KAS Newsletter, Issue 9, Summer 1985
Kent Heritage Survey
A new project for KAS members
At the meeting of the K.A.S. Council on Saturday 22nd June, formal approval was given to a proposal put forward by the Membership and Publicity Committee, that the Society should with the assistance of members undertake a project entitled the 'Kent Heritage Survey'.
Objectives
1. For members of the Kent Archaeological Society to carry out a systematic county-wide survey of our historic environment. All traces of man's past activities will be contained in the survey, from archaeological features through to buildings of architectural interest.
2. To hold records in the Society's Library of all known archaeological and landscape features, details of churches and buildings of architectural and historical interest, and references to documentary evidence about the historic environment of the ancient county of Kent.
3. To encourage the creation locally, in Branch Libraries, Museums, Affiliated Societies, similar records to provide a body of information about the history and development of the local area for interested members and the public.
4. That all such records held by the Society, be readily available for consultation by members, and to be accessible as a resource to teachers, lecturers, students and others on application.
Procedure to achieve these objectives
5. The creation in the K.A.S. Library of a set of 'Record Maps', and information cards. The county would be split into sections of 25 kilometre squares, based on the Ordnance Survey 1:10,000 (approx 6" to 1 mile) sheets. Each Record Map, some 184 in all, would have a clear overlay. In addition, each Record Map would be accompanied by, (a) site/find record cards, (b) document/correspondence file, (c) photographs - ground and aerial, and (d) plans/drawings.
6. Working within the K.A.S. Library, volunteers, using initially cards obtained from the National Monument Record, would plot information on each Record Map overlay, indicating type and general dating by the use of different shaped and coloured stickers. These overlays would provide at a glance ready reference to the nature and extent of the archaeological and historical evidence about each area.
7. As stated above this Survey will only be possible with the active assistance of individual members and Affiliated Societies. You are invited to adopt a 25 kilometre square, but the scheme will be flexible enough to allow members to work in smaller areas, or if they prefer areas covered by sections of different Record Maps, e.g. civil parishes. It may be that some members would work in groups, while others would prefer to work alone. In such a survey there is scope for everyone to take part: the more hardy will be seen doing practical fieldwork, others might prefer visiting old buildings and churches, and of course there will always be lots of documentary evidence to follow up.
8. Once it is established which area each individual or group wish to cover, the information held in the K.A.S. Library would be photocopied and sent to them. They would then carry out the checking of each piece of information on the ground, to ensure that the circumstances of sites and buildings, etc., remain the same, or noting any changes that have taken place. Any new information would then be passed back to the Library for updating of information held there. The volunteer fieldworkers would retain their copies of cards etc., as a basis of information about their areas, perhaps stimulating them to further fieldwork and research.
9. The progress of a survey of this nature would be a piecemeal and lengthy affair, reflecting as always the distribution and enthusiasm of members.
If you feel that you would like to know more about taking part in this survey, either helping in the K.A.S. Library or in your own local area, then please write to: Kent Heritage Survey, Kent Archaeological Society Library, The Museum, St Faith's St., Maidstone, Kent ME14 1LH. Output: KENT HERITAGE SURVEY A new project for K.A.S. members At the meeting of the K.A.S. Council on Saturday 22nd June, formal approval was given to a proposal put forward by the Membership and Publicity Committee, that the Society should, with the assistance of members, undertake a project entitled the 'Kent Heritage Survey'.
Archaeology at Work - 1985
10.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Saturday, 28th September, at Sevenoaks School for Girls, Bradbourne Vale Road, Sevenoaks.
Admission Free - by previously obtained ticket from Ted Connell, see inside for
details.
AGM 1985
The Annual General Meeting was held at Maidstone on the morning of Saturday 18th May. Council's Annual Report and Statements of Accounts for 1984 were approved nem. con.
Officers
All the retiring Officers, including Vice-Presidents, were re-elected, the Hon. Librarian, Dr Peter Draper, after a ballot had been taken (430 votes to 149).
Council
After a ballot, Mr E. P. Connell (518 votes), Mr J. Owen B.A., (433 votes), Mr R. J. Spain, C.ENG.,M.I.MECH.E. (496 votes), Mr P. J. Tester F.S.A. (495 votes) and Mr W. N. Yates M.A.,F.R.HIST.s., (412 votes), and Mrs M. Lovering (442 votes) were elected to fill the vacant seats on the Council. Mr B. J. Philp F.S.A. (211 votes) and Mr N. W. Ratcliffe (153 votes) were not elected.
Rules
Amendments to the Rules, giving a seven-year tenure of office to Vice-Presidents, were approved nem. con.
Resolutions
Both Resolutions were ruled out of order on a technicality, following an objection by Mrs E. Philp. Their substance was, however, discussed under A.O.B. when:- Mr Oldham explained the intention behind item 9 of the Agenda, which was to promote discussion of archaeology and local history in a non-controversial atmosphere and could well be combined with the Archaeology at Work meeting to be held in Sevenoaks. The meeting was sympathetic to the suggestion, which the Membership Committee would consider further.
Mr Philp spoke on the intention behind item 10 of the Agenda, and the President drew attention to the prepared statement circulated at the meeting and said that while many of Mr Philp's suggestions were worthy of consideration, a resolution at a General Meeting was not the right approach. He promised that Council would give careful consideration to these or any similar proposals. The suggestion that a Special General Meeting might be called to consider these matters was strongly negatived.
Ballot
Mr Burden and Mr Philp attempted to introduce an emergency resolution relating to the ballot, but Mr Oldham and Mr Gravett argued that this could not be in order as no notice had been given and proposed that the emergency resolution should not be considered. This was carried by 94 votes to 15.
Afternoon Lecture
In the afternoon, members heard a most enlightening and entertaining talk by Mr Richard Harris, Research Director of the Weald and Downland Museum at Singleton. His description of the detailed study made of the North Cray house and of its re-erection at Singleton was particularly interesting to our members as the Society has been very much involved in the chequered history of this house, and all were delighted at its highly successful outcome. He went on to describe the careful study made of the medieval and seventeenth-century house at Walderton, prior to its re-erection at Singleton.
Display
Much interest was shown in the exhibit mounted by the Maidstone Area Archaeological Group, featuring their excavations on the Roman Villa site at Snodland.
As usual, the Society's Bookstall was much in evidence, with great interest being shown in the back numbers of Arch.Cant. that were for sale.
Arthur Harrison
Hon. General Secretary
Sydney R. Harker 1912-1985
It is with very great sadness that we record the death of one of the County's most loved and respected amateur archaeologists, Syd Harker, on Friday 5th April. Syd had collapsed on the previous Saturday morning, whilst attending a meeting of the Council for Kentish Archaeology, of which he was Chairman. He was taken to Bromley Hospital, but never regained consciousness.
Syd will best be remembered for his unstinting work on the Romano-British site at Springhead, with which he had been associated for over 25 years, but he is also remembered for his considerable contributions to the local history of his birthplace, Gravesend: his 'Book of Gravesham' stands as a fitting memorial in this field, and it should be hoped that his dream of a Heritage Centre, for which he was campaigning, will be fulfilled.
Syd's constant enthusiasm and tireless energy were an example to us all, and certainly encouraged those of us who had the privilege of working with him to aspire to the highest standards: we will continue to maintain those standards.
Syd was not only a good friend, but also a patient and interested teacher, always willing to share his considerable knowledge on many subjects.
He will be very sadly missed by all who knew him.
Deborah A. French.
Springhead Excavation Group
Surrey Archaeological Society: Archaeological Fieldwalking
A one-day Symposium to be held at the University of Surrey, Guildford, on Saturday 26th October 1985 10am to 5pm.
The aim of this Symposium is to compare the techniques and results of a number of fieldwalking projects carried out recently in Southern England. The Excavations Committee of the Surrey Archaeological Society subsequently hopes to produce a recommended standard method of walking a field, recording finds and publishing results to enable comparisons to be made between different areas within the county and possibly within the region.
The programme of talks will include:
Surface Sampling Approaches with Particular Reference to The Stonehenge Area - Julian Richards (Trust for Wessex Archaeology)
Fieldwalking in Hampshire - Richard Whinney (Winchester District Archaeologist)
Maddle Farm Project (Berks) - Vince Gaffney/Mog Tingle
Silchester Survey - Mark Corney (RCHM - England)
Fieldwalking in Kent - Brian Philp (Kent Rescue Unit)
Fieldwalking in Sussex - Robin Holgate (Institute of Archaeology)
Fee: with Lunch £5.80, without lunch £3.50
Remittances please, payable to S.A.S., to Mrs Susan Janaway, Fieldwalking Symposium, S.A.S., Castle Arch, Guildford GU1 3SX
Kent Archives Office Searchroom Opening-Latest
Although a firm date has not yet been fixed, it is hoped that the new searchroom in County Hall will be opened at the end of October or the beginning of November. A grand official opening ceremony is being planned, with a celebrity guest to do the honors, though the County Archivist is not revealing any names at the moment! The service will get back to normal as soon as possible, though for the first few months, while reorganization takes place, there will be times when access to some collections will continue to be restricted.
Archaeology at Work 1985
"Our third Archaeology at Work meeting will take place from 10.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, 28th September, at the Sevenoaks School for Girls (formerly Hatton School), situated in Bradbourne Vale Road, Sevenoaks, on the A25 just west of the junction with the A225. Sevenoaks Railway Station is approximately 15-20 minutes' walk away.The format will be very much as before, comprising a mixture of static exhibitions, practical demonstrations, talks and teach-ins on a number of subjects related to archaeology and local history. Here then is your opportunity to extend or perhaps share your knowledge of a particular subject that interests you, together with a chance to see and hear about some other aspects of archaeology and local history.
There will be six classrooms arranged around the large open area, together with the large Auditorium for more formal lectures.
Subjects to be covered will include: Aerial Archaeology, Ceramic Building Materials, the work of the County Museums Service, with talks and displays on conservation of finds, and the results of the recent photographic survey of artifacts of archaeological interest. Of special interest to members will be the work related to the Kent Heritage Survey, with the opportunity to help with this most important project. There will be a number of talks in the main hall, including Scientific Techniques in Archaeology by Dr John Evans, and Otford Palace by Anthony Stoyel.
It is hoped that visitors will wander around, joining in or just looking and listening, spending as little or as long in each area as they wish. All the activities will run simultaneously, with some being repeated later in the day so that participants can plan their day accordingly, seeing first those areas which interest them most.
All are welcome, K.A.S. Members, Affiliated Society members and any interested people, but admission is by a free ticket which can be obtained by sending a S.A.E. 4ins x 9ins to: Archaeology at Work 1985, Ted Connell.
To make a really successful day we need you to be there. Please come along and join us. It should be an enjoyable day and perhaps we shall all learn something new.
Romano-British Buildings in Snodland
by A.C.Harrison, B.A., F.S.A
The Maidstone Area Archaeological Group has been excavating this site for the last three seasons and the investigation of the building, previously reported in Newsletter No. 3, has been completed. This proved to be an aisled barn measuring in its final phase 25 m. x 15 m. Attention was next directed to the bath-house and although this had been demolished down to the lower floor level of the hypocausts and the "topsoil" was eight inches of concrete, it was possible to recover its plan. In the first photograph, the frigidarium is in the foreground, the apsidal room is the tepidarium and the caldarium and furnace are furthest from the camera. It was tantalizing to note that the hard-core below the concrete was almost entirely Roman tile and opus signinum and to reflect how much must have been destroyed when the Gas Company constructed their coke-yard some sixty years ago!
At Easter, it is hoped to continue the investigation of part of the living quarters, previously partially excavated by Mr. Ocock in 1964 (Arch. Cant. Vol. 82 1967). The floor level of these three rooms, which originally had plastered walls, had been raised to permit the insertion of hypocausts - a smaller one with pilae to the south and a larger channelled hypocaust to the north. The second photograph shows the six channels which were lined with pilae-tiles and covered with tegulae.
Volunteers are always welcome and anyone interested in taking part should get in touch with the writer or with Mrs. Margaret Terry.
Local Historians' Evening
A dozen active local historians working on East Grinstead or one of the surrounding villages met at East Grinstead Town Museum on 24 May for a conversazione.
The event, arranged by the Hon. Curator, Mr M.J.Leppard, gave them the chance to tell each other informally about what they were doing and to discuss common interests and problems. It was also a chance to learn of ways in which the Museum might be able to help them as part of its service to its area and its promotion of the serious study of local history.
Sussex, Surrey, and Kent were all represented, for East Grinstead lies at the junction of all three counties. This chance to talk across county boundaries, which often impose arbitrary restrictions on local historical research, was particularly appreciated.
Those present represented work in progress on Ashdown Forest, Ashurst Wood, Crawley Down, Danehill, East Grinstead, District and Felbridge, Turners Hill Forest, and Row, also on Lingfield, prehistory, the Wealden iron industry, and vernacular architecture.
It was agreed that the Museum should act as a continuing point of contact for those who attended, including passing on queries from the general public.
Anyone interested in the history of the area will find the Museum, at East Court, East Grinstead, open every Wednesday 2-4 and every Saturday 2-5 p.m., admission free. (Strangers should follow signs to the police station!) For further information, please contact Mr M.J.Leppard, Hon. Curator.
Fieldwork Grants
Are you planning an excavation or fieldwork within the county of Kent during 1986? Grants are available from the K.A.S. to assist with work to be carried out by Affiliated Societies or individual members. Applications should be made to the Hon. General Secretary by 1st November 1985.
Dartford Document Rescue Department (D.D.R.G.!)
by Sharon Mitchell D.D.A.G.
During 1983 and 1984, Dartford District Archaeological Group was told of some waste paper that was to be thrown out, so, because the recycling of paper provides a large proportion of the Group's funds, a van was dispatched to collect the waste from a local estate agent's office.
The paper came from the cellar and storage areas in the office, and had been neatly stacked for collection. It was discovered that some of the stacks consisted of Auctioneer's Catalogues and sale documents, while elsewhere were bags of maps, all covered in a generous layer of dust. Upon closer examination, it was found that some of the maps were quite old, and so instead of going into the paper store for sale, they were put into the Centre and sorted out.
The first papers studied consisted mainly of catalogues, belonging to an Auctioneer who worked from the premises during the last half of the nineteenth century. The earliest document related to the sale of furniture and effects from a house in Vansittart Terrace in Greenwich Road, and dated the twenty-sixth of September, 1848. Others referred to sales of such varied materials as timber, stock, crops and omnibuses, personal effects of local traders, and several related to the large estates, such as those of Colyer-Ferguson and Russell Stoneham. In total nearly four hundred sales were represented by these catalogues, and it took a great deal of time to sort them into general areas according to the location of the goods, and then put them into chronological order within the areas. They were then carefully listed, and the list was copied several times. Attention was then turned to the maps. A hand-coloured example was found, depicting Stone Marshes near Dartford, and dated 1796. There was also a map, made on vellum, of Hall Place, Bexley. This was dated 1768, and complemented two other maps of similar age already in the possession of the Museum, now based at Hall Place. This map, along with all other documents relating to the Bexley area, were eventually donated to the Museum. This was also the case with the other papers - they were all donated to the relevant local library, or placed into the care of the Kent Archives Office. Something which came to light is of interest to Northfleet residents - the original pen-and-ink design for the poster published to advertise the Springhead Gardens and Watercress Beds, a tourist attraction during Victorian times.
No sooner had these maps left our Centre, than a further amount was sorted out by the estate agents, and we again rescued them. These proved to be maps of the North Kent and outer London areas, the oldest being dated 1834. This time there were about 300 maps, and they underwent the same processes of sorting and listing. Those of extreme interest were also photographed, and then, as before, donated to the relevant authorities. These maps were accompanied by several large storage boxes of paperwork, which relate mainly to the war damage in Dartford. These boxes have yet to be sorted, but a cursory glance through them has revealed a sale document relating to the properties of the Fleet Brewery Company, which was located at Dartford and operated from the 1780s until 1865. This document included floor plans of the Public Houses in the brewery's possession, some of which are still in use today.
The sorting of the documents is time-consuming, and largely has to be carried out to fit in with other Group activities, such as digging and lectures, but it is pleasing to think that they are now in safe surroundings, and accessible if any local historians wish to refer to them. This opportunity would have been denied them if they had not fallen into the hands of the Group's paper recycling team, to whom thanks are due for spotting the potential of the papers.
Letters
A Big Thank You
Sir,
For the past three years I have been conducting a research project in the county. During this time a great many people have shown interest in my work and have given up their time to assist its progress. The impending completion of my thesis would not have been possible without this help. As I am now leaving the county, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved. They will all receive formal acknowledgement of their contribution when my work is published.
Yours faithfully,
Jason Monaghan
Big Response
Sir,
We should be pleased if you could publish our thanks to the very many members (over 450) who kindly responded to our letter seeking views on the proposed conference 'The Society in the 1990's'.
We have noted particularly all the opinions of those members who wrote and hope to progress this matter.
Yours faithfully,
M.A.Ocock
P.E.Oldham
Proposed Slide Library for K.A.S.
It has been suggested that a photographic slide library would be a useful addition to the facilities offered to members, lecturers and students in Kent.
Most people take far more photographs than they need so duplication leads either to cluttered cupboards, or at the other extreme, wasteful destruction of film which other members might be glad to see or borrow.
At the present time it is hoped that a scheme can be launched in a modest imitation of the National Monuments Record but with a collection of transparencies rather than photographic prints. It is a long term project and could take several years to build up a Topographical file covering old buildings, views, roads, etc. and a section dealing with archaeological subjects which would give full coverage to the whole of Kent.
If you are interested Mrs N. Caiger will be very pleased to receive any spare slides from members who are willing to donate them to the Society and who understand that these slides may eventually be loaned out to other members who require them to illustrate their lectures, for study, or for comparison with work in archaeology and local history.
It is most important that all slides be clearly labelled by the donor with details of provenance, subject and time of taking. There is nothing more frustrating to the researcher than to find a fascinating hoard of pictures which could have been taken anywhere at any time.
Yours faithfully,
Nesta Caiger
Kent Archaeology Teachers Group
On March 11th, a second conference was held for those teachers interested in teaching archaeology in Kent schools. The theme of the day was maritime archaeology. The course provided an introduction to the subject and included the use of the Mary Rose computer programme.
The proceedings began with two lectures by Mr. Peter Leach from the Institute of Archaeology. In the first, he outlined the development of marine and waterfront archaeology, making particular reference to examples, sites, and remains that are accessible to Kent schools. Finally, he talked about the Mary Rose, its importance to our understanding of the early sixteenth century, and as a feature in the new Portsmouth museum complex. Both lectures were interesting and enhanced by selections of slides.
In the afternoon, the Mary Rose computer programme was evaluated by all members of the course using the twelve computers available.
If you are interested in the teaching of archaeology in schools and would like to be kept informed of future activities, please provide your contact information.
Ceramic Building Materials Research Group
In general, it is only recently that excavated assemblages of building materials have come to be regarded as worthy of study in depth, and then quite often through sheer embarrassment at the quantity accumulating. It is common that the person within an archaeological group delegated the task of dealing with it, having no prior knowledge of this material, works in isolation largely unaware of other people working in the same field. A number of societies and research groups deal with one aspect or another of the subject but this makes the field fragmentary and difficult to keep track of.
The inaugural meeting of the CBMRG agreed there was a great need for a forum to facilitate and co-ordinate communications. It was also agreed that a Newsletter would be the best format and that apart from the editors, a formally constituted body was not necessary. Regular meetings are not planned although individuals may get together to discuss a particular point of interest. It is anticipated that the Newsletter will appear some four times a year; it aims to establish an accepted typology/terminology for brick/tile of all periods and to promote discussion of topics of mutual concern. It will provide information on excavations, meetings, and publications having an important building material component.
Further information is available from Mike Stone, c/o Passmore Edwards Museum, Romford Road, Stratford (please enclose a s.a.e.)
Ed. It is hoped that one of the areas at the Archaeology at Work 1985 will deal with various aspects of ceramic building materials.
The Editor welcomes all letters and would particularly like to receive more, especially on subjects such as requests for research information, books, and related topics. Illustrations, if relevant, are always helpful and can assist readers in identifying objects, understanding points, and following arguments.
Second Romano-British Pottery Workshop
by Christopher St. John Breen
Following the first meeting at Dartford District Archaeological Group's centre at Lowfield Street, Dartford, in March 1984, the second meeting took place at Christ Church College, Canterbury on Saturday 23rd March. Again, a very well-attended and highly successful meeting with an emphasis on informality brought together a wide representative attendance of "pot" and "small finds" workers, full and part-time, from the units, groups, societies, and museums in Kent and some from Essex.
The talks, individually introduced by Jason Monaghan, were:
Richard Pollard - Canterbury Kilns: types - location - products and dating.
Chris Going - Mortarium: an informative outline of type (Kay Hartley's groups I and II) - their source - stamps and distribution. Then aspects of South East England production at Brockley Hill - St. Albans area - Colchester with types, stamps, and distribution.
Nigel McPherson-Grant - Late Roman Finewares from Canterbury: a Canterbury Archaeological Trust study by Marion Green showing, for instance, that Oxford color-coated wares alone accounted for over 40% in the later period at Canterbury.
Margaret Taylor - spoke of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust's Samian ware Study Project and of the importance of studying the types and stamps etc. as a vital aid in dating.
Jason Monaghan & Nigel McPherson-Grant - opened a discussion on some of the proposed guidelines that a "Kent" Ceramics Study Group" could adopt such as:
1. A county fabric collection - based at Maidstone.
2. "Common" and "specific" ware/fabric nomenclature standards.
3. Keep the group informal.
4. Encourage, at all times, the individual approach to studies by each member of the group.
An interesting and encouraging discussion then took place with common consent on many valid and salient points. A summary on this important matter is now in draft and will be circulated later this year.
Displays of pottery by members of Canterbury Archaeological Trust from recent and past excavations included fine wares and certain kiln site products. Jason Monaghan brought along the Cliffe and Upchurch fabrics that form the subject matter of his pending Ph.D thesis. Cliff Ward brought along a "Black Sarnian" handled bowl from Otford and Keith Parfitt brought a Much Hadham flagon found in a recent excavation in Deal. The Thanet Archaeological Trust displayed a "pipe-line" excavated burial group which was most interesting, together with a copy of the interim report.
A "surface" finds collection, of Samian, from two areas at Wye in Kent were displayed alongside the Samian and Finewares from an Alec Miles excavation at Cooling, and on an adjoining table the Fine Sarnian wares etc. from Ash Villa two. Rosemary Jeffries brought along some kiln material from Mucking, Essex, which struck horror into those of us who think we can differentiate between the Roman grey wares of the Cliffe Peninsula and the Alice Holt/Farnham group! The Dartford District Archaeological Group displayed some teaching material from their Fabric Study Project and an interesting Oxford imitation of Dr.45 Samian Mortarium with lion spout and hole recently identified by Joanna Bird and Christopher Young. Much interest was also shown in the display staged by Ian Gerrard of the Fawkham & Ash Archaeological Group of the finds from Ash Villa one being shown plotted on a visual display unit when Ian's computer program was being run.
Chris Going chaired the brief summing-up talk and stressed the vital importance of this county study group meeting and his thanks were echoed by all to, firstly, Sharon Mitchell of the D.D.A.G. for running the tea/coffee bar, and secondly, warm thanks to Ted Connell of the K.A.S. and the F.A.A.G. and D.D.A.G. for organizing this meeting. The venue and nature of the Third Annual Workshop is to be announced in a future issue of the K.A.S. Newsletter.
Roman Samian Ware by Peter Webster. A4 booklet £1.75 from the K.A.S. Bookstall.
One of the major difficulties that a student of samian pottery encounters is that information as to form types, decorative styles, and dating, from the many different manufacturing centers, is scattered in as many as 77 publications. (As indicated by the number of reference books included in the bibliography.) This booklet, which was compiled for a course in samian pottery run by the Cardiff Extra-Mural Department, is a condensed but comprehensive, up-to-date introduction to the subject.
The whole industry is discussed briefly, including the techniques used to make each vessel and the potters who made them. An aid is given to the recognition of fabric from the various centers.
The main emphasis is on the recognition of forms from illustrated examples. Of the 48 pages, 26 contain illustrations. 37 plain forms and 9 decorated forms are each described with indications given to the date range.
Details of the more commonly used decorative symbols are reproduced from Knorr's 99 publication.
It would be a very useful addition to any pottery reference collection.
Maggy Taylor.
New RCHM Office Opens
"The Royal Commission on Historic Monuments (RCHM) has opened its first ever office in Kent. Ms Sarah Pearson will be working at R.C.H.M., Orchard House, Tannery Lane, Ashford, Kent TN23 1PL.The Commissions have in the past had teams of full-time archaeological and architectural investigators, with office and technical staff. They have prepared for some other counties elaborate and excellent volumes (Inventories) with full illustrated descriptions of ancient monuments and buildings.
Godmersham Court Lodge
New K.A.S. Research & Training Excavation
During August 1985 a new excavation will be taking place on the site of the exceptionally fine thirteenth century Court Lodge at Godmersham. This stone building was tragically demolished in 1955, but it is hoped the excavation will uncover most of the plan of this building as well as later medieval timber-framed extensions which were demolished in the eighteenth century.
The name Godmersham (Godmaeres ham in Old English) means Godmaer's settlement. A probably spurious "note" of A.D. 822 (Sawyer Anglo-Saxon Charters (1968) No. 1620) has King Beomwulf of Mercia granting land at Godmersham to Archbishop Wulfred. In A.O. 824, a genuine charter (Sawyer No. 1434) records the recovery by Archbishop Wulfred of the land here and at Easole granted him by Aldberht comes and Selethyth his sister (Abbess of Minster?) and stolen by Abbess Cwen- thryth of Minster-in-Thanet. (Bounds in English added). In c.1036-1038, Archbishop Aethelnoth granted the manor to the monks of Christ Church, Canterbury (N.P. Brooks, The Early History of the Church of Canterbury (1984), 298).
Aethelnoth had purchased the manor from Earl Sired for 72 marks of silver (Sawyer No. 1389). This was confirmed by Edward the Confessor (Sawyer No. 1047), but this may be a post-Conquest forgery. In 1086 the manor was of 8 sulungs. Domesday Book (I,f.5 and f.3b) says it was in Feleberg hundred and held by the Archbishop i.e. Terra Monachorum Archiepi. 8 sulungs, 12 carucates of arable; 2 villeins on the demesne and 60 other villeins with 8 collars who had 17 carucates. A church is mentioned (? the present base of north tower and apse) and 2 servants; one mill, value 25/- and 12 acres of meadow. Wood for 40 hogs. TRE worth £12, now (1086) £20, and yet it pays £30.
The Domesday Manor may have included the area of the later parish of Challock also, but the bounds given in English (of probably the eleventh century) on the back of the A.D. 824 charter (Lambeth Ms. 1212 - see above), are almost identical to those of the later parish of Godmersham only (see notes by J. McN. Dodgson on the bounds -unpublished).
Free warren for the manor was obtained in 10 Ed. II (c.1317) and it was then valued at £36. It went to Henry VIII in 1540, then the Dean and Chapter in 1546 (the Dean and Chapter were granted the manor, rectory and advowson (this was then valued at £80/11/-)).
In c.1250 a new stone court-lodge was built (demolished 1955). For description see M. Wood "Thirteenth Century Domestic Architecture in England"., (Arch. J. CV, Supple. (1950)). A chapel (documented in 1289 with garderobe and oriel) was perhaps added on the north-east side. A new solar was built with garderobe in 1313 (with chamber under) -perhaps at the south end. It cost £27/19/2d. There was also at this time a granary, sheepfold and stable.
In 1334 urgent repairs were needed; sergeants at Great Chart, Little Chart, Westwell, Agney, Ruckinge and Mersham were all ordered to bring timber, probably for new roofs.
In 1363, Hamon atte Halle (perhaps already the Court Lodge tenant) was granted a licence to give 2 messuages (at the Ford in Godmersham) and 124 acres of land, (wood and pasture at Challock), and Gilbert de Helles to give 26/8d from rents, and assign the same to a Chaplain in the Church of Godmersham in honour of St. Mary i.e. the Chantry Chapel on the south side of the church. A little later in 1363, the Prior and Convent gave licence for Gilbert de Helles to give the 26/8d to the Chaplain (Dom. John de Folkingham -possibly a monk from Christ Church) and the 2 messuages, etc., (above) at Challock to the same chaplain and his successors for ever, paying yearly to the Manor Court 3/4d (see ed. A. Hussey Kent Chantries (Kent Records XII (1934) 131-2). The Chantry house, garden and one acre appear to have been in Godmersham Street (i.e. Just up the road from Court Lodge), and it is possible that the present Old Vicarage occupies the plot.
In 1374 Hamon (Hammond) at Halle had the Manor let to him; he perhaps lived in the Court Lodge and was dead by c.1400. In about 1400, Prior Chillenden divided the Court Lodge areas in half and kept the Court Lodge, inner court, new barn, new stable, new kitchen for the Chamberlain with a new store for the Prior's use. He built a gate between the inner and outer courts (with chamber over it containing a fireplace, and a chamber beside the gate). The rest of the farm was beyond, and was let out. John Dare! was the tenant in 1406 and he used the farm buildings in the outer court. To the north was the Prior's mill (near the Ford -not bridged (by the present bridge) till 1698 (date on it)).
The great barn, later the rectorial tithe barn, - see S.E. Rigold Arch. Cant. 81, (1966) 18-19-is one hundred and twenty-one feet long with two midstreys and high ground walls. The north end, with a crown-post roof and thirteen foot bays and an odd thirteen and a half by seven and a half foot section, has a threshing floor (no main posts here). The south section is also part medieval, but reconstructed. It perhaps dates from the early fifteenth century and may relate to the division of the Court into two halves at this time.
The manor continued to be let throughout the fifteenth and early sixteenth century. In c.1480 Prior Selling carried out repairs to the Prior's house, and the inner court continued to be exempt from the farmer's use. The tenant also had to be ready to entertain, at his own expense, the monk-wardens or Prior's chaplain if they were passing through.
At the Dissolution of the Priory in 1540, the manor went to the King, Henry VIII, who in 1546 granted it to the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury. The Chantry chapel of St. Mary was suppressed in 1548. In the late sixteenth century, the buildings are listed as:- the great hall with chambers, kitchen, etc., within the inner court, and the other barns, stables, dovehouse, gardens and orchards, courts and yards. The manor then continued to the nineteenth century as the property of the Dean and Chapter and was leased out. In the eighteenth century it was leased to the Colemans who resided there till 1830 (see Hasted VII, (1798), 321-3 and I, 85, (1790); III 157-8].
The late Dr S.G. Brade-Birks has pointed out that Richard Cole Coleman was born at the Court Lodge where his parents were in residence (they were Richard and Sarah Coleman) in 1777. He died in 1832. The Colemans had the demesne lands of the manor let to them (see area in the tithe map, 1839). The Dean and Chapter, however, retained the manor itself with the profits of the courts baron which were held regularly, according to Hasted.
In the late eighteenth century some of the buildings (Chillenden's timber-framed ones) were demolished. Cozens (1792) published an engraving of the hall and mentions this. Timber was given to Mr Thomas Knight in 1787 (Jane Austen's brother Edward's patron, who own·ed Godmersham Park). Edward Knight, after inheriting eventually bought the demesne manor from the Dean and Chapter in 1837. In 1875 John Cunliffe Kay purchased the house from the Knight family, but before this from 1830-75 the occupier of the Court Lodge was J.F. Harvey (see notes by S.G. B-B.). The house is also depicted in the Gents. Mag., 80 (March 1810), 209, Pl. II. For other pictures see Archaeol., 83 (1933), 173- it then belonged to Lord Lewisham. Also T. Hudson Turner "Some Accounts of Domestic Architecture in England" (Oxford) 1851, 150-181, and Igglesden, Saunter ..... xi, 10 and N. Lloyd English House (1931), 306 who has a photograph. It was also seen Just before demolition by R.H. Goodsall (see his The Kentish Stour (1953), 79 where he also mentions "original cellars below ground").
It is hoped to have an open day on Sunday 25th August when all members and friends will be welcome to come along and see the excavations.
Tim Tatton-Brown
Hon. Editor: Ted Connell.
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