Lees Court Estate: 2019 Updates
A NOTE FROM THE COUNTESS SONDES
It has been a terrific year for us at Lees Court regarding our work with the Kent Archaeological Society. All of the goals set by project coordinators, Clive Drew and Keith Parfitt, have been met.
On Stringman’s Park site, not only was there confirmation of the existence of a Bronze Age Settlement but to everyone’s surprise, a
Neolithic Monument was found below! Further investigation on this site is much anticipated.
I was further astonished when a Palaeolithic handaxe was found in Woods Court Field (Fig 1). It is difficult for me to express the emotive feelings when holding something in the palm of your hand from c.250,000 BC, knowing a Neanderthal man would have used it!
The photograph below (Fig 2) is taken from a video made by the Country Landowners and Business Association (CLA) for a presentation I will be making at their annual Rural Business Conference in London. I talk about our wonderful experience of working with the Society and highlight the positive impact of working with Community Based Archaeology, which I understand to be exploring, discovering, sharing and educating, to put the story together. I urge anyone in the audience to seize the opportunity of having this experience, if possible.
I want to thank the KAS for making this adventure possible, in particular, Clive and Keith. As well, my thanks to Liz Roberts, our Estate Administrator who leads the Lees Court Estate team and I am so pleased to see how involved and enthusiastic they have become.
We are greatly looking forward to next year to see how the various mysteries will unravel!
Phyllis Sondes
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Fig 1: Palaeolithic handaxe
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Fig 2: Lady Sondes exploring a denehole in Sheldwich
EXCAVATIONS IN STRINGMANS FIELD, 2019
By Richard Taylor
The second season of excavation in Stringmans Field got underway in July 2019. It was here, during September last year, that students from the University of Kent carried out an evaluation excavation in the area of an anomaly detected by a geophysical survey carried out in April 2018 (see Issue
110). These excavations, on the southeast side of the field, revealed evidence to suggest the presence of a Bronze Age barrow from c.2000 BC and maintained well into the Iron Age period (Fig 2).
The work in 2019 was concerned with expanding the unfinished areas of the 2018 excavation and widen the coverage to include the full extent of the monument’s ditch diameter. Unfortunately, students from the University of Kent were unable to continue this year.
However, Year 10 students from
St George’s CofE Secondary School in Gravesend joined in as part of their work experience project (Figs 3 and 4).
Trench 1
The 2018 slot trench cut at a right angle to a strong geophysical response thought to be the outer ring ditch of the monument. The ditch-like feature continued down for another 0.5m, totalling a depth of
1.5m and 2.0m wide. In addition to a primary cut into the chalk, evidence for two later ditch cuts are visible in the upper parts of the section. No pottery was evident in any of the lower fills, but a cattle vertebra was retrieved from the feature base, and we are currently assessing its potential to gain a C14 date (Figs 5 and 6).
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Fig 1: Aerial view of Stringmans Field 2019 excavations
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Fig 2: Geophysical anomaly detected in 2018
Trench 3
Trench 3 was excavated at ninety degrees to Trench 1, enabling a longitudinal section of the ditch-like feature. The results clearly show the fill of a later ditch cut sitting above the chalky fill of a primary cut. Moreover, it appears that the primary cut terminates toward the north. Beyond this is a yellow- grey sandy clay fill of a geological solution hollow (Fig 7).
Trench 2
Trench 2 was opened south of Trench 1 in an attempt to see if the ditch-like feature continued as the geophysics suggested. The primary cut was not at all clear, and appeared to rise toward the surface on three sides, much like a pit? The evidence for the two later ditch cuts was visible in the section, but thoughts turned to the early cut into the chalk being something else.
Trenches 1, 2 and 3 created something of a problem. The 2018 excavation suggested the strong geophysical response, thought to be the primary cut into the chalk, was the outer ring ditch of the monument. However, 2019 excavations suggest something different; the geophysical response and outer ring ditch are likely to be one of the later re-cuts, and the feature cut into the chalk appears to be an isolated pit feature, over which the monument has been constructed.
Trench 5
Trench 5 cut a 10m excavation slot from the exterior of the monument to the north, across the ditch features and into the interior, towards the south, a chalk face is evident. At first glance, this chalk face appears cut, perhaps as an inner face of the monument or ditch. However, the truth is less exciting, and the chalk is the natural face of a solution hollow. The chalk we see in Fig 6 was never on view as the section shows it covered by the yellow-grey sandy clay fill of a geological solution hollow.
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Fig 3: 2019 trench plan over geophysical anomaly
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Fig 4: 2019 trench plan
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Fig 5: Trench 1 looking northeast at the cut chalk face
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Fig 6: Cattle vertebra found at base of Trench 1
However, things start to look up toward the centre of Trench 5 where a clear ditch cut containing a brown silty clay fill is evident. The ditch is approximately one metre wide and one metre deep, flint nodules lay at the base, and the whole thing is well engineered. As alluded to earlier, we now believe this ditch is responsible for the strong geophysical response that first attracted us to the site.
This view was confirmed when several pottery sherds were recovered from secure contexts of the ditch fill and flint layer.
Several sherds, including two diagnostic rims, were recovered, all of which date to the Early Neolithic period (c.3800-3600 BC). This was unexpected and placed a completely different view on the excavation and the monument’s likely origins. Moreover, any C14 date from the cattle vertebra in Trench 2 would have to be early than the pottery found stratigraphically above it (i.e. before c.3800 BC) (Figs 8, 9 and 10).
To the northeast of Trench 3 was a further surprise, but a much later one. Cutting across the site from northwest to southeast was a small medieval field ditch, the fill of which contained a cluster Medieval-type pottery sherds c.1175 AD and none likely post-date the mid-thirteenth century AD. What is interesting is that the excavated medieval ditch respects the edge of the monument. This implies that the latter remained as a feature within the landscape as late as the twelfth century AD and, depending on when the present field hedges were established, quite probably well into the Post-Medieval period (Fig 11).
Trench 4
Trench 4 was excavated at the west of the site to catch the return of the strong geophysical response; we now believe caused by the ditch fill evident in Trench 5. Excavations here soon confirmed findings in Trench 5 as several Early Neolithic potsherds (c.3800-3350 BC) were discovered in the ditch fill. Also, flint tools were found, including a leaf arrowhead and a scraper, both of which were in remarkable condition.
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Fig 7: Trench 3 looking southwest at a terminus cut into the chalk Bottom
Trench 4, looking south
A later re-cut ditch, seen in the sections of Trenches 1 and 5, revealed Beaker pottery, proving the monument was likely in use and maintained for c.2000 years (Figs 12 and 13).
Additional Geophysics
The final task of the 2019 season was to carry out an additional geophysical survey in Holly Grove, in the field south of the excavation, to see if the monument extends southward. Many disease- resistant elm saplings have been planted there, so extra care was taken. The results of the survey were startling and confirmed the presence of a rectangular monument approximately 20m x 34m. The profile of the monument suggests the ditch (containing the Neolithic finds) continues all the way round (Fig 14).
After two seasons of excavation in Stringmans Field, it is now apparent that what we initially thought was a Bronze Age barrow is, in fact, a sizable Neolithic monument.
Alongside the upstanding Bronze Age barrow at Holly Grove and the Neolithic causewayed monument (found in 2018), this latest discovery is probably our earliest to date. It continues to affirm the idea that a prehistoric community used the area as a designated space for gathering and treatment of the deceased, as far back as the Early Neolithic. Our next season aims to find out more about those people, how they lived, and what happened to them when they died.
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Fig 8: Trench 5 ditch cut and brown fill evident (centre) with natural chalk face of solution hollow (left and right)
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Fig 9: Rim from Early Neolithic round-bottomed bowl
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Fig 10: Trench 5 flint base of ditch cut
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Fig 11: Medieval field ditch
The 2019 excavations were undertaken with the continued encouragement and support of Lady Sondes and Estate Manager, Elizabeth Roberts. Special thanks to Ken Hogben of Lees Court Estate for his many hours of skilled machining that enabled the excavations to make such fantastic progress. A thoroughly professional team mostly assembled of volunteers from Faversham, Shorne and Lympne groups, made this progress possible, provided a range of excavation techniques while enduring some scorching weather. The writer extends his sincere appreciation to all those involved.
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Fig 12: Neolithic leaf arrowhead
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Fig 13: Neolithic scraper
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Fig 14: Combined geophysics results showing monument outline in full
EXCAVATIONS IN WOODS COURT FIELD, BADLESMERE, 2019
By Keith Parfitt
As part of the long-term Lees Court Estate landscape study initiated by the Society, the second season of excavation in Woods Court Field at Badlesmere was undertaken in September 2019.
It was here that three hoards of late Bronze Age metalwork had been discovered in 2017. To establish an archaeological context for these hoards, excavations by the KAS in 2018 focused on the area where Hoards II and III had been found, towards the north-western side of the field. Some significant results were obtained, but there were no further metalwork finds (Newsletter 110). The investigations of 2019 covered a wider area and were in three parts. Firstly, an unfinished portion of the previous year’s excavation needed to be completed; second, the area around the site of bronze Hoard
I on the opposite side of the field was examined and lastly, a long evaluation trench was cut between these two main excavations.
The excavations of 2018, on the north-western side of the field, had revealed a scatter of more than twenty pits and post-holes cutting into the natural Clay-with Flints. These were associated with significant amounts of prehistoric pottery, struck flint and calcined flint. All the pottery recovered is datable to the
Late Bronze Age–Earliest Iron Age period, c. 1150–600 BC.
The work in 2019 was initially concerned with completing the unfinished south-eastern quarter of the 2018 excavation where the full extent of several substantial pits previously located needed to be ascertained. The largest one of these pits was found to be oval in plan, measuring 5.65m by 6.80m. It was just over one metre deep, and its filling produced further large quantities of prehistoric pottery and calcined flint. The feature was one of a group of seven partially intercutting pits occurring in this part of the site, perhaps originally dug as clay quarries. Overall, the pit complex covered an area about 11 metres across, with the sites of Hoards II and III located short distances to the north and west, respectively.
On the south-eastern side of the field in 2019, an area about 9 metres square was opened up around the site of Hoard I, revealing three more prehistoric pits. Interestingly, one of these showed evidence of burning on its sides and base, but finds were relatively limited and, again, no more Bronze Age metalwork was discovered. By chance, however, one of these pits produced a
Lower Palaeolithic handaxe, clearly residual in its excavated context but suggestive of much earlier human activity in the region.
The 2019 excavation areas were linked by a continuous evaluation trench about 150 metres long.
This was designed to establish the density of features across the intervening part of the field. The trench confirmed the presence of further prehistoric pits and post- holes in this area. Towards the centre, the trench was expanded into a small area excavation to examine a complex group of features located there. Directly below the plough-soil, a dense spread of calcined flint covering an area about 5 metres by 8 metres across was initially exposed.
Investigation showed that this burnt flint layer sealed several earlier pits and post-holes. Time was not available for a full examination.
Still, the complex may have been broadly similar to the group of pits revealed in the north-west area, while the post-holes are suggestive of the former presence of a timber structure here. All the pottery from the complex is again of Late Bronze Age–Earliest Iron Age date.
Of the other features investigated in the main trench, one oval pit located some 28 metres to the north-west of Hoard I was filled with a deposit of dense calcined flint and charcoal, identical to several other pits seen on the site. Three more pits produced significant amounts of prehistoric pottery and fragments of fired clay, including a complete pyramidal loom-weight of typical Late Bronze Age form.
After two seasons of excavation in Woods Court Field, it is now apparent that a sizable Late Bronze Age–Earliest Iron Age period settlement existed here and the metalwork hoards initially discovered, without doubt, must have been deposited within the area of this settlement, even if the reason for their deposition remains unclear.
Situated high on the clay-capped North Downs, at about 95 metres above sea-level, the Badlesmere site was unenclosed, perhaps being defined and partially protected on several sides by deep dry valleys. The settlement itself lay on a relatively bleak and exposed plateau, with a heavy soil that would have been quite difficult to cultivate in the past. Perhaps the site existed within a clearing in wooded country rather than on mostly open ground, but having said this, other evidence from the immediate area shows that Neolithic and Bronze Age man had been active in this vicinity for centuries before the present settlement was established, so this was not set up in a previously untouched landscape. It is remains from these earlier prehistoric times that our investigations will be attempting to target in future seasons.
As previously, the 2019 excavations were undertaken with the enthusiastic encouragement and support of Lady Sondes and the Lees Court Estate. Through the Estate Administrator, Elizabeth Roberts, much practical support and assistance was provided, making the whole project thoroughly enjoyable. A stalwart team of volunteer diggers, some new to the Society, powered the excavation, enduring some excessively hard digging conditions with minimal complaint. The writer extends his sincere thanks to everyone.
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Fig 1: General view of Woods Court Field 2019
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Fig 2: Lower Palaeolithic handaxe
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Fig 3: Aerial view of Woods Court excavation trenches 2019
EXCAVATIONS IN BADLESMERE BOTTOM FIELD, 2019
By Fred Birkbeck
At Badlesmere Bottom during August 2019, west of Stringmans Field and Woods Court Field, on the west side of the valley, three trenches were stripped back with a machine revealing mixed archaeological results but many possibilities matching anomalies from the geophysical survey results (Figs 1 and 2).
Trench 1
The first ‘slot’ of the season was opened an innocuous- looking linear ditch in Trench 1. The first couple of spades produced Bronze Age pottery, which puts a whole different perspective on the trench. An area of rounded pebbles soon appeared and, upon cleaning,
Trench 2
Trench 2 examined three features visible on the geophysics results which relate to a rectilinear anomaly around the medieval church site and a circular anomaly that they run alongside. We were joined by members of FSARG fresh from post-ex on their pub garden dig. One of the slots has been written off as geological, with a band of slightly different coloured ‘natural’ material running through at a weird angle. Two of the other three produced a promising amount of worked flint, some fire-cracked flint and even some Bronze Age pot in the ditch fill! The other ditch at the south end of the trench, over what we think is the circular feature, has provided a large amount of flint working debitage as well as a potboiler, so we were on course there.
Trench 2 has perhaps been the most significant success in terms of ground-truthing our geophysical survey from February 2019. Fig 5 shows the ring ditch and Fig 6 demonstrates the veracity of the geophysics results.
The pottery evidence suggests there is a possibility that the ring-ditch see on the geophysics, was first constructed during the Early Bronze Age – arguably somewhere between c.2000-1550 BC, if not earlier. In
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Fig 1: Trench map over geophysical survey results
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Fig 2: Trench map
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Fig 3: Small linear ditch which produced Bronze Age pottery
Trench 3
Trench 3 was positioned along a group of three linear anomalies and the northern edge of a circular anomaly based on the results of the geophysical survey.
The mysterious prehistoric features in trench 3 turned out to be much more extensive than we initially thought. Three large ditch-like features are present, one containing a large deposit of chalk, the middle one containing what appear to be several re-cuts and a large post-hole, and the third a one-cut-one-fill ditch almost 2 metres wide. The remarkable thing about these series of ditches is the rarity of finds with only one possible flint flake in the bottom of the post hole – highly remarkable in a series of ditches of this scale. The archaeology on the cusp of the slope looking towards Woods Court was ephemeral, interesting and complex and, unfortunately, utterly devoid of any further finds.
An excellent excavation season that proved the existence of a Bronze Age settlement on the eastern side of the valley. It is speculative but likely that the people living in what is now Badlesmere Bottom Field probably used or visited the monument area at Stringmans Field as a designated space for gathering and treatment of their deceased.
We want to say a massive thank you to farmer Phil Scutt, the Lees Court Estate for facilitating this project, KAS for providing the resources, and all the participants from Maidstone, Faversham, Folkestone, Shorne, Thanet and a few members of the general public for turning up in the sweltering temperatures to join in. You are what makes it worthwhile.
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Fig 4: Training members in recording techniques in Trench 1
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Fig 5: Trench 2 over interpretation of geophysical anomalies
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Fig 6: Section of Bronze Age ditch in Trench 2
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Fig 7: Complex geology or archaeology in Trench 3
VOLUNTEERING WITH KAS AT LEES COURT ESTATE
By John and Caroline Clarkstone
We are members of the Faversham Society Archaeological Research Group (FSARG) and have been volunteers for 14 years. FSARG have concentrated on the town of Faversham, and on the whole, our excavations are small, though we have had several larger trenches to evaluate features. Dr Pat Reid, our director, has given us a good grounding in archaeological methods, encouraging every member of the group to join in all activities, from initial research to report writing. FSARG ran the finds recording at the 2016 Lees Court Metal Detecting Rally (no hoards for us). This sparked our interest in the project. Still, Caroline and I were disappointed not to hear about any opportunities for further involvement until 2018 when the Lees Court Estate manager contacted us, via the Faversham Society, at short notice, to tell us about the KAS Lees Court excavation at Wood’s Court.
We turned up with some trepidation not knowing what to expect, having never been involved with a KAS dig before. We need not have worried, putting our experience to use and learning a lot of techniques for more substantial sites which we put to good use in our 2019 FSARG excavation at the Market
Inn in Faversham. Some of the work was hard, building up our mattock muscles. We were not used to
In February 2019 we, together with several other friendly volunteers, including fellow Faversham group members helped Richard Taylor and Fred Birkbeck with a geophysical survey at Badlesmere Bottom.
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Fig 1: Baddlesmere Bottom Field in February 2019
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Fig 2: Excavating the Bronze Age ditch in Trench 2 at Baddlesmere Bottom
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Fig 3: Further investigative work on the Bronze Age ditch in Trench 2
We did not hear about this until after it had started, despite our previous involvement! We were welcomed by Fred and Richard and learnt how to set out grids using the GPS and refreshed our experience with magnetometry, both pieces of equipment are far too expensive for a small community group. (Note: KAS can support local groups with magnetometry). It was a lovely place to be, and the weather was kind to us, although the rapidly growing crop soon made finding the grid pegs difficult and walking hard work. We were pleased to be able to help to get so much surveying done and pick up many potentially worked flints along the way. We were intrigued by the invisible prehistoric features revealed by the survey. We appreciated the daily reports from Fred and the ability to look at each day’s results on the laptop before we left.
We were looking forward to the September excavation at Woods Court field and were pleasantly surprised to find out that it included investigations at Badlesmere Bottom and Stringmans Field as well. The variety of sites and features from different prehistoric periods was a great experience. In Badlesmere Bottom we excavated an evaluation trench through one side of a ring ditch, the digging was hard work as the clay soil was dry, but we found the extent of the ditch, which contained flint flakes and cores as well as a few pieces of Bronze Age pottery. The training elements of this dig were much appreciated. Fred showed
In September we were back to the Woods Court Bronze Age/Iron Age site. The challenges here were the rock-hard clay, some hard to distinguish contexts and the large size of the site. It was good to meet up with many people we worked with last year. There were fewer volunteers than the task required, and we ended being up there many more days than we expected.
This was easy for us as we lived locally. Briefings from Keith Parfitt at the beginning of the day and the lunchtime chats were a real help to understanding the site. The other volunteers were always willing to explain what they had found in their
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Fig 4: Stringmans Field excavation looking south
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Fig 5: Woods Court Field excavtion contrasting features. We were glad we weren’t in the vast pot-boiler pit; however, enigmatic it was!
Again, we were mostly lucky with the weather apart from the last couple of days. The last day saw the destruction of the find’s marquee by the wind, spreading dozens of pieces across the field. Everyone helped collecting the bits, to make sure that the combine harvester wouldn’t get mangled next year, I did an “air-crash” style reconstruction to check it was all there. Finding the last few overlooked bits took quite a while.
We thoroughly enjoyed our volunteering activities and hope that we will be involved next year with a project so close to home. Advertising these opportunities more widely to the local community would get more volunteers. It was a privilege to be working with professional and very experienced volunteer archaeologists, contributing to discoveries about the wide range of prehistoric settlement of the North Downs.
DIGGING AT BADLESMERE BOTTOM WITH KAS
By Gordon Taylor
After a request on Sunday 18th August 2019 by email from Clive Drew, Hon Gen Sec of Kent Archaeological Society for volunteers for fieldwork starting the following day at the ongoing Lees Court Estate investigations I decided to come out of retirement and dig.
I’m glad I did, as, after expressing interest via https://kentarchaeology. org.uk/about-us/contact-us (click on ‘other’ then Badlesmere) I attended the site on Wednesday 21st August. I was welcomed by Richard Taylor and Fred Birbeck who after signing me in and explaining the site’s three trenches, made allowance for my old bones and let me scrape away at Trench
1 along with five other volunteers.
Trench 3, which like the other trenches had the overburden already mechanically removed, looked the most interesting.
Geophysical examination in February 2019 had indicated three possible linear ditches plus a circular ditch, and these marks were picked up clearly.
Trench 1, where we worked, was not so clear. Still, one could see what appeared to be a former natural watercourse running diagonally across the square trench and two magnetic hotspots that had been picked up by the February investigation. We concentrated on a pebbled surface of irregular shape which soon appeared, but the experts were unsure whether this was man-made or natural geological deposit.
Having been given a Lees Court Estate Excavation Team 2019
T-shirt, I felt obliged to return on Tuesday 27th when the temperature hit 33 degrees, and the sun blazed down. The first excitement was lifting off the overnight trench covers to startle two field mice that scampered away at surprising speed. Nevertheless, I began investigating a ditch in trench 2. As work got underway, it quickly became apparent that progress would be slow as the subsoil was baked hard.
Chipping away with my trowel eventually led to my trusty trowel bending ready to snap. It had mastered Lord of the Manor, Courtstairs causewayed enclosure, gardens on the Chessboard estate and up Chapel Hill but met its doom at Badlesmere Bottom.
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Fig 1: Trench 3 showing various changes in soil composition picked up by magnetometry
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Fig 2: Richard investigating possible prehistoric water course in Trench 1 Bottom, right
Fig 3: Fred checking the cleaned pebble surface in Trench 1
Eventually using a borrowed trowel and gloves (I forgot mine – Fred had everything one needs), I found my only find – a piece of worked flint about one cm wide and two cms long with flat hit point and sharp edges.
Fortunately, I had remembered a small towel to protect my neck.
LEES COURT EXCAVATION – BEXLEY YAC WITH FRED BIRKBECK
By Francine Hills
On Saturday 7th September Bexley YAC took part in the KAS excavation at Lees Court. Our aim (apart from excavation) was to fulfil some of our BAJR passport skills, with Fred’s help, especially the geophysics and surveying.
Fred gave us a tour of the site and an excellent explanation of how the archaeology is being interpreted. We learnt a lot about how we date early periods from the tools people used.
We walked over to the other part of the site, and Fred explained what the geophysics had shown. He discussed the five hoards and their significance and why the trench was so big!
Our older YACs were using a dumpy level for surveying with Rachael (one of our leaders). They each took turns in setting up the dumpy, levelling it, then taking readings with the staff.
Fred explained how magnetometry worked and showed us the results for the area. He then demonstrated how to set up the grids. Then he showed us how to set up the magnetometer and the speed we had to pace. We then each had a go.
We had a fantastic day, thanks to Fred Birkbeck for giving up his time and teaching us new skills. Thanks to KAS for allowing us to take part. All the tools, buckets, gloves etc. were purchased with a grant from KAS.