an extract from 'A History of the Parish
Church of St Mary, West Malling', compiled by Rev AW Lawson,
vicar of West Malling, and Col..Stockley, Church Warden, with
contributions from three members of the FSA and published in
1904.
Similar to the first stone in design, but without the broad
crescent, to the ends of the cross, and the, so to say, crockets at
the sides, are those low upright stones in Ryarsh churchyard, of
a massive (local) iron sandstone from the Folkestone Sands.
These stones have a cross in low relief at both back and front,
and are supposed to be of pre-Reformation date. It is interesting
to note the position of these stones. In our case (West
Malling) they are both north of the church, and at Ryarsh the one
is due north of the other, and in line with the west end of the
nave.
The West Malling stones have grass cuttings from the mower
on them and moss. I intend to clean them gently, and hand cut
the grass round the edge. They ought to be better known.
John Noble
Dear Editor
In Issue 75, I wrote in support of our excellent Journal and
hoped that it would continue to be published in hard-back. In
response to an earlier query as to whether any other Journal
of equivalent standing continues to be published in hardback,
I said that the Journal of the Sussex Archaeological
Society (SAS) is.
In Issue 76, Lesley Feakes wrote to say that she is also a
member of the SAS and that her copy is published in soft
shiny covers. For the record, it is not my practice to write
untruths and so that members don't think otherwise, confirm
that my Sussex Journal always comes in hard-back. The SAS
publish their Journal (actually called 'Collections') in both formats
and members can choose which to have. Those of us
who choose the hard-back version pay a little more for the
privilege - otherwise they are identical, both in content and
size.
Tom Hollobone
I have received several letters pointing out the format choice
from the SAS; an interesting consideration for the current
deliberations over the format of Arch Cant perhaps. Below is
someone who believes he has found the {very tongue in
cheek) answer. . . Ed
Dear Editor
Discussion of the format of Archaeologia Cantiana is going in
the wrong direction. Rather than endless quibbles about the
size of pages, we must question whether printed pages were
a good idea in the first place.
Manuscript text on paper or parchment scrolls (gold for the
wealthier among us) is pleasanter to read and approaches
close to the mind of the author. Scrolls introduce no artificial
page-breaks into our thought process. They encourage thorough
reading rather than the sad modern habit of dipping into
pages.
Papyri have been with us since the late 5th century BC and
most of our medieval heritage is recorded upon parchment
rolls - take for example the Great Roll of the Pipe. Besides
which, parchments look so much better on the shelves of my
scrollery.
Council really must choose this radical. yet traditional format
for the 2009 volume of Archaeologia Cantiana.
Roger A C Cockett
I fommtr !008
MAIDSTONE MUSEUM C
This year Maidstone Museum &
Bentlif r t Gallery celebrates its
150th birthday. First opened in
1858 in the beautiful Elizabethan
Chillington Manor. the museum has
grown to become one of the largest
in the South East. This article gives
an insight into the museum's foundation
and its continued growth.
The museum's foundation was made
possible due to the generous bequest of
Dr Thomas Charles of Chillington Manor
in 1855. Charles was a gentleman collector
and had amassed an assortment of
fine art and antiquities. His friend and
later executor of his will Alexander
Randall persuaded Charles to leave his
collection to the town. This was on the
understanding that in a suitable place, it
could be kept together and used for study
and inspiration. Following much discussion
by the town council and public consultation,
it was agreed that the creation
of a museum - made possible by the
ABOVE: Museum in 1858.
OPPOSITE ABOVE: Museum in late 19th/early
20th century ..
OPPOSITE BELOW- Proposed extension.
Ewart Act of 1850 and 1855 - would have
great recreational and educational benefit
for the county town of Kent and its
people.
With a founding collection. the next
problem was where to establish the
museum? The Town Hall in Maidstone
didn't offer suitable space and Chillington
Manor was initially disregarded as it was
in disrepair. However with foresight a
decision was taken by the council to hire
the building while the Charles bequest
was being sorted; and in October 1856
they purchased the central portion for
£1,200, spending a further £300 undertaking
necessary repairs. On the 20th of
January 1858, to the sound of pealing
bells from All Saints' Church. the Charles
Museum was opened to the public.
As the collections grew through donations
and bequests, the museum expanded
with public support. In 1868-9 the
east wing, designed by the local architect
Hubert Benstead, was built. This was
'LOCAL HISTORY IN BRITAIN AFTER HOSKINS' A CALL FOR PAPERS 0 n July 9-12 July 2009 a collaboration
between the British Association for Local
History and Leicester University will mark
the 50th anniversary of the publication of Local
History in England by W. Hoskins with a conference.
Plenary lectures will be given by John
Beckett, David Dymond and Sarah Pearson.
The Call for Papers on the following
themes lasts until 1 September 2008:
1. History of local history.
2. Challenges to local history in the 21 st
century.
3. Identity and belonging.
4. Family, population and migration.
5. Culture and belief.
6. Sources, methods and techniques.
7. Community and society.
B. Making a living in town and country.
The papers will concern discoveries and interpretations
from all periods. making points of general
interest through research into particular
places. Some contributions will reflect the connection
between local history and other disciplines,
and show how new methods and
approaches work out in practice.
Paper proposals should take the form of a title
(maximum 12 words) and a summary of contents
(maximum 50 words). The theme (as above) should
be clearly indicated. The slot allocated for papers
will be 25 minutes maximum. The committee
hopes to be able to arrange for the publication of
the conference proceedings. Paper presenters will
need to register for the conference and pay the
registration fee and accommodation charges.
Some bursaries may be available.
Interested contributors should contact
Christopher Dyer, Email: cd50@le.ac.uk Tel: 0116
252 2765.
For the conference, contact Gill Draper,
Events and Development Officer, British
Association for Local History, Email: development.
balh@btinternet.com
ALLEN GROVE LOCAL HISTORY FUND
As there was only one application for a
grant this year, only one was awarded.
This was to James Sephton of
Aylesford. His proposed book on the history
of the church of St Peter & St Paul,
Aylesford was considered worthy of support.
The trustees (who are the Officers of the
Society) are concerned at the decline in the
number of applications in recent years. If
14
anyone has any suggestions for improving
the response, or for using the funds in other
ways than making grants to individuals and
groups, they would be pleased to hear of
them through the Hon. General Secretary*.
The main requirement is that the money is
used for the purposes of research, preservation
and enjoyment of local history.
The next grants will be awarded in 2009
and applications must be received by the
Hon. General Secretary* by the 31 st March.
He can supply the application form
or it can be downloaded from the
society's web site at http://www.kentar
chaeology.org.uk/Society.htm
* Andrew Moffat, Three Elms.
Woodlands Lane, Shorne,
Gravesend DA 12 3HH.
Email:secretary@kentarchaeology.org.uk.
7
LEBRATES ITS 150th YEAR
quickly followed in 1871 by the purchase
and rebuilding of the west wing. Funding
was provided by Alexander Randall for
the east wing and Julius Brenchley,
Randall's nephews Samuel and Richard
Mercer and public donations for the west
wing.
Between 1870 and 1872 Brenchley,
through the encouragement of the second
curator Mr Lightfoot, paid over £6,000 for
the grounds and dwellings surrounding
the museum and church. The area was
landscaped to provide for a town garden
and a fitting surrounding to the museum.
and is named Brenchley Gardens in memory
of the great explorer. Under Randall.
Lightfoot and Benstead's guidance. the
museum was sympathetically restored
and extended. Work continued and in
1874 the Tudor south wing from East
Farleigh Court Lodge was rescued and
rebuilt behind the museum. followed
later by a chapel and observation tower.
Flanked by new wings the Elizabethan
faade looked untidy and in 1875 Mr
Laurence paid for its refurbishment.
The next big development came in
1890 when the Bentlif wing, again
designed by Benstead. was erected. In
the 1920s a further wing to house a collection
of Baxter prints donated by Lady
Bearsted and Japanese art donated by
her son Sir Walter Samuel was added.
Finally in the 1970s a purpose built museum
store was created.
From the outset the museum has
relied upon the support of donors and
benefactors to grow into one of the best
museums to be found in the South East.
In its 150th year the museum is looking
forward to another period of growth with
the development of the east wing to provide
new visitor facilities. education
spaces. exhibition spaces and enhanced
storage facilities to meet the needs of
our 21 st century audience.
With over 600.000 objects and space
to ·wander, wonder and adore' the museum
continues to be a place for inspiration
and education for the people and visitors
to the county town of Kent.
The museum is free to enter and
open daily 10-5:15pm Monday to
Saturdays and 11-4pm on Sundays.
Telephone 01622 602838 or go to
www.museum.maidstone.gov.uk for further
information about exhibitions and
events.
15 lllllltT !008
DOVER BOAT REBORN
I n the summer of 2010 a full size replica of the Dover Bronze Age
boat
_
will
_
cross the channel from England to the shores of France,
the first time such a voyage has been made in a vessel of this type
for three and a half millennia. That at least is the hope of an international
team of archaeologists. naval architects, ancient woodworking
specialists, academics, museum curators and other specialists
who have put together an ambitious scheme to build the
replica under the aegis of the Dover Bronze Age Boat Trust (DBABT) .
Experts from Bel gium, England. France and Holland have put
together a three-year programme of research and construction to
learn more about the famous 3,500-year-old boat, now on display in
Dover Museum. and to explore how Bronze Age communities kept
in contact across the seas .
Peter Clark . Deputy Director of the Canterbury Archaeological
Trust and a Trustee of the DBABT is leading the project. 'There are
two main aims to the scheme· he said, 'first there is a limit to how
much we can learn studying the ancient boat timbers themselves;
even today there remain many questions about how the boat was
built. what seas it could negotiate and what cargo it could carry.
The only way we can learn more about these issues is to build a
replica and put it in the water to test which theories and ideas work
best. The second aim is to learn more about the peoples who built
and used the boat. More and more evidence has come to light in
recent years that Bronze Age communities in the transmanche area
had a very similar culture, quite different to that of contemporary
societies inland. The only way in which this cross-channel community
could have maintained itself was by using boats like that found
in Dover·.
Work has already started, with a small team of experts reassessing
the original timbers. planning to prepare blueprints for a
half-scale replica to be built in 2009. Having ironed out any problems
with this smaller prototype. a full scale version will be built
early in 2010 and the historic crossing to France made later that
year. The replica boat will then form the centrepiece of a travelling
exhibition focussing on the Bronze Age Connections between communities
on either side of the Channel
• A critical aspect of the project is education and cross-border
co-operation' Peter continued, 'I very much want to get schoolchildren
and students from all four countries involved; by studying and
celebrating the connections between our communities in the distant
past. we hope to foster new connections and better understanding
of our mutual heritage' .
Fund raising for the project has now started in earnest; the
three-year programme will cost several hundred thousand pounds.
'We are optimistic that the European Union will see fit to financially
support the project'. Peter said, 'but we will need matching funding
for any grant they make, and more critically we are short of
funds for the preparatory work during the coming year.'
Donations or financial sponsorship should be sent to the DBABT
c/o Dover Museum, Market Square, Dover CT16 1 PB.
Pete Clark
ABOVE LEFT. Artist's impression of the Dover boat
at sea. Will this scene become reality in 2010?
Copy deadline lor the next issue m October 1s Monday September 1 st
The editor wishes to draw anennon to the fact that neither she nor the Council of the KAS are answerable IOI opinions
which contnbutoo may express m thetr s19ned articles. each author 1s alone responsible IOI the
ABOVE RIGHT.· Piecing the original boat back
together in 1999; the ancient timbers have not yet
given up all their secrets; experimental
archaeology is the only way forward.
16
contents aoo substarte of lhe11 woo..
Pu bit shed by the Kent Archaeological Society. Maidstone Museum and Bentl1f Gallery, St Faith's Street. Maidstone. Kent. ME t 4 1 LH
www kentarchaeology erg uk