KAS Newsletter, Issue 85, Summer 2010

www.kentarchaeology.org.uk INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2-3 Neanderthal Occupation 4-7 What’s On Kent Mills Society 8-9 You & Your Society: Membership Matters Committee Round Up Notes from the Archives 10-11 Abbey of Cluny Anniversary 12-13 South East Archaeology Woodland Forum New Books Letters 14-15 Letters Roman Canterbury 16 KAS Awarded Issue Number 85 Summer 2010 NEANDERTHAL OCCUPATION Earliest Evidence newsletter KENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY 2 Summer 2010 - KAS Newsletter As most KAS members have no doubt been aware, major improvements have been recently made to the junction of the M25 with the A2, south of the Dartford crossing. The roadworks, funded by the Highways Agency with the main contractors being Jacobs Babtie and Costain, were accompanied by archaeological investigations, carried out by Oxford Archaeology between 2003 and 2006. What is probably less well known, is that the archaeological programme had a major Palaeolithic/Pleistocene element, carried out under the direction of Francis Wenban-Smith (School of Humanities, University of Southampton), which has produced important evidence of Neanderthal occupation early in the last glaciation, at a period when Britain has until now been thought to be entirely deserted. More than 75 separate trenches were dug, mostly small (but very deep!) test pits, but also several much larger stepped trenches allowing direct access to deeper-lying deposits of potential interest. A range of Neanderthal Occupation Fig. 2. A2/M25 roadworks reveal Neanderthal Occupation evaluation and mitigating work was carried out all around the junction, a full report on which has been prepared and will be available through the Archaeology Data Service. The work described here took place in the northeast quadrant, where a direct link was constructed between the southbound carriageway of the M25 and the eastbound carriageway of the A2 (Fig 1). A few test pits dug for preliminary geo-archaeological evaluation had established that deep Pleistocene sequences were present in this area, including gravel bodies thought to be of fluvial origin. Since one of the primary project aims was to develop understanding of the history of Pleistocene landscape development, and this part of the site was to undergo substantial impact, it was agreed to excavate a continuous stepped trench through these deposits. This trench (TP 8800) may be Britain’s largest ever archaeological test pit, reaching 160m long and 4m deep (Front Cover). The resulting section revealed that in fact few fluvial sediments were present. Rather, when seen as part of a wider whole, deposits that in isolation appeared to be fluvially lain and well-bedded were revealed as part of a chaotic jumbled mass that dipped and thickened downslope, representing a massive build-up of slopewash sediments, probably formed under cold climatic conditions. These deposits produced a huge pointed handaxe (Front Cover - Insert), obviously derived out of its original context and so of uncertain age. At the southern end of the trench a thick silt/sand body extended broadly horizontally for more than 50m, overlying an undulating gravel sheet, which in turn stratigraphically overlay the mass of slopewash sediments. Two flint flakes were found in situ in the trench section, at the interface where the base of the silt/sand body overlay the gravel sheet (Fig 2). These were absolutely unstained and unpatinated, and in such mint condition, that they did not appear to have been subject to any depositional disturbance. It was inferred that the surface of the gravel Summer 2010 - KAS Newsletter 3 sheet must at one time have been exposed as a palaeo-landsurface, and that the lithic artefacts represent undisturbed remains of early hominin activity on that surface. At this point we had no idea of the age of this occupation. No biological remains were apparent (confirmed by environmental sampling), so the only feasible dating technique was optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), carried out by Jean-Luc Schwenninger of the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford. Samples were taken: (a) from a sand bed within the underlying gravel sheet; and (b) from a sandy part of the silt/sand body overlying the occupation horizon. The results suggested that the occupation horizon dated to between c. 115,000 and 90,000 BP (years Before Present), corresponding with marine isotope stage (MIS) 5d-5c, early in the last (Devensian) glaciation, and a period when Neanderthals are the only hominin species present in Europe, with abundant evidence of their presence known from northern France. Britain, in contrast, is currently thought to have been unoccupied throughout the last (Ipswichian) interglacial, corresponding with MIS 5e, and to have only been reoccupied in MIS 3, c. 60,000 BP, represented HAVE YOU JUST JOINED THE SOCIETY? Do you wish you could collect all the back issues of Archaeologia Cantiana? 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. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– To order your copy, send a cheque payable to Kent Archaeological Society to Peter Tann, Town Place, Belmont, Nr Faversham ME13 0HE. Neanderthal Occupation Fig. 1. at sites such as Lynford (Norfolk) and Coygan Cave (Carmarthenshire, Wales) where bout coupé handaxes have been found in deposits of this age. There would have been no reason why Neanderthals could not have survived in Britain during the last interglacial — there is abundant evidence from the continent and from earlier periods of them surviving under analogous conditions — so the presumption is that they couldn’t get here because of the Channel. This new evidence suggests that, rather than waiting around for some reason, Neanderthals entered Britain almost as soon as the Channel sea-level dropped at the start of the last glaciation. In fact Kent is probably the first place they reached, having crossed on what would have become the exposed plain (‘Boulognia?’) between, and to the west of, the Dover strait, perhaps enticed by the visible flint-rich chalk downs of east Kent, which also probably supported huge herds of desirable large herbivores such as mammoth, rhino, horse and deer. It is uncertain why it has taken so long for evidence of this phase of occupation to be discovered, and why it seems so rare. It may be that we lack, in the UK, deposits of this period that preserve hominin evidence such as the last glacial loess beds of northern France or the caves and rockshelters of Belgium. Or it may be that we have devoted insufficient attention to the coldclimate slopewash deposits that we do have, under the misapprehension that they do not contain evidence of sufficient integrity to have any interpretive potential — perhaps we need to start looking harder, and in different places. Francis Wenban-Smith Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton. 4 Summer 2010 - KAS Newsletter KAS EVENTS KAS CHURCHES COMMITTEE VISIT Saturday 25 September A visit is arranged to St Mary’s Church, Brabourne and to St Martin’s Church, Aldington. We meet at St Mary’s at 1.45 for 2pm and go to St Martin’s at approximately 3pm. Tour £2. Tea and biscuits £1 extra. A booking form for the visit is included in this Newsletter (to be returned by 20th September please). Further details from Mary Berg (KAS), 5 Orchard St, Canterbury CT2 8AP. Phone: 01227 450426. Email: maryberg@hotmail.com KAS HISTORIC BUILDINGS COMMITTEE CONFERENCE Saturday 9 October Harrietsham Community Centre 9.30am for 10 am, until 4 pm This year’s conference will include talks by David Martin (Weald & Downland Open Air Museum): ‘Historic Buildings - Linking Documentary and Physical Evidence’; and David Carder: ‘Kent’s Agricultural Heritage in Buildings’. There will also be reports on some of the parish studies being carried out as part of the Peopling Past Landscapes Project. After the Conference, participants are invited to visit St. Margaret’s Church at Wychling for a guided tour. Tickets £10 each. Lunch available, £6 each. A booking form is included in this Newsletter. Further details from: david_carder@talk21.com. KAS PLACE NAMES COMMITTEE CONFERENCE Saturday 6 November 10.30am – 4.30pm Rochester Visitor Centre, 95 High Street, Rochester Three speakers from the Institute for Name-Studies, University of Nottingham. Programme: » Place-names in the Rochester area, Dr Paul Cullen » Coining names: legends and language in Anglo-Saxon England, Dr Jayne Carroll » Lunch (there are many eating places nearby) » The place-names of Anglo-Saxon governance, Dr John Baker » Kentish surnames in the Middle Ages, Dr Paul Cullen Tickets £7.50 each. Cheques in advance please, payable to KAS. A booking form is included in this Newsletter, to be returned by 25 October to Anita Thompson (KAS), Brattle Farm, Five Oak Lane, Staplehurst. Kent. TN12 0HE. Phone 01580 891222. Email anita@ anitathompson9.wanadoo.co.uk. KAS LECTURES IN THE LIBRARY Victorian England with Dr Jacqueline Bower 20 meetings on Mondays from 20 September 10.15am - 12.15.pm in the KAS Library, Maidstone Museum: Cost £80.00 This class will study developments in the social and economic history of England from 1837 to 1914. Topics will include electoral reform, the poor law, public health and housing, the impact of railways and education. A booking form for this course is included in the Newsletter. EVENTS AROUND KENT Festival of Archaeology Coordinated by the Council for British Archaeology Saturday 17th July to Sunday 1st August Two weeks of special events nationwide held by museums, local societies, national and countryside parks, universities, and heritage organisations. Events listings are online at http://festival.britarch.ac.uk/. CONFERENCES Romney Marsh Research Trust Conference Romney Marsh: recent and future research 11 September 10am – 4pm Grimond Building, University of Kent A one day conference presenting recent research findings on the physical development, human occupation and history of the Romney Marsh area through the ages. Topics covered will include coastal evolution, vegetation history, recent archaeological work and agricultural change from the late medieval period onwards. Provisional speakers include: » The coastal deposits of Sussex/Kent, Martyn Waller (Kingston University) and Antony Long (Durham University) » Holocene fire histories from the edge of Romney, Marsh Michael Grant (Wessex Archaeology) » The evolution of southern Walland Marsh, Jason Kirby (Liverpool John Moores) » Developer-funded archaeological work on the Romney Marshes, Casper Johnson (East Sussex County Archaeologist) » The Godfrey family of Lydd, Kent, Gillian Draper and Teresa Bellinger (University of Kent) » Farming practices on Christ Church Priory’s marshland manors in the early 14th century, Sheila Sweetinburgh (University of Kent) » Changing agricultural landscapes on Romney Marsh 1790 to1990, Hadrian Cook (Kingston University) The conference will finish with a discussion of future research on Romney Marsh. Tickets available from Hon Sec RMRT, 41 Mermaid Street, Rye, TN31 7EU. Please enclose a cheque for £20 per person (includes coffee and lunch), made payable to the RMRT and post by 1st September. Enclose an SAE if you wish an acknowledgment. Unearthing the Past: Language, Ownership, Value and Meaning in Public Archaeology Friday 24 (eve), Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 September University Centre, Folkestone Canterbury Christ Church University, supported by Council for British Archaeology South East. A three day conference on Public Archaeology at the University’s campus in Folkestone. The event will also include the CBA South East AGM and will provide an introduction to ‘A Town Unearthed: WHAT’S ON Summer 2010 - KAS Newsletter 5 Folkestone before 1500’; the new HLF-funded community archaeology project for Folkestone. The conference will explore a range of subjects concerning public and community archaeology, and ways in which people imagine, define, value and use the past. Examples of innovative community-based archaeological projects from across the country will be presented and the conference will also feature a range of panels, workshops and stalls. The conference will include a chance to visit Folkestone Roman villa, being excavated as part of ‘A Town Unearthed’. This will be the first chance to see this important, scheduled, site exposed since 1989 and will provide an example of community archaeology in action. Tickets: £30 for the weekend (including Friday evening reception and lecture) or £15 per day (Saturday or Sunday only) or £5 for Friday evening only. CBA Members: £25 for the weekend (including Friday evening), £12 per day (Saturday or Sunday only) or £5 for Friday evening only. Students: (full time education) concessionary rates of £15 for the weekend (including Friday evening), £7.50 per day (Saturday or Sunday only) or £5 for Friday evening only. For tickets please contact Stuart Edwards, 81 Birch Grove, Hempstead, Gillingham, Kent ME7 3RE, CBASEConference@gmail. com. Cheques should be made out to ‘CBA South East’. Council for Kentish Archaeology & Surrey Archaeological Society Joint Conference - Roman Villas in Kent and Surrey Saturday 23 October 2 – 5.30pm Old Sessions Lecture Theatre, Canterbury Christ Church University » Introduction to the Surrey Villas, Dr David Bird » Abinger Roman Villa, Nikki Cowlard & Emma Corke WHAT’S ON » Ashtead Roman Villa, Dr David Bird » Rescuing Roman Villa in Kent, Brian Philp Tickets £5.00 available from CKA, Sandy Ridge, Borough Green, TN15 8HP. Please include SAE. Further details from Ruth Plummer on 0208 7777872, email: davru58-arch@yahoo.co.uk or from Richard Ansell on 01732 884059, or at www.the-cka.fsnet.co.uk. Council for Kentish Archaeology & Kent Local History Federation, joint Conference Saturday 7 May 2011 at Crofton Halls, Orpington Details to follow in the next Newsletter. EXCAVATIONS An invite from the Shorne Woods Community Archaeologist Randall Manor: Season 5 3 July – 1 August Come and visit the Community Archaeology Dig at Shorne Woods Country Park, running from the 3rd of July to the 1st of August. Including the Medieval Weekend with the Woodville Household on July 24th and 25th. A FREE event!. Shorne Woods Country Park is just off the A2, east of Gravesend. Normal car parking charges apply. For more information please contact andrew. mayfield@kent.gov.uk Maidstone Area Archaeological Group Open Day at Roman Villa Excavation East Farleigh, near Maidstone. Sunday 1 August 11.00am - 3.30pm Tours of the Excavation, Display of Finds, Poster Displays, Geophysics Demonstrations. Access via Lower Gallants Business Park (ME15 0JS) on Lower Road (B2010), 75m west of junction with Gallants Lane. Contact: Linda Weeks, tel: 01622 762422 or Albert Daniels, tel: 07964 395891 or email: maag.info@virginmedia.com. Bexley Archaeological Group Training Dig Monday 2 - Friday 6 August, 9am - 4.30pm each day Dig takes place at our on-going site in Bexley. Field walking, geophys, surveying, trowelling, finds drawing, section drawing, washing finds, talks. Cost £80 for the week. Minimum age 16 (with parents consent). Course is suitable for anyone of any ability. For further details and to book a place, please contact Pip Pulfer on 07961 963893 or email pipspad@hotmail.co.uk. Visit our website to see last year’s trainees - www. bag.org.uk. VENUE EVENTS Crofton Roman Villa, Orpington (adjacent rail station) BR6 8AF Sunday 18 July: Festival of British Archaeology: Life in the Roman Villa Special guided tours at 11.00am and 2.30pm followed by demonstration with Roman artefacts and replica domestic objects. Villa quiz for children with certificate and badge to win. Also mosaic making, dressing up as Romans, Roman games, brass rubbings, sand ‘digging’ tray. Open 10.00am - 4.30pm. Entry £1, concessions 80p. No booking needed. Children to be accompanied. Every Wednesday in August: Roman Soldiers Find out about the weapons and armour of a Roman soldier. Dress as a Roman Soldier and take part in drill practice. Make a collage of a Roman soldier figure to take home. Also mosaic making, dressing up as Romans, Roman games, brass rubbings, sand ‘digging’ tray. Sessions at 10.30am and 2.30pm. For 5-11 year olds. No booking needed. Children to be accompanied. Entry £3 per child, accompanying adult free. 6 Summer 2010 - KAS Newsletter WHAT’S ON Every Friday in August: Roman Food and Feasting Discover what the Romans really ate and experience a mock Roman feast. Make a Roman sweet and create a Roman feast menu card to take home. Also mosaic making, dressing up as Romans, Roman games, brass rubbings, sand ‘digging’ tray. Sessions at 10.30am and 2.30pm. For 5-11 year olds. No booking needed. Children to be accompanied. Entry £3 per child, accompanying adult free. Information about any of the above events from: Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit on 020 8460 1442 or email crofton.rom.villa@btinternet.com. ROMAN TOMBS at KESTON, Brambletye, Westerham Road Sunday 19 September 11am – 4pm Free entry with guided tours of the monumental circular and rectangular tombs and displays. Pedestrian access only. Parking at Heathfield Road and Keston Ponds. Information: Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit on 020 8460 1442 or email crofton. rom.villa@btinternet.com. Special Commemorative Archaeological Weekend at Dover Roman Painted House, New Street Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 July, 10am – 4.30pm. Site Lectures at 11am and 2.30pm by archaeologists who discovered the House in 1970. Admission FREE to KAS members on production of membership card. All KAS members are cordially invited to visit the Roman Painted House in Dover on the above days. This special shared event is to celebrate 40 years (1970- 2010) of non-stop excavation, publication and public presentation in Dover by the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit. The discoveries in that time have been spectacular and have totally transformed knowledge of Roman and Saxon Dover, already published in three volumes. Admission free to KAS members, although donations will be welcome. Follow the venue road signs; parking on the forecourt or in nearby town car parks. Mainline Priory station is nearby. TALKS Crayford Manor House Historical & Archaeological Society PROGRAMME OF TALKS 2010/2011 » Saturday 9 October 2010 Romance of London’s River: Southend to Sonning, Tony Farnham. » Saturday 13 November 2010 A Country Christmas, Pat Mortlock. » Saturday 11 December 2010 Kipling - his life and work (in costume), Geoff Hutchinson. » Saturday 8 January 2011 A Brief Education, Crayford Town Archive. » Saturday 12 February 2011 Gad‘s Hill Place - Dickens‘ Little Kentish Freehold, Anne Carter. » Saturday 12 March 2011 How Charing got its Cross, John Halligan. » Saturday 16 April 2011 AGM and President’s Lecture. All meetings held at The Baker Trust Hall, Maxim Road, Crayford at 7pm for 7.30pm. Non-members welcome to attend at a fee of £3.00 per lecture (except for December when there is an additional charge). Enquiries to Mrs J. Hearn-Gillham, phone: 01322 551279, email: janet.hearn-gillham@ntlworld. com. Details of the Society’s summer excursions from Mr L Davies on 01322 525335. COURSES University of Kent Local History Modules from September 2010 The University of Kent will be offering a number of Local History and Archaeology/ Classical Studies courses at various centres, including its campuses at Tonbridge and Canterbury. These courses form part of the Certificate in Combined Studies, an open entry programme intended for those who have not previously gained a university qualification. Local History: Popular leisure and culture in SE England in the 19th & 20th centuries (Gill Draper; 10 weeks from September at Tonbridge University Centre and Ashford Adult Education Centre). Back to the Schoolyard: an introduction to the history of education (Gill Draper, 10 weeks from January 2011 at Tonbridge University Centre and Ashford Adult Education Centre). Life and Work in England, 1560-1760 (Jackie Bower, 20 weeks at the Centre for Kentish Studies, Maidstone County Hall). The River Thames from sea to source 1750-1950 (Candie Horton; 20 weeks at Rainham Adult Education Centre). Archaeological and Classical Studies: The Age of Stonehenge - an introduction to prehistoric archaeology (John Grigsby, 20 weeks at Canterbury Campus). Reading Latin Literature: Aspects of the crisis of the Roman Republic (Rachel Ollerearnshaw, 20 weeks at Tonbridge Adult Education Centre). Full details of these and other courses are available on www.kent.ac.uk/cfl/ccs/ subject/index.html or in the brochure available from the Centre for Flexible Learning, University of Kent, T: 01227 827647 E: ccs@kent.ac.uk. The University’s Certificate and Diploma in Local History will also be offered at the Tonbridge University Centre and are similarly intended for those who have not previously gained a university qualification, T: 01732 352 316 E: tonbridgeadmin@kent.ac.uk. Certificate in Local History modules: » Using Historical Sources: Kentish Local History Research (Sheila Sweetinburgh) » Poverty and its Problems (Gary Evans) Summer 2010 - KAS Newsletter 7 KENT MILLS SOCIETY Diploma in Local History modules: » Economic and Social Change in Kent from 16th to 20th Century (Phil Betts) » Late Iron Age, Roman and Early Anglo-Saxon Kent (Colin Andrews) EVENTS ELSEWHERE The Archaeology of Wooded Landscapes Saturday 12th & a.m. Sunday 13th February 2011 Meridian Hall, East Grinstead A joint Conference between the Historic Environment Awareness Project (Weald Forest Ridge) and the Sussex Archaeological Society. Speakers include: » Della Hooke (Birmingham Uni) » Dr Mark Gardiner (Queens Uni, Belfast) » Roger JC Thomas (Military Support Officer, English Heritage) » Nicola Bannister (Landscape Archaeologist) » Adam Mindykowski (Worcs CC – Wyre Forest LiDAR) » Vivienne Blandford (Landscape Archaeologist) Conference on Saturday, field trips on Sunday morning. More details to follow in the next Newsletter. Do you have an interest in mills and milling? The Kent Mills Society (KMS) is a new group, formed after the interest generated by the ‘Kent Millers Tales’ project in 2006. This project brought all the Kent mills source material together under one roof at the Mills Archive in Reading; it was evident that there were many people researching the county’s mills, but little coordination between them. Discussions between mill owners, the Mills Archive, interested individuals and KCC (who have 8 windmills in their care) captured the enthusiasm for a county-wide Society and in May this year the first meeting of the KMS took place. An inaugural issue of ‘Cant Post’, the Society’s newsletter, also appeared, put together by Geoff Holman and Rob Cumming. A dedicated KMS website will be created soon, to share ideas and information more readily. The first meeting took place at Cranbrook’s Union Windmill. Geoff Holman outlined progress and publicity to date, which included an editorial for the SPAB Mill News (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) and an article in Kent Life. Acknowledgement was made of the donation received from the Mills Archive to help launch the Society. Several speakers then took the floor. Wynn Tremenheere from Cranbrook Windmill gave an account of the mill’s history. Philip Hicks spoke of the difficulties encountered whilst researching mills – of maps where artistic licence had moved or omitted the mill and of account sheets where multiple mills in one area made identification unclear. His photos of mill bases and roundhouses now converted for other use reminded everyone of what is left of so many of our Kent mills. The future of Stodmarsh windpump was discussed and a working party arranged to try and record the remains before it disappears altogether. Rob Cumming told of his researches into Kent millwright William Ashby and ended with a brief look at the newly restored Ripple Mill, mentioning the possibility of a visit by the KMS to this mill, not normally open to the public. If you would like to know about future meetings, practical activities, mill visits or research opportunities, email kentmillssoc@aol.com or ring Geoff Holman on 07960 030095. Membership of KMS is £12 per year and all are very welcome. Key Speakers Dr. Gillian Draper (University of Kent) & Dr. Pat Reid (FSARG) October 9th 2010 9.30am – 4.30pm Tickets £15 (Includes parking, lunch & refreshments) Proceeds to Davington Church. For a booking form Tel. 01795 536254 or email info@fsarg.org.uk Or visit our website www.community-archaeology.org.uk FORMATION OF NEW GROUP The Faversham Society Archaeological Research Group (FSARG) presents Davington Mysteries Reports from a recent community based historical and archaeological investigation into a fascinating corner of ancient Faversham town. Guided walks through the parish’s history, including a tour around the grounds of Davington Priory (by kind permission of Bob Geldof KBE) 8 Summer 2010 - KAS Newsletter KAS COMMITTEE ROUND-UP MEMBERSHIP MATTERS First of all thank you to the (very) few of you who offered to help at the Kent County Show. Unfortunately I have had to cancel the KAS stand because of the lack of helpers this year. Perhaps more people will offer to help in 2011 making it a more viable project. At the KAS AGM in Canterbury in May the rules concerning membership, mainly concerning a member who has not paid the annual subscription, were clarified and passed as follows: “Any member whose subscription has been wholly or partly in arrears for a period of one year and three months shall immediately cease to be a member of the Society” and “Any member whose subscription is not fully paid when Archaeologia Cantiana or any other publication of the Society is published or distributed to members shall not be (or become on payment of the arrears) entitled to receive that publication.” Of course these rules only apply to a very few members as I am so grateful that most of you respond to my renewal letters or check your bank statements very promptly. If you have any questions about any aspect of membership or would like to have some membership application forms to distribute please get in touch with me. Shiela Broomfield We are pleased to welcome the following new Members: Student Members Mr G G Johnson, Southfleet, Gravesend Mr J E York, New Eltham, London Ordinary Members Mrs M Boniface, Ulcombe, Maidstone Dr P Chowne, Deal Mr P L Gibson, Deal Mrs R Goodwin, Hythe Mr A Johnson, Woodingdean, Brighton Mr D M Mullaney, Chestfield, Whitstable Mrs S Seager, Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone Mr D W Sey, Kidderminster Mr D G Taylor, Broadstairs Mr K Terry, Coolbay, Cloyne, Co.Cork Mr T Huitson, Canterbury Mr S Ells, Maidstone KAS CHURCHES COMMITTEE New members sought As the result of retirements, the committee is seeking new members from the areas in and around Ashford, Sevenoaks, south-east Kent and south-west Kent. We are also keen to have someone (or ones!) with a particular interest in church archaeology. We meet four times a year on Saturday mornings in Maidstone. If you think you may be interested in joining us, please get in touch with the chairman, Mary Berg, 5 Orchard St, Canterbury CT2 8AP (phone: 01227 450426 and email: maryberg@ hotmail.co.uk) or make yourself known at future churches visits. Visit to Hever and Edenbridge The committee’s first churches visit of 2010 took place on a beautiful Spring afternoon on Saturday 24th April. The neighbouring churches of St Peter’s Hever and St Peter and St Paul’s Edenbridge are beautiful buildings with similar shingled spires, characteristic of this lovely area of Kent, and they have much to interest the visitor. Both churches are evidently well loved and cared for by their congregations. The new committee chairman, Mrs Mary Berg, welcomed everyone, and the informative and entertaining talks were given by Mr Andrew Izod, a YOU & YOUR SOCIETY former church warden at Hever, and the Rev Stephen Mitchell, incumbent of Edenbridge. St Peter’s Hever has a 14th century nave and 13th century north aisle, and was restored in 1894. The church has, of course, benefited from its association with the nearby castle, over the centuries. The Bullen Chapel was added around 1465, and contains the tomb of Ann Boleyn’s father, Sir Thomas Bullen, with a very fine brass. In the 20th century, the Astor family proved great benefactors of the church with many fine gifts, notably the beautiful Astor memorial stained glass window placed behind the altar in the Bullen Chapel in 1986. St Peter and St Paul’s Edenbridge is also notable for its beautiful modern stained glass, in particular the Richard Mason memorial window, installed in the south aisle in 1998, and the west millennium window. Like Hever, Edenbridge has Norman if not Saxon origins, but the present building is largely of the 13th and 14th centuries. The south aisle with its eastern Martyn Chapel (itself a 15th century addition) is of similar proportions to the nave and chancel. The chancel is currently afflicted by death watch beetle and so the Martyn Chapel has been pressed into service as a substitute. This chapel contains a large and fine east window from the workshop of Burne-Jones, dating from 1909. Other important features in the church are the Norman font, the medieval parish chest and the 15th century nave roof. An enjoyable afternoon concluded with tea, kindly provided at Edenbridge. Paul Lee KAS HISTORIC BUILDINGS COMMITTEE The main focus of activity recently has been the arrangements for the Autumn Historic Buildings Conference to be held on Saturday, 9 October in Harrietsham Community Centre. See What’s On for more information. Summer 2010 - KAS Newsletter 9 Notes from the Archives Since the announcement in the last issue of the KAS Newsletter regarding the proposed subcommittee to focus on industrial archaeology, a number of people have expressed interest in becoming involved. It is not too late, though, for anyone else with a knowledge of, or interest in this neglected area of archaeology to join the group. If you are interested, the Committee would very much welcome hearing from you. Angela Davies NOTES FROM THE ARCHIVES Stained Glass and Woolwich Work On the evening of Monday 3rd of May 1937, at 7.30, there was a special meeting of the Council in the Town Hall in Woolwich. The Mayor, Councillor Miss Mable Crout, J.P. and Councillor W Barefoot presided as the first ever Honorary Freedom of the Borough of Woolwich was awarded to Mr Charles Herbert Grinling, B. A. in recognition of many years of service to the Borough. It must have been a significant moment for him as he received the certificate, presented to him in a casket made from the timbers of the old ship Arethusa, perhaps only marred by the absence of his wife Ethel, who died in 1929. Today, the name C H Grinling may not be quite so well known, but for around 50 years, until his death on May 24th 1947, at the age of 86, he was prominent in Woolwich and in the Labour movement. After finishing at Oxford, C H Grinling was ordained deacon in 1884 and he was one of the original residents at Toynbee Hall. In 1889 he came to Woolwich as Secretary of the local Charity Organisation Society. \ Drawing of a window from Molash church He became a Labour Councillor when Woolwich became a Metropolitan Borough in 1900. He was involved, often as chairman, in a wide range of activities and associations aiming to improve housing, education, health services and the provision of open spaces for recreation. His name is particularly associated with the Woolwich Council of Social Service which he established in 1925. Its aim was to survey and co-ordinate existing social services and its headquarters was his own home at 71 Rectory Place. The obituary of his wife Ethel, in the Times, 12th January 1929, gives an impression of amiable chaos and much activity with visitors from all walks of life. The rooms are described as overflowing with committees and paperwork. George Bernard Shaw was a visitor to their home and among Grinling’s papers is a cutting from 1910 showing a stained glass window, designed by Caroline Townsend, depicting Mr Shaw among a group of Fabians. The image neatly unites C H Grinling’s politics and his hobby. He avidly collected information on Stained Glass and the KAS holds some of his notes. The notes may have come to the KAS via Alan Grove, who knew Grinling from Plumstead Museum. Despite being an enthusiastic member of the Woolwich and District Antiquarian Society, and Surrey Archaeological Society, Grinling appears only to have published one item on stained glass: Ancient Stained Glass in Oxford in 1883, although it is clear from his papers that he gave lectures with lantern slides in the late 1890s and early 1900s. He had a particular interest in stained glass in Kent. In around 1898 he started a survey of old glass in Kent. He sent a standard questionnaire to vicars and kept detailed notes on locations as well as visiting many churches himself. In 1898 it appears that he visited more than 30 churches in the county. He also had volunteers helping him track down notes on individual churches from secondary sources; one was a Miss Lyle, another a Miss Ingles. Unfortunately, the notes suffered somewhat in the fire at Maidstone Museum. The Kent notes are damaged in places and some items appear to have been either destroyed, lost or misplaced in the process of rescue. In a letter he invites a fellow enthusiast to come and look through his notes on stained glass and says that he has more than twenty files. We are left with seven rather battered red Stone’s World’s Files and a few loose bundles. The notes are those of a true enthusiast, who collected on all aspects of stained glass. The remaining notes are on Kent, Warwick, France and one file on ‘other Countries’, including Italy. Much of the material is in the form of guidebooks, notes from secondary sources and newspaper cuttings. The project on Kent appears to have been planned as a research project with publication in mind. Miss Ingles is recommended for the editorial work in one letter, but publication never materialised, squeezed out no doubt by the demands of his many other activities. Pernille Richards 10 Summer 2010 - KAS Newsletter Abbey of Cluny Anniversary Kent and the Abbey of Cluny (founded 910) 2010 is the 1100th anniversary of the founding of the great Burgundian abbey of Cluny, which was to have an influence on monasticism throughout Europe. The KAS Churches Committee are commemorating that event with this article. The abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul at Cluny in Burgundy was founded in 910 by William I, the ‘Pious’ Duke of Aquitaine and count of Auvergne and, although then fairly modest in size, it was destined to become the most influential monastic house of the early medieval period. William did not impose the usual obligations on its patron, such as installing members of his family as abbots, but only required that prayers be said for him and his family. This paved the way for what became known as the Cluniac Reforms. Cluny was founded as a Benedictine house but it differed in key ways from other Benedictine monasteries: its organisational structure, by not holding land by feudal service and by making worship and prayer its main occupation. Other monasteries were more like manors and brothers formed an important part of the workforce. Cluny was responsible only to the papacy, which was itself weak in the ninth and tenth centuries allowing the opportunity to establish its position. Cluny created a federation of monasteries which spread in all directions from Burgundy. Because Duke Richard II of Normandy used Cluniac priors to revitalise the church in Normandy at the beginning of the eleventh century, Cluniac houses were established in England after the Norman Conquest. Some of these were independent abbeys with links to Cluny and some were priories subordinate to the abbey of Cluny. The abbeys included Bermondsey, Reading and Faversham. There were a number of important Cluniac priories in England, such as Castle Acre Priory in Norfolk, St Pancras Priory at Lewes in Sussex and Montacute Priory in Somerset. In Kent in 1147, King Stephen donated his manor of Faversham for the foundation of an abbey there ‘of the Order of the monks at Cluny.’ 1 It was dedicated to St Saviour and always maintained its independence even though it was populated with Cluniac monks. King Stephen, Queen Matilda and their son Eustace were buried in the Abbey church but their bones were removed at the rime of the Dissolution (1538). Sadly, scarcely anything survives of this once very large abbey and, of that, nothing of the abbey church (smaller than Canterbury Cathedral but bigger than Rochester Cathedral). It is fortunate that an extensive and welldocumented excavation started on New Year’s Eve 1964 before the abbey site was redeveloped.2 There were many finds of building materials, floor-tiles, painted plaster and stonework, window glass (none inside the church, implying that the glass was salvaged after 1538), human skeletal material and pottery. Faversham was a thriving port and important centre in the Saxon period and Faversham Creek may have been considered strategic for the defence of the area. The first abbot was Clarembold, prior of Bermondsey Abbey. He arrived in 1148 with 12 monks. They stayed at St Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury during the construction of St Saviour, but the work was sufficiently advanced in 1152 for Queen Matilda to be buried there. Prince Eustace, who drowned in a notorious accident, the ‘White Ship Disaster’ off Normandy, followed her in 1153 and King Stephen only a year after that. Repairs King Stephen with Faversham Abbey Summer 2010 - KAS Newsletter 11 Abbey of Cluny Anniversary were necessary as soon as 1178. Various manors and other sources of income were granted to the abbey until shortly before it was suppressed in 1538 and in March 1540 it was granted to Sir Thomas Cheney, warden of the Cinque Ports. Much of the stone from the site is believed to have been used to strengthen the fortifications at Calais. The other Cluniac house in Kent was the Priory of St John the Evangelist at Horton, a dependency of Lewes Priory, in turn subordinate to Cluny itself. Horton Priory was established around 1140 by Robert de Vere and his wife, Adeline. It seems likely that Robert was a member of the family of that name in Ver-sur-mer in the Bessin rather than Aubrey de Vere, Count of Guines who was made Earl of Oxford in 1141 by Matilda, whose family came from Vern-sur-Seiche. Robert de Vere acquired his Kent lands in marriage to Robert de Montfort’s sister in 1119. The manors of Horton and Tinton and the churches of Brabourne nearby, Purleigh in Essex and Stanstead in Suffolk were granted to the priory by the founders.3 In 1275-6, there were 11 monks at Horton, two fewer than the ‘proper’ number; three years later there were 13. In 1279, the priory was said to be in good order with a new roof and extended cloister, however, in 1314 members of an official inspection team (‘visitation’) reported that the Prior was not fulfilling his obligations. As a Cluniac house, Horton was considered to be an alien priory (i.e. French) and during the wars with France it was frequently taken over by the English king until Lewes Priory, with its dependent priories, was declared to be English in 1373. Horton Priory was dissolved in 1536 and has been in private hands since then. The tantalising few fragments that remain of the 12th century architecture at the south-west corner of the west front reveal that it was a high-quality building with good decoration in Caen stone.4 The church and other buildings were taken down soon after the dissolution and the stone used elsewhere. There is some evidence of Norman and later medieval work in the remaining western range of buildings, originally the prior’s quarters, and this section was converted into a farmhouse. In 1913, the priory was bought by American owners who commissioned George Hornblower to create a stylish country house for them. That house remained in the same family until 1998 when new owners turned it into a house for 21st century living while, with advice from English Heritage, retaining its best features. As this is written, the priory is on the market. Cluny itself was, of course, not dissolved in the 16th century, but as a result of the various wars of religion in the 14th century and the extravagant life-style adopted by the monks in 15th century, the right to appoint abbots of Cluny was granted to the king of France. This link ensured that it was destroyed in the wake of the French Revolution. Its archives were burned in 1793 and the church and cloistral buildings sold as a stone quarry. Less than 10% survives of what was once the largest church in Christendom before the completion of (the new) St Peter’s in Rome in 1606. Mary Berg See www.cluny2010.eu for a list of events planned this summer to celebrate 1100 years since Cluny’s foundation. 1 see illustration - Matthew Paris, Historia Anglorum (London, British Library, MS Royal 14.C.VII, folio 6r) 2 Philp, B., Excavations at Faversham, 1965 (Kent Archaeological Research Group, 1968) 3 Victoria County History, Kent, vol.2, p.151-3 4 Archaeologia Cantiana, 10 (1876), Monks Horton Priory, Charles Baily, Esq., Architect Horton Priory; the south-west corner of the west front 12 Summer 2010 - KAS Newsletter The Survey of Kent documents relating to the survey of the county conducted in 1086 Colin Flight British Archaeological Reports, British Series 506, 2010. ISBN 9781407305417 £51.00. 314 pages; 25 tables; 20 figures. The description of Kent contained in ‘Domesday Book’ does not stand alone. At the time of the ‘Survey of the whole of England’ – the survey conducted in 1086 by order of King William I – there were four ancient churches existing in Kent: Christ Church and Saint Augustine’s in Canterbury, Saint Andrew’s in Rochester, Saint Martin’s in Dover. From the archives of three of them (all except Dover) copies of documents survive which are more or less closely related to the Survey. The aim of the present book is to bring together all the relevant written evidence, so as to enable a better understanding of it. A few documents are printed here which have not been printed before. For those which have, this book provides a more accurate text than any previous edition. For example, the transcription of the ‘Domesday Book’ text given here includes a few words which have become undecipherable in the original, but which were still legible when a copy was made in the 1760s. That is the same copy used by Edward Hasted, whose ‘History of Kent (1778–99) was the first serious attempt to reconnect the written evidence with the actual landscape. The South East Woodland Archaeology Forum Plumpton College investigating archaeology within woodland at Flimwell SEWAF works closely with the Historic Environment Awareness Project, a three-year Heritage Lottery-funded project concentrating on the Weald Forest Ridge, an area stretching from Tonbridge to Horsham. The area is heavily wooded. The project is formulating survey, identification and research ‘toolkits’ for wooded landscapes. SEWAF also promotes woodland archaeology in the south east by running introductory courses in woodland archaeology, giving talks to local interest groups, providing conducted walks round woods, advising on who to contact for specialist information and providing training for would-be surveyors. The group’s website, www.sewaf.org.uk, provides information about all this, plus information about woodland archaeology in general. We will be manning stands at the Kent County Show in July and at the Weald Woodfair at Bentley, East Sussex in September. Meetings are held twice a year at Bedgebury Visitor Centre, Flimwell and visits to woodlands take place throughout the year. Anyone interested in joining in with any of these activities should get in touch with david@sewaf.org.uk who will be happy to put you on the emailing list. David Brown NEW BOOKS SEWAF is intended as an open forum for anyone interested in woodland archaeology. There are no subscription fees. It operates entirely on the basis of members volunteering their time and expertise, and has no funding. It is run by a committee of four people, two of whom are archaeologists and two woodland owners. During the winter months (roughly October to April) SEWAF is often asked to do quick walkover surveys of woods. There is no charge involved. Walkovers comprise a reasonably comprehensive ground survey combined with a look at older maps. We hope to see all the features in a wood, but inevitably there will be things that are missed. More importantly, the aim is to give the landowner an idea of whether they are likely to have features which are significant and how they might take their research forward. Sometimes a written report is provided, but often there is no call for one. We’ve been asked » by farmers to look at their wooded areas, » by woodland owners to see what’s there, » by wildlife trusts to guide their management, » by estate managers to provide a basis for educational material, » by the Forestry Commission to prevent damage to features from harvesting operations, » by woodland agents to prepare a report for potential buyers. Some of the woods are on private land and some are open to the public. So far, SEWAF has been asked to look at woodlands in Kent, West and East Sussex. Some were large (up to 400 acres) and some as small as 5 acres. One of the aims of the group is to ensure that archaeological features found in woodland are recorded on the county HERs. Summer 2010 - KAS Newsletter 13 LETTERS Metalworking waste, furnace debris and tools suggest the mills formed part of an industrial settlement. Other metal objects include parts of pewter dishes, fragments of a lead tank and a group of unusual lead alloy pendants which may have been made at the site in the late fourth or fifth century. The publication includes specialist reports on the many small finds, the mills and millstones and the extensive assemblages of Roman pottery. This long awaited publication, the fifth monograph in the Archaeology of Canterbury (New Series) is available to KAS members for the special price of £30.00 until the end of September (full price £40.00). It can be ordered from Oxbow Books via their website (www.oxbowbooks.com), by telephone (01865 241249), email (orders@oxbowbooks.com) or by post from Oxbow Books, 10 Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford, OX1 2EW. Quote code ICK 10 to receive the reduction. Dear editor Possible discovery of the ancient Darent Valley route? Some believe that the road from Dartford to Farningham and beyond, past Lullingstone Villa and the Castle, could be the course of the old route, all to the west of the river. Many believe it can be traced along existing footpaths running beside the river; they point to stretches that run straight, believing they are Roman in origin. Maybe some are, but the earliest route will have predated that period by a few millennia, going back to the Neolithic at least. The prime candidate therefore is likely to be a route running along the eastern slopes which catch the sun and therefore stayed warmer and lighter for longer and drier underfoot. No doubt others will have considered this possibility, but it seems that nobody has actually found the course of this ancient route. I believe that I may have uncovered its true course. Starting from an area near the Thames, it can be traced as a footpath running south from the marshes along the east side of the river Darent. Passing Dartford, it continues along the course of a modern lane to an area known as Blackdale, which I understand was once a silted-up boggy area running east-west. This was bypassed by a track leading east to a point where it was possible to again travel southwards, then the route climbed up a gentle slope to a point just north of Roman Villa Road. From here the route is followed by modern roads in an unbroken line to Otford. For anyone interested in the workings of the Survey, or in the topography of medieval Kent, this book will be indispensable. All BAR books and a full list of available titles can be ordered from: Hadrian Books 122 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 7BP Tel 01865 310431 Fax 01865 316916 email: bar@hadrianbooks.co.uk UK Delivery - £2.00 per order The Roman Watermills and Settlement at Ickham, Kent Paul Bennett, Ian Riddler and Christopher Sparey-Green ISBN 978-1-870545-19-8 This is the account of ‘rescue’ excavations undertaken in the early 1970s during gravel quarrying beside the Little Stour at Ickham in Kent. Frank Jenkins, a Society member for 50 years, alerted Jim Bradshaw, another stalwart of the KAS, to the presence of archaeological remains and it was not long before the likely importance of the site became apparent. Together the pair mobilised the Canterbury Archaeological Society and the Ashford Archaeological Society. In his foreword to this publication, Dr Christopher Young applauds the important work carried out by these groups. Four watermills were identified at Ickham, flanking a road, possibly the main Richborough to Canterbury route. The earliest mill was in use in the early third century AD, the others during the fourth and early fifth century. The timber mill buildings and channels were associated with fourthcentury pottery, coins, a wooden votive figurine and many other finds. Votive wooden (maple) figurine from Ickham, the only one from Britain of Roman date (calibrated radiocarbon date of AD 30-320) 14 Summer 2010 - KAS Newsletter Letters The redevelopment of the Beaney Institute in Canterbury includes the construction of a large cellared extension at the rear. Canterbury Archaeological Trust has just completed an excavation there which revealed one of the best preserved sequences of Roman occupation recorded in Canterbury. Situated immediately adjacent to the forum and one of the principal Roman roads, the site was clearly likely to produce interesting results, and did not disappoint. The main excavation area was small, only 13 by 10 metres, but after removal of 750mm of modern overburden a virtually undisturbed sequence of Roman stratigraphy, ranging from 1.25 to 1.75 metres deep, was discovered. The site was dug to the formation level of the new building, and also the safe working depth of the sheet piling. A further 900mm of very early post conquest levelling and metalling deposits was seen to survive beneath this. The corner of a substantial masonry building, with surviving walls 3m and 8m long extending beyond the excavation boundary, was excavated. Initial indications are that this is of an unusually early Roman date. A later extension formed a portico fronting the road; outside the building was a metalled courtyard. This early masonry building was followed by a sequence of at least a dozen more ephemeral timber buildings. One of these contained an oven with sheep jaw bones strewn on the I put forward a number of pointers adding weight to the theory, including recently discovered sites found beside its course dating from the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman and Saxon periods. Prehistoric branch routes lead from it and a possible banjo enclosure sits nearby. Saxon cemeteries, Medieval manor houses and chapel sites, and most of all the churches, are also found east of the river Darent near the proposed route. Metalwork found adjacent to it dates from the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, and later Medieval period. This is a brief summary only; information relating to the above awaits publication. If you are interested in discussion of the route do get in touch. Del Cook DEL181145@aol.com There is just one untouched section of this ancient route remaining, north of Roman villa road, Darenth. Roman Cante Summer 2010 - KAS Newsletter 15 Roman Canterbury surrounding floor. Fine painted plaster was recovered from levelling deposits amongst this sequence of buildings. A later building that had evidently been destroyed by fire contained the remains of a timber floor. It appears that the early metalled courtyard was later covered by various timber buildings, so that ultimately only a small part of it survived as a lane running parallel with the main road. This lane was cut by late Roman buildings and an Anglo-Saxon grübenhaus. There were a number of medieval pits cutting the Roman deposits and first indications are that most of these are early (c twelfth century) with little later activity occurring until the eighteenth century. The pits produced an excellent assemblage of pottery and two cresset lamps as well as several high quality items of worked bone. The Beaney Institute was built on the site of two inns, the Greyhound and the George and Dragon, a coaching inn with a documented history going back to 1692. A collection of fine eighteenth century stoneware tankards quite likely came from these establishments. Mick Diack Canterbury Archaeological Trust Roman brooch from the building with the oven rbury – undisturbed stratigraphy revealed The early Roman masonry building INSERT: Fine gold bracelet found in the collapsed material of the burnt down building 16 Summer 2010 - Published by the Kent Archaeological Society, Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Gallery, St Faith’s Street, Maidstone, Kent. ME14 1LH www.kentarchaeology.org.uk Canterbury Archaeological Trust has presented special awards to supporters of its work in the county. Canterbury’s Lord Mayor, Harry Cragg, presented the awards in the new exhibition at the Canterbury Whitefriars Roman Tower. Awards were presented for building recording and excavation projects undertaken by the Trust and a special award was made for support of the Trust’s Education Service. Kent Archaeological Society President, Chris Pout, was presented with the award in recognition of the county society’s long term and valuable support of the Trust’s commitment to bringing archaeology into the classroom. The award celebrates twenty years of partnership between the Trust and the Society in running the ‘Archaeology in Education’ service to schools and communities in Kent. Mr Pout responded for all the recipients by thanking the Trust and the developers present for choosing Canterbury Archaeological Trust to undertake the archaeological works at their sites, listing the virtues and advantages to site developers and to the communities of Kent of having a dedicated, local, archaeological unit working in the county. Building recording awards went to Graham Lloyd-Brunt and Ewan Brown for their restoration of Calico House Newnham and to Glengate Developments, represented by Paul Markham, for redevelopment of the former Boots premises at the corner of Mercery Lane and High Street, Canterbury where historic properties have been converted into new shops and apartments looking out on the Cathedral. Copy deadline for the next issue is Wednesday 1st September. 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. EDITOR: LYN PALMER 55 Stone Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2QU Telephone: 01892 533661 Email: evelyn.palmer@virgin.net or newsletter@kentarchaelogy.org.uk KAS Awarded Excavation project awards were presented to Ed Hancock of Marston Inns and Taverns for its support of archaeological work in advance of the development of a new Public House at The Meads, Sittingbourne and to Fresca Limited for its support of extensive archaeological work during the development of a major greenhouse complex at Thanet Earth, near Monkton on the Isle of Thanet. A special award was given to the Manager of Debenhams, Canterbury, in recognition of work on its store in Sun Street. Although the restoration and refurbishment took place a few years ago, this project is still considered to be a model of developer, local authority and archaeologist working together. Winners (l to r): Graham Lloyd-Brunt, Calico House; Paul Markham, Marstons Inns and Taverns; Judy Whittacker, Fresca Group; Canterbury Lord Mayor Harry Cragg; Jonathan Dowsett, Debenham’s Canterbury; Paul Markham, Glengate Developments and Chris Pout, President Kent Archaeological Society. Awards for Helping to Safeguard Heritage