Greater Thames Estuary Archaeological Steering Group
Annual Conference Report - Held in Thurrock Museum, Grays, Essex: on Saturday 19th May 2001
Attended by about a half-hundred persons from local Archaeological Groups from both sides of the Thames, with local councillors and officials: all interested in the information discovered, and the likely effects of the surveys undertaken by both professional units and amateur groups.
The meeting, in the very pleasant auditorium, was chaired by Dave Buckley (from Essex County Council), in the morning, and by John Williams (from Kent C.C.), in the afternoon. There was, as is typical of these conferences, a very tight timetable with questions often delayed until the luncheon or tea breaks, when various speakers were waylaid and huddles were created in a variety of corners.
John Williams provided an amiable welcome and explained the background of the enquiries generated by the Thames Estuary Project, supported by English Heritage since 1997 and co-ordinated by U.C.L. More work had been done on the north (Essex) side, and EURO and Lottery funding for baseline surveys encouraged local groups and individuals to publish their findings.
After the welcome, the first speaker was Anthony Firth of Wessex Archaeology who had done a very detailed 'desktop' survey of the north Kent coast to the 5 meter contour line, listing all the SMR points (totaling about 4 thousand sites) aided by maps from O.S. and aerial photographs of the 1940's, together with more recent pictures provided by Swindon, taken in the 1980's. There were clear biases in the type of data recorded, either through the interest focus of the individual or group providing the data, e.g., new metal detecting site records, and previously unknown sites exposed during the massive developments of motorways and the Channel Railtrack - which would otherwise probably not have been discovered.
Ellen Heppel, Essex County Council, followed with a survey of 400 miles of the Essex coast to determine the effects of erosion, with detailed work on the Foulness and Canvey Island areas. These surveys of the salt marshes had been greatly aided by the support of local groups and many historic seawalls, sluices, 'red-hill' sites (salt panning) had been identified.
Fred Nash, a local Essex defence expert studying the WWII Defences of the Essex Coast, was introduced as an enthusiast, and well justified the description with his lively presentation of various concrete and steel defences against invasion, well interspersed with anecdotes. 1600 sites recorded since 1993, 1 / 3rd survive of a potential of 3000 that were known from records. Many different types of pillbox and coastal emplacement were listed and fortunately recorded as they were constructed or being demolished post war. Some survive as features. The highlight of the talk was the tale of the Home Guard unit demonstrating their gunnery skills by firing their 4.7" (made in Japan in 1918) naval guns, by firing 'to straddle' and 'near miss' a borrowed boat. The audience did not need the punch line! He closed with photos of a 'Phoenix' caisson, intended to be part of the 'Mulberry Harbour' on the 'D' Day Beaches, which sank en-route in 1944.
A pleasant cold buffet was necessary to recoup stamina ready for the afternoon session. The break also allowed strangers from Kent to visit Thurrock Museum and enjoy the many interesting display panels containing material from the area.
The conference continued, in a less comfortable lecture room, by lane Siddel of English Heritage, who was researching sea level changes in the Inner Thames Estuary and their effects upon the archaeology. The different models proposed by researchers were not compatible and there were many questions raised about the causes of sea level change, and the effects on silting, agricultural activities, drainage, underground water-level changes. The problems of the range of dates afforded by current Carbon-dating techniques, the great value of modern dendrochronology (where specimens are suitable), the changes of salinity in the Thames - perhaps by variable tidal pressures and/or greater rainfall upriver, the northward movement of the Thames channel as shown by recent work in London by the Monument and Silvertown - were topics raised and discussed.
Ian Tackson, of Upchurch Arch. Research Group, spoke about some parts of his thirty-year researches on the banks of the Medway, trying to locate pottery and salting sites, fish traps and hurdle causeways to grazing areas, tracing different levels of peat beds etc. The problems with working in a river which allows only a few hours of work; sites, which have to be protected and then uncovered after each visit until recording is completed, and then revisited to see the effects of further erosion, some over an eight-year time span. Ian expressed his appreciation for the support received from the land owners and for funding to obtain specialist reports on timber, pottery etc.
Ron Hall, a local Essex independent field worker, followed with further work on fish traps, the barges and quays of the Blackwater Estuary. Observed originally from a tug, the rows of stakes in the floodplains provided intriguing research, and were identified as successive rows of fish traps which guided fish into collecting points made from wattle and stakes in morticed and tenoned frames, the earliest dated to 1268 BC. Many have been recently damaged by trawling and small-craft crossing channels. The sites were only visible for a limited time, and the rising tide had to be watched very closely, which often encouraged urgency of action! Auger borings had been taken to identify successive inundations and peat beds. Satellite geo-positioning had been used to record sites. An 'interesting' novelty was an area of unexploded ordnance, which was treated with respect.
Moving south to Swalecliffe in Kent, Ron Masefield, of RPS Consultants, described the discoveries made whilst excavating a water treatment plant, when an underlying Pleistocene river and land surface was uncovered, within which Late Bronze Age pots and a yoke for carrying jars or buckets and other artifacts were found in a series of 17 'water sources' i.e., wide but shallow wells woven wattle had been used to make revetments for the sides of these holes, and planks laid to provide a threshold on which the water-drawer could stand. A 'dendro' date for timber was 1164 BC with an estimated 50/60-year life span for each dug hole. So the site had been in use for a very long period, and there was very good pollen evidence from the area: open-site grass and cereals included. The timber had been obtained from coppiced stands of Hazel while very ancient woods had provided at least one 180-year-old plank.
Discussion raised questions about the use of the 'holes' as fish tanks, and as there was no evidence of dung beetles, their use as cattle troughs was unlikely.
Louise Barker, an English Heritage officer based at Cambridge dealt with old Hall Marshes, near Sakott, and Blue House Farm nature reserves etc. The local marshland had lost 73% of its area due to flooding or agricultural development. Redhills had been recorded, with saltings and kilns, oyster tanks and other reclamation work supervised by the Kings Justices dating back to C12/13th, with other documentary evidence of 1451, and more recently from C16th by private landowners, aided by refugees from the Low Counties (e.g., Canvey Island) who used the land to feed London's growing population. Recent arable use for grain production was destroying earlier archaeology as chalk was dug up from lower levels and exposed for 'marling'. The use of 'decoy' ponds where tamed birds enticed newly arriving wildfowl, and the use of local reed for making the necessary tunnels and traps was illustrated.
This was a very informative and wide-ranging conference linking together the various individuals, officials, and groups who have an interest in their common inheritance of the Thames River shores and estuary. Future meetings will be held (the next probably in Kent) to further develop links across the River.
Wallace Harvey, M.A. (1906-2000) died in Kent and Canterbury Hospital on 2nd November aged 94. He had been a member of the Kent Archaeological Society since 1948. He was also a founder member of the Whitstable Historical Society from 1947 and its Life President. His knowledge of Whitstable and its past was unrivaled. He published several monographs relating to the history of the town, and notably, in 1993, as the fruit of a lifetime's research, The Merchant Ships of Whitstable. For this splendidly illustrated and definitive work the University of Kent, in 1995, conferred upon him the degree of an Honorary M.A. A fuller obituary will appear next year in the Archaeologia Cantiana.
Brian Porter