William Somner
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№ 110 Winter 2018 THE OLDEST AND LARGEST SOCIETY DEVOTED TO THE HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE ANCIENT COUNTY OF KENT Lynsted Fort Amherst Iron Age custom and belief Kent’s literary heritage Excavation of a Uncovering a Napoleonic Interpreting Kent’s An untapped mine V2 rocket fortification ancient finds of local history XX XX XX XX 2018 UPDATE LEES COURT ESTATE President Hon. Curator Dr Gerald Cramp Dr Elizabeth Blanning [email protected] Vice Presidents Mr L.M. Clinch Hon. Librarian Mr R.F. Legear Ruiha Smalley [email protected] Hon. General Secretary Clive Drew Press [email protected] Dr Simon Elliott [email protected] Hon. Treasurer Barrie Beeching Safeguarding [email protected] David Brooks [email protected] Hon. Membership Secretary Mrs Shiela Broomfield Newsletter [email protected] Richard Taylor 87 Darnley Road, Gravesend, Kent DA11 0SQ Hon. Editor [email protected] Terry G. Lawson [email protected] WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the Winter 2018 Newsletter. The Newsletter remains an outlet for this fantastic heritage and the tremendous work going on out there. Following a busy summer, we have a bumper issue It exists so that you, the membership, may communicate packed with abundant and intriguing fieldwork, historical a broad range of topics devoted to the history and research projects and discussion. It seems such a archaeology of Kent. I continue to encourage as many long time ago that I was surveying in the scorching members as possible to think about writing articles and summer heat at Lees Court Estate. Indeed, much help inform the broader historical and archaeological of that warm weather held out until late September community of what is taking place in our heritage-rich enabling us to successfully carry out excavations and diverse county. Please continue to forward articles at Wood Court Field and Stringmans Field. Shortly or notices to [email protected] after that, I was excavating at a fascinating site at Fort Amherst in Chatham. What struck me most at Enjoy this issue and Season’s Greetings to all readers. both locations, however, was the invaluable efforts of the many volunteers that took part, and made both Best wishes, projects so successful. Following positive experiences Richard Taylor at these projects, it is equally rewarding to see so many new members joining the Society. For me, the best way to increase the Society’s membership is engagement - get people involved, try new activities, learn new skills and make contributions to our County’s fantastic archaeological and historical heritage. The editor wishes to draw attention to the fact that neither he nor the KAS Council are answerable for opinions which contributors may express in their signed articles; each author is alone responsible for the contents and substance of their work. 02 | Kent Archaeological Society FRONT COVER PHOTO CREDIT? № 110 Winter 2018 CONTENTS FEATURES Lynsted V2 Rocket Excavation 06 Allen Grove Local History Fund 10 William Somner, Kentish Scholar 14 Kent’s Literary Heritage: A (Largely) Untapped Mine 17 A Glimpse into Iron Age Custom and Belief 20 Dowsing at Springhead near Gravesend in the 1950s 22 Excavations at Fort Amherst 23 The Ian Coulson Annual Bursary 30 Lees Court Estate: 2018 Excavations 33 A Thank You from Lady Sondes 33 Excavations in Woods Court Field, September 2018 34 Site Administration 36 Geophysics at Lees Court Estate 37 Estate and Farming View of Archaeological Digs 38 Stringmans Field Excavations 2018 39 Lees Court Estate 2018 42 16 27 10 30 18 09 10 km 06 6 mi. REGULAR President’s Column 04 Cobham Landscape Detectives 05 An Interview With... Lucie Bolton 12 Letters to the Editor 13 The Finds Corner 15 Membership Matters 32 Notices 44 Winter 2018 | 03 PRESIDENT’S COLUMN The CIO Status is nearly here The culmination of the process started by my The Allen Grove Local History Fund has made grants predecessor Ian Coulson and Peter Stutchbury of over £3,000 to five local history projects this year. in 2014 is almost here. The existing Society will Applications are now invited for grants to be awarded merge with the KAS Charitable Incorporated in 2019. Kent is fortunate in having many thriving local Organisation (CIO) on 1st January 2019. historical and archaeological projects, but in general, the County’s heritage is under threat from many quarters. During September the Society continued its archaeological excavations at Lees Court Estate near Sevenoaks District Council has produced its Draft Faversham confirming the presence of a multi-period Local Development Plan and, as the document Prehistoric settlement. As reported in this edition of had little archaeological content, I wrote to them the Newsletter, the excavations were supervised by emphasising that archaeological assessment Keith Parfitt and the University of Kent, at Wood Court remains a material aspect in the planning process. Field and Stringmans Field respectively, and carried During my brief research, I noticed that authorities out by many volunteers from across the county. such as Ashford District Council, do include an Further work over the summer at a second possible site Evidence for earlier activity proved the highlight of our archaeological history of their district: a practice I for Henhurst Manor, drew a blank for medieval activity, summer season! Working at Owletts, a National Trust The Membership Secretary reports that nearly would encourage all planning authorities to follow. so Jeskyns Court remains our favoured candidate. property west of the village, the team excavated a Gallo 40 new members have joined the Society Belgic site, recording ditches, pits and metalworking since the last issue of the newsletter. We must Museums have been a significant repository of the Moving into the village, we gained permission from evidence. In the field next door, geophys suggested continue our efforts to recruit members. County’s historical and archaeological heritage. In the Forestry Commission to geophys and test pit an extension to this settlement and a quantity of the past few years, museums at Bromley, Gravesend a second possible Manor site, known as North Roman building material indicated a building nearby. In my last column, I reported that Paul Oldham, a and Canterbury have closed, and one of the museum Court. Despite some promising resistivity results former President of this Society, assisted Brian Philp buildings in Rochester sold. The Canterbury Heritage and a single late medieval pottery sherd, we must In this summary of current progress, I have not in the formation of the Kent Archaeological Research Museum, which told the history of Canterbury, is wait till 2019 to groundtruth the Res further. had a chance to detail further work on our post- Groups Council in 1965, which later became the a significant loss. It is sad to see that during this medieval Great House site at the east end of the Council for Kentish Archaeology (CKA). It is with period of financial restraint, the County’s historical At the east end of the village, the volunteers village. Nor the input and continued support from regret, and I have to report that the CKA has been and archaeological heritage is at risk. Nevertheless, investigated the grounds of Cobhambury House. the North Downs Young Archaeologists Club. dissolved. The CKA has served the County well for it is pleasing to report that the Maidstone Museum This was the location of a further possible Manor Credit, however, must be given to all the landscape over 50 years with its extensive work on numerous has produced its 20-year plan for consultation, and I site, with medieval remains again proving elusive. detectives; whose continued enthusiasm and archaeological sites throughout the County. hope the Society and Maidstone Museum continues As in all great archaeology tales, a significant flint professionalism drives this project forwards. its association, one which dates back to 1858. and chalk foundation structure of some age did During the summer, the Shorne Woods Archaeological appear towards the very end of the dig. This will For further information on the project, do contact Group (SWAG) continued its excavations in the Gerald Cramp, President also require further investigation in 2019! Although Andrew Mayfield, [email protected], see village of Cobham and at Spur Battery, Fort Amherst. the Manor sites remain somewhat elusive, we are www.facebook.com/archaeologyinkent, or Both excavations have produced impressive refining our understanding of their relative locations. @ArchaeologyKent on Twitter and our website results which are detailed in separate articles. www.shornewoodsarchaeology.co.uk In Cobham village, many residents allowed us to investigate their gardens further. On the south Acknowledgements side of the village, we recorded fourteenth- Aerial view image courtesy of Dean Barkley century activity and a possible boundary ditch. On the north side, we recorded a pit, with further COBHAM LANDSCAPE evidence for early fourteenth-century activity. The village itself is stubbornly refusing to reveal any earlier medieval activity. The church dates to the DETECTIVES 12th century, but we have yet to see this early date in the wider village archaeology. There is also no sign, as yet, of earlier Saxon, Roman or Prehistory Welcome to the latest Cobham Landscape Detectives Investigations kicked off in June, with a number