West Park, Cobham geophysical survey: Cobham Hall’s lost avenue rediscovered

Cobham Hall’s lost avenue rediscovered

By Trevor Bent

Throughout March and April 2018, the Shorne Woods Archaeological Group conducted a geophysical survey of 135,000m² of West Park, Cobham. The survey used both magnetometry and resistivity techniques. West Park was formerly part of the Cobham Hall estate but is now owned by Gravesham Borough Council. The council kindly gave the project permission to survey the Park. Currently used as pastureland, West Park is located to the west of Cobham Hall. The Hall itself is an outstandingly beautiful red brick mansion dating from 1584, demonstrating a combination of Elizabethan, Jacobean, Carolean and 18th Century styles.

Before the work, research was undertaken at Medway Archives to interrogate various estate maps which might indicate the location of former features within the survey area. A key target which emerged from this research was locating the ‘lost’ avenue, leading from Cobham Hall to Shepherds Gate at the north-west corner of West Park.

The 1718 ‘Russell’ map shows five avenues radiating out from Cobham Hall. They are not shown clearly on the 1641 map by Thomas Norton, so we can surmise that the main avenues were installed sometime between these two dates. One led to Brewers Gate, north of the Hall; one north-west to Shepherds Gate (the entrance of which was on Halfpence Lane); one to the bowls green, due west of the Hall; one south-west to the junction of Lodge Lane and Halfpence Lane and one due south to Lodge Lane.

Shepherds Gate Avenue was approximately 600 metres in length and was the only avenue that crossed what is now West Park. The southwestern ‘Lime’ avenue is the only survivor, now planted with Lime trees and still owned by the Hall.

The avenues are still shown on the 1758 ‘Sloane’ map, except that the Shepherds Gate avenue terminates at the boundary of the paddock in West Park, rather than continuing to Halfpence Lane as shown on the 1718 map.

The survey of West Park involved marking out some 200 grids, 30-metre square each, in preparation for the survey (Pythagoras was a great help!). The survey results revealed the avenue running diagonally from Halfpence Lane towards the brick kiln ponds (that have been dug since the avenue went out of use), on a direct line to Cobham Hall thus confirming the 1718 estate map and further details shown on the 1719 ‘Brogley’ map.

This survey was made possible by the determination of Cobham Landscape Detectives in all weathers. Their continuing efforts are hugely appreciated.

The Cobham Landscape Detectives are looking forward to making more discoveries across Cobham village this summer. We will be hunting for Cobham’s lost medieval manors. andrew.mayfield@kent.gov. uk membership@kentarchaeology.org.uk