Letterbox
Moated Sites Research
Sir,
Over the past four years, I have been engaged in a comprehensive survey of moated sites in Kent. I started the project with a list of some 80 sites and it has already reached nearly 200. I have investigated 42 of these, all in the West or North-West of the County.
Some of the problems encountered while undertaking this research include a shortage of positive information on the early history of sites and in particular the moated construction; difficulties in readily obtaining worthwhile maps; a complete lack of any information at all on some sites, even though the site may be visible; and last but by no means least, the old problem of time.
For each of the 42 sites investigated to date, I have written up detailed notes, detailing: the location; access to the site; means of water access; size; topography; and the history of the site from the earliest date/time available to the present day.
It is still too early to draw final conclusions from the study, but the investigations so far have shown definite trends on: area within the moat; shape; width of the moat; water access; physical siting of the moat in relation to local topography, and date when the moat was first dug. The latter is however, still somewhat conjectural.
The present condition of the 42 sites so far investigated ranges from non-existent (i.e. now a level field or housing development) to well preserved. Nearly all of them are on private land and the vast majority of owners have been helpful.
I am hoping to publish the material at some date but in the meantime would be pleased to discuss any aspect of the work with interested readers.
Yours faithfully,
T.A.Hollobone, BSc, C.Eng.
The Kentish Estates Journal
Sir,
I would be most grateful to hear from any member who has in their possession or knows the whereabouts of copies of "The Kentish Estates Journal".
The publication is referred to in occasional articles published in Archaeologia Cantiana but except for one issue, at Springfield Local Studies Library, I have been unable to trace copies.
It is not available at the British Library, the County Library, the Kent Archives Office or from the original publisher.
"The Kentish Estates Journal" was published by the Ashford firm of estate agents, Alfred J. Burrows. It is a list of landed and residential properties, farms, smallholdings and houses for sale in Kent and it also has useful notes on various Kentish topics.
Part 1 was published in 1933 and from a reference given in Archaeologia Cantiana (Vol. LXXI, p.189) it appears to have reached No. 60 by 1936.
Yours faithfully,
Christine Dunn
County Local Studies Librarian
Springfield,
Maidstone,
ME14 2LH
Farm Buildings
Sir,
The Council for British Archaeology is compiling a Handbook on Historic Farm Buildings. These are defined as any of the working buildings of the farm, such as barns, granaries, cattle housing, stables or dovecotes, built before 1900, together with any related machinery and equipment.
Yours faithfully,
Nigel Harvey
Henry Stopes and Benjamin Harrison
Sir,
Yolanda Stanton's contribution to Researches and Discoveries in Volume XCIX of Archaeologia Cantiana is of especial interest.
Many years ago, Dr Marie Stopes kindly entertained me at Givons Grove with remembrances of her father's enormous collection of flint implements from Swanscombe, Greenhithe, and Chalk, some of which she had been told were modern copies of prehistoric pieces. On later visits to the National Museum of Wales at Cardiff, to whom the collection was sold in 1912, I was not able to view the material which was kept in store. During my schooldays in Kent, I had heard of the Sunday morning sale of flints to collectors at a pub in Greenhithe. Among the eager local collectors was Mr Stopes of Swanscombe who, it was said, bought many modern-copied items made by families of gun-flint workers at Greenhithe and Chalk. An account of some of the work of the Kentish flint-forger Foxy is included in the chapter on False Antiquities in my book The Story of Archaeology in Britain (London, 1964). It is likely that the "several tons" of Henry Stopes' one-time collection included works by Foxy.
Eoliths from pits on Kent Platqeau.
Benjamin Harrison most certainly made "eoliths" and other flint implements. He was led to do so by William Cunnington, the famous geologist and antiquary, who in March 1896 said "It will give you a good knowledge of the peculiar fracture of flint". It did, and the matter was recorded by Sir Edward R. Harrison (our Secretary) in the now famous study of his father, Harrison of lghtham, (Oxford, 1928) notably on page 205. Two examples marked B. H. fecit and dated May and July 1900 were given to me by Sir Edward long before his lamented death in 1960. By coincidence, my grandfather had bought a set of "eoliths" from B.H. himself; their present whereabouts is unknown.
Yours faithfully,
Ronald Jessup
(Ed - Our Vice-President Ronald Jessup is the longest-serving member of the Society)
