Romney Marsh: the Debatable Ground (ed. J. Eddison), OUCA Monograph 41, 1995

5. : The Fieldwalking Evidence

Anne Reeves

Introduction A programme of fieldwalking was carried out on Romney confirms activity in the region but archaeological evidence Marsh between 1989 and 1991. The work was almost of Saxon and Early Medieval occupation has hitherto exclusively confined to the Romney Marsh Level, which been sparse. Romney Marsh is well documented in the is only one of the marshes which make up the geographical Middle Ages but again details of the extent and nature of region known as Romney Marsh. settlement are lacking and little is known about the timing Fieldwalking involves the systematic collection and and progress of later depopulation. From the 16th century analysis of artefacts from the surface of cultivated fields. on, the Marsh became famous for sheep keeping and Former patterns of settlement and land use can be detected much information about the history of the area was sealed by scatters of pottery and other material and even by under a carpet of permanant pasture which lay undisturbed variations in soil colour and texture. The purpose was until the 20th century. primarily to test the usefulness of fieldwalking as a Today Romney Marsh is predominantly an arable research tool and only secondly to gain new, specific farming area but much of the land has been under the information about Romney Marsh. Therefore a variety of plough for less than 30 years and the archaeological methods were used in order to produce comparative data material in the ploughsoil has only been recently disturbed. and the presentation of results is not as straightforward as The Marsh therefore provides excellent scope for it might have been; but those results have nonetheless fieldwalking. Many fields have yielded large numbers of proved to be very exciting. pottery sherds, building debris is clearly visible on the Fieldwalking is particularly useful in areas which lack fields' surface and, because of the extremely flat landscape, other sources of historical evidence e.g. where there are artefacts remain well clustered at the site of deposition. heavy clay soils which are unresponsive to aerial Best results are obtained when fieldwalking takes place photography, or where documentary and other on bare land in winter where the soil surface is well archaeological evidence is scant, or where these sources weathered. Initially land was chosen for survey on this provide conflicting evidence. In Essex and basis, that is, only those fields which provided ideal Northamptonshire fieldwalking has consistently revealed conditions for fieldwalking. This severely limited the evidence of Romano-British settlement in areas of heavy amount of land available since so many crops are autumn soil once thought to have been first cleared and colonised sown. Subsequently work continued in units based on in the late Saxon and Medieval periods (Rodwell 1978; kilometre squares selected from the O.S. 1:25000 map, Foard 1980; Williamson 1984). adding to the area already walked and ensuring that Romney Marsh has always been a dynamic environment fieldwalking took place in a variety of conditions and and consequently the development and succession of situations, which were always carefully recorded. These human settlement and land use has been complex and included areas of land on both "old" decalcified and difficult to chart. For a long time it has been generally "newer" calcareous soils (Fig. 5.1). believed that parts of the Marsh were sufficiently Altogether 265ha of land were surveyed in detail. Of elevated and well drained by the first century to allow this 119ha was surveyed intensively using a grid system some Roman settlement to take place, seasonal or and 145ha was line walked. Statistically this is a small otherwise. Roman finds to date have been confined to the sample. Romney Marsh Level is an area of around areas of "older" decalcified soils as compared to "newer" 10,000ha and the whole Romney Marsh region amounts calcareous soils, according to the definition of the Soil to nearly 27,000 ha; but it is a sufficient sample to provide Survey (Green 1968). Documentary evidence in the form a clear indication of the extent and character of past of Saxon land charters from the seventh century onwards activities in the region. Romney Marsh: The Fieldwalking Evidence 79

Fig. 5.1. Rornney Marsh Level: areas surveyed in detail on a base of "Older"and "Newer" soils as outlined by Green (1968).

Where the grid system was used, fields were divided case of three fields where the lines were 25m apart), so into 25m squares aligned with the national grid. Each apart from these exceptions coverage remained consistent square was numbered and walked through twice so the with the gridded areas but the lines were orientated in the lines walked werel2.5m apart within the grid. Finds from direction of the sown crop. When line-walking, isolated each square were bagged separately. This method enabled sherds were noted but not collected. Significant the density of pottery scatters to be plotted accurately on concentrations of pottery were marked on the field plan, the field plan thereby locating occupation or industrial sites then rewalked and samples collected and bagged according of different periods and also establishing background to line number. The usefulness of line-walking is limited manuring levels. It is generally agreed among archaeologists because the distribution of artefacts within the field cannot that stray pottery sherds can be deposited by manuring, and be accurately plotted, but it did enable the location and examination of their distribution enables areas of past dating of settlement sites which would not have been arable land use to be identified (Hayfield 1980; Le Patourel discovered otherwise. 1980; Wilkinson 1982; Brown 1987). As well as this area of detailed survey where systematic When fields were sown with a crop they were line- fieldwalking was carried out, a number of chance walked using a series of lines 12.5m apart (except in the archaeological finds have been made during the course of 80 Anne Reeves other fieldwork in the area. These were added to the record It was also possible to record the extent of medieval as incidental finds and range from a single medieval jug arable cultivation within the area of detailed survey by handle to a substantial site yielding more than 500 sherds plotting the background pottery scatters that were deposited of pottery. This meant that altogether there were finds from when this land was worked and manured in the Middle a total of 19 parishes as shown in Figure 5.2 (including Ages. There was evidence of manuring over 181ha of the some former parishes; the 19th century parish boundaries detailed survey area. That is 68% of the total area (265ha). were used throughout this study but some of these have Where the grid system was used it was possible to break subsequently been reorganised and the names lost). this figure down even further. Differential manuring levels Altogether archaeological finds have been recorded at 103 were revealed by counting the density of the background locations in the Romney Marsh area, 95 of which are within pottery scatter. At this stage it is only possible to speculate the Romney Marsh Level, and almost all were previously about the significance of the different manuring levels, but unknown. these figures provide an interesting basis for discussion and Decisions about occupation site definitions are inevitably clearly more work needs to be done. problematical. In this study distinct concentrations of 25 or more pottery sherds in an area of 25m2 were recorded as a Settlement Dates Indicated by the Pottery site; concentrations of less than 25 sherds per 25m2 but where there was other evidence of occupation (such as A detailed fabric analysis was not within the scope of this building materials or food refuse) were recorded as possible project. Instead pottery was divided into broad groups of sites. All other isolated finds were recorded simply as wares for dating and recording. The main purpose of findspots. This is essentially a flexible definition because cataloguing the material was to suggest dating for of the differing conditions under which fieldwalking took settlement in the area. place, the varying lengths of time each field has been under A gazetteer of all the collected material has been the plough and quantitive differences in the material culture compiled and the distribution of sites and findspots has of the different historical periods. been chronologically mapped at a scale of 1:25000 as Using these criteria, within the area of detailed survey part of a series of map overlays. This has enabled the there were 46 sites and possible sites and 31 findspots information gained from fieldwalking to be studied within recorded. And altogether there were 82 sites and possible the context of its relationship to other significant landscape sites, and 71 findspots. Many of these showed continuous features in the area, and to the areas of "old" and "new" occupation through several periods. marshland as defined by the Soil Survey.

I lvychurch K Kenard~ngton NH Newlngton-next-Hyihe Or

Sv Snave W Warehome WH West Hythe WO Woodchurch

Detached porttons of panshee

Fig. 5.2. Romney Marsh Level showing mid-19th century parishes and their detached portions. Source: Tithe maps of Romney Marsh parishes c. 1840. Romney Marsh: The Fieldwalking Evidence 8 1

A total of 17,378 sherds of pottery were collected Roman altogether, as shown in Table 5.1. Roman pottery was found at 20 new locations in the Romney Marsh Level (Fig. 5.3). Previously Roman artefacts Table 5.1. Quantity and Dates of the Pottery Sherds from Romney Marsh have only been found beneath the present soil surface on the "older" decalcified soil areas, 803 Roman (including 2 late Iron Age sherds usually as a result of some accidental disturbance. For c.BC 50-25 AD) example, at Jesson Farm, St.Mary-in-the-Marsh, habitation 32 Saxon (pre 1050) on an older surface was proved by pottery debris and 7 114 Early Medieval (1050-1250) charcoal found at depths of between 37cm and 75cm (Green 1968,27). An extensive saltworking site in the 5688 Medieval (1250-140011450) former Romney Marsh parish of Snave first came to light 2 15 1 Later Medieval (1400150- 1500150) in this way as a result of ditch maintenance, found by the 1590 Post medieval (1550-c. 1900) author in 1988. Briquetage from this site is on display at Folkestone Museum. But the fieldwalking has subsequently 17,378 Total number of sherds discovered surface Roman finds where there was no sign of deep soil disturbance. Most surprising of all was the fact

Fig. 5.3. Roman sites and find-spots. 82 Anne Reeves that fieldwalking discovered Roman pottery on "newer" There was evidence of extensive saltworking in the calcareous soils at five locations in Romney Marsh. Snave area along the margins of the "old" soil area there. At Most Roman finds were from the first and second one site over 200 fragments of briquetage were collected. centuries and the bulk of the material was coarse grog Today this area is 7 km (nearly 5 miles) from the sea. tempered "Belgic" or Romano-British pottery (similar to Patchgrove and East Sussex Ware) but there were also some finer wares including Black Burnished Wares, Saxon (pre 1050) Samian and pottery of Upchurch, North type. The Late Saxon pottery dating from the 10th and early l lth earliest pottery was found on "old" soil at Burmarsh. This centuries was found at 10 locations on the Romney Marsh dated from between c.BC 50 and 25 AD which is strictly Level, six of these being on "old" decalcified soils and four speaking Late Iron Age, but as only two sherds were on the "newer" calcareous soils (see Fig. 5.4). Most of recovered they were not recorded as a distinct category. these locations also had early medieval pottery and many The latest finds from the period, pottery from the third of these early sites could be distinguished on the ground by century, was found at four locations - also exclusively on the presence of a spread of dark soil. Exclusively medieval "older" decalcified soils. sites tended to be much more compact and could be located

Key as for Fig.3

62 W 06 U7 08 09 10

Fig. 5.4. Saxon sites andfind-spots. Romney Marsh: The Fieldwalking Evidence 83 by clearly visible concentrations of shingle, tile and other produced seventh to ninth century material (Woodcock building materials. These features represent different 1988,185). methods of building and different modes of living. The Saxon pottery included both shell and chalk filled fabrics as well as other coarse sandy and gritty wares. Early Medieval (1050-1 250) Dating of the Saxon pottery has been cautious. There is Quantities of Early Medieval pottery were found all over clear evidence of 10th century occupation even on the the Marsh - 7 114 sherds of pottery were collected which "new" soil areas in Newchurch parish but some of the dated from between 1050 and 1250. A total of 64 Early pottery might be eighth or ninth century. Recent work in Medieval sites and possible sites were recorded and other areas has resulted in coarse shell tempered wares altogether Early Medieval pottery was found at 83 locations being dated increasingly earlier, and it may well be that spread indiscriminately across the Marsh (Fig. 5.5). some of the pottery currently being recorded in the Early Fabrics ranged from coarse shell and flint tempered Medieval category here will subsequently prove to have local wares to hard sandy pottery much of which originated originated before the Conquest. The only previously known from Canterbury. There were also finer French imports Saxon site on Romney Marsh, Sandtun at West Hythe, including northern French sandy grey pottery and 84 Anne Reeves

Beauvaisis red painted ware. Scarborough phase 1 fabric at this date included Scarborough, Surrey and London dating from between c.1135 and 1225 was also found. pottery and Saintonge ware from south west France.

Medieval (1250 - 1400/1450) Later Medieval (1400/1450 - 1500/1550) A total of 5688 sherds of Medieval pottery were found There was significantly less pottery collected (only 2151 from 85 locations on the Marsh (Fig. 5.6). A total of 52 sherds) that could be specifically dated to the late 15th medieval sites and possible sites were recorded. Local and early 16th centuries. Later Medieval pottery was sandy fabrics accounted for much of this pottery but large found at 52 locations on the Marsh but only 15 distinctly quantities of Pink Wealden ware were found all over the Later Medieval sites and possible sites were recorded Marsh, and also significant amounts of Rye and other (Fig. 5.7). Much of this pottery was Wealden. Examples Sussex pottery. Pottery was also continuing to reach the from Hareplain, an early 16th-century kiln at , Marsh from a variety of locations outside south-eastEngland Kent, and Spilstead, East Sussex were found; also Later presumably through the port of Romney. Non-local pottery Medieval pottery from Tyler Hill, Canterbury was found

I I I 0,l 0-2 0'3 0-4 0,s v6 d7 0.6 0.9 I'o

Fig. 5.6. Medieval sites andfind-spots. Romney Marsh: The Fieldwalking Evidence 85 at two locations. Small amounts of Later Medieval pottery century pottery have been found on the Marsh, including from further afield came from Surrey and London, along both stonewares and tin-glazed earthenwares. Post with a few early continental imports. medieval pottery from London was also found, and quantities of 18th and 19th century red earthenware Post Medieval (1550-c. 1900) Wealden pottery. Post Medieval pottery (totalling 1590 sherds) was found at 63 locations on the Marsh. Much of this came from the The Sources of the Pottery manuring of small pockets of old arable land although at Where did it all come from? No kilns were found within the some earlier sites occupation continued into the 16th and survey area on the Romney Marsh Level and yet most of the 17th centuries before they were abandoned. These can be material must have had a local origin. In the Medieval confirmed by reference to the manuscript maps which period the nearest known kiln site was at Potters Corner, belonged to the Romney Marsh Corporation and which Ashford (Grove and Warhurst 1952). Unfortunately it was are now held at the Centre for Kentish Studies (Eddison not possible to identify and isolate material from this 1988, 186). Some good examples of continental 16th source at the outset of the project although this kiln, located

U I 01 0.2 0'3 d4 V5 08 d7 ov8 0.9 1'0

Fig. 5.7. Later Medieval sites and find-spots. 86 Anne Reeves

only 15km (9 miles) to the north, almost certainly must because rates of decalcification could depend on a large have been supplying Romney Marsh in the late 12th and number of variables. 13th centuries. Subsequently examples were noted from The location of Roman finds on the "newer" calcareous around 20 Romney Marsh sites although too late to be soils on the Romney Marsh Level is of crucial importance recorded as a distinct category within this study. The final to furthering our knowledge of this period (see Fig. 5.8). total is likely to be considerably higher, and it is now This material was dated exclusively to the first and second probable that this kiln was an important ceramic source for centuries and there were no substantial concentrations Romney Marsh in the Early Medieval period. It is also very here, only odd sherds. This may be because cultivation likely that there was pottery production in or around the has not disturbed the soil deeply enough to turn up deposits town of New Romney in the Middle Ages but no conclusive of this date in any quantity yet, or it may be because the evidence has yet been found. original deposits were scant. In other regions evidence of Non-local pottery from Canterbury, London, Rye, this kind might be interpreted as Roman manuring, Scarborough, Surrey, Sussex and the Weald was clearly indicating arable land adjacent to settlement areas identified. Also imports from Belgium, France, Germany (Williamson 1984). Here, in this location deposition is and the Netherlands were found, as shown in Table 5.2. more likely to have come from other activities, probably seasonal or temporary exploitation of this central area of Table 5.2. calcareous marshland, although the possibility of Sources of non-local Pottery found on Romney Marsh. cultivation cannot be completely ruled out. Clearly these finds suggest favourable conditions here in the first and Sources of the Pottery Number of Locations second centuries, both environmentally, and economically and socially; with the existence of a land a) surface at that date which subsequently became inundated The Weald again, perhaps for centuries. This does not necessarily contradict the accepted Rye Canterbury interpretation of the Soil Survey but cautions against Sussex adopting too rigid an approach. Fieldwalking has helped Surrey to bring the picture into a clearer focus, but the picture Scarborough remains consistent with existing evidence of changing London conditions in the later second and third centuries with the area probably adversely affected by raids and rising sea b) Continental levels. The shore fort at Lympne was abandoned in the Germany mid fourth century and excavation has revealed the North France existence of a shoreline 2m below the present level of the Belgium Marsh. It has been suggested that rising sea levels caused South-west France silting which continued through the fourth and fifth Netherlands centuries, possibly also temporarily affecting some of the "old" soil areas especially in the east (Cunliffe 1980,259; Note: This does not include imports dating from the Roman 1988). The only pottery dating from the third century was period. found at , , Orgarswick and Snave, all "old" soil and presumably less vulnerable areas, and no artefacts dating later than the mid third century were found. A high level of activity over the whole area in the Analysis and Interpretation first and second centuries is emphasised by evidence of a The pottery recovered by fieldwalking has provided a flourishing saltmaking industry around the edges of tidal wealth of new information about the history of Romney creeks on the margins of "old" soils west of Newchurch Marsh; about the evolution of the Marsh landscape and in Snave parish. about the people who lived and worked there for the last 2000 years; but how should this evidence be interpreted? Saxon Settlement Opinions about the Saxon period are harder to reconcile. Roman Settlement In 1968 Green concluded that the "new" calcareous land Previous research has taken the distinction between the must have been colonised by the 10th century (Green two soil types to indicate the approximate divide between 1968,16,36). Cunliffe (1980,259) accepted this date in dry land and tidal marsh in the early centuries of the the 1980s but matters did not rest there. In 1989 Witney Roman period. Christopher Green warned in the first used the Domesday valuations to argue that the draining Romney Marsh monograph (Green 1988,169) that this and settlement of the area around Newchurch must have interpretation might prove to be "an oversimplification", taken place in the period immediately following the Romney Marsh: The Fieldwalking Evidence 87

Older' so~ls Roman finds f Likely directions of drainage .. Newei soils Newer" soils now suggested as + Present-day Newchurch (Green 1968) land surface in 1st and 2nd c.

Fig. 5.8. Suggested Roman topography.

Conquest (Witney 1989,37). However Tatton-Brown since Newchurch gave its name to one of the four hundreds found evidence to suggest that a church at Newchurch whose territory lay entirely within the Marsh. (not the present one) was probably built in the mid 10th Aerial photographs of the calcareous marshland reveal century (Tatton-Brown 1989,255). A church was recorded a patchwork of tiny irregular fields within a framework of at Newchurch in the 11th century in the Domesday boundaries clearly extending from and aligned to those Monachorum (Douglas 1944,78) and according to Brooks on the "old" soil areas. Thus the direction of colonisation (1988,94) this new church was probably in existence by is clear and Saxon finds discovered by fieldwalking have the date of the establishment of the hundredal system helped to date this process of inning and colonisation as (generally believed to be around the mid-tenth century) the tidal area associated with the Limen channel contracted. Anne Reeves

_L L A-- -L --S,- -

a-* A

+ Churches today N Newchurch

St.M St. Mary-in-

'Older'soils Newer soils now suggested as f Likely drainage channels land surface In 10th century "Newer' soils .' Newer" soils apparently not (Green 1968) settled until 11th century

Fig. 5.9.Suggested Saxon topography.

Again it is the locations of the finds that are so important relatively small and well controlled. Furthermore, it (Fig. 5.9). Pottery from the eighth to 10th century was appears that a bar of dry land could have formed across found on "old" soils, on marginal areas between "old" the mouth of the lagoon area parallel with the northern and "new" soils and also in the centre of the "newer" shore of the Limen river at an early date. This would have calcareous land close to Newchurch. This is clear new eventually cut off and left behind it to the south an area evidence of settlement of the area at that date, and indicates of marshy poorly drained land. Tithe maps show that this that the process of inning and reclaiming must have been area of calcareous marshland south of Newchurch, east of well under way. If the Limen was still functioning as a Ivychurch and west of St. Mary-in-the-Marsh contained a tidal channel in the 10th century then it must have been number of small detached parts of parishes suggesting a Romney Marsh: The Fieldwalking Evidence 89

probable late date for reclamation here, which hitherto the possibility that less pottery was deposited anyway at has been difficult to explain (see Fig. 5.2). this time because contemporary domestic utensils were Fieldwalking evidence has therefore helped towards being made of other materials. There were a few new and understanding the chronology of settlement of the "newer" exclusively Later Medieval sites but generally the trend of calcareous soil areas of Romney Marsh by distinguishing decline is unmistakeable. and locating differential phases of activity. Taken as a whole, occupation sites of the medieval The scenario leaves us with many tantalising questions. period are spread fairly uniformly across the landscape. The presence of salt houses and a fishery at Eastbridge at The picture is overwhelmingly one of an area of scattered the time of Domesday suggest a salt water channel still in or dispersed settlement with a population far higher than existence there by the l lth century (Morgan 1983,9,10). that of today. Calculations based on the area of intensive This might have been a small tidal creek, the last trace of survey show an average of one site or possible site for the Limen river, or alternatively this industry might have every 6ha (or 15 acres) of land. been located along the Dymchurch shoreline where Not surprisingly this level of population required a Eastbridge Manor is known to have also held land great deal of arable land and fieldwalking evidence shows (Teichman-Derville 1936,103). that 68% of the detailed survey area was manured during But what of the significance of the name Eastbridge? the medieval period (see Table 5.3). And the place-name Westbregge located in the west of If the land within the Parish of Orgarswick is excluded Newchurch parish close to the border with ? then this average rises to 82%. Fieldwalking shows Were these crossings over the Limen from north to south? Orgarswick to be exceptional in two ways. This was a tiny Or east to west crossings linking old land to a relatively parish of only 162ha (just over 400 acres) much of which new but firm, dry, settled island of land centred around belonged to Canterbury Cathedral Priory throughout the Newchurch? Middle Ages. There were no occupation sites on the land known to have belonged to the monks but settlement was notably clustered around the borders of their land. Medieval Settlement Secondly, only 18% of the known monastic lands were In the Medieval period a few places showed continuity of manured compared to 4 1% of the rest of the surveyed land occupation over the whole period but it was the Early in that parish. Documentary records from Christ Church Medieval period (1050-1 250) which produced the greatest show that dairying and sheep keeping were important on quantity of pottery and the most sites. This suggests that the Manor of Orgarswick (Smith 1943,153) and fieldwalking population in the region had reached its highest levels confirms that the monks were practising specialised farming before 1250 and that thereafter it declined only gradually on Romney Marsh in the Medieval period, pursuing a until c. 1450, after which date a sharp decline set in. Probably distinct land-management policy which contrasted with the the population level of the Marsh was more closely linked activities of the surrounding peasant smallholdings. Here to the successful functioning of the Port of Romney than to fieldwalking evidence balances a potentially distorted any other single factor (Reeves, forthcoming). Adverse historical picture which can emerge when documentary weather in the second half of the 13th century and famine evidence alone (and especially ecclesiastical evidence) is and disease in the 14th century simply compounded existing used as the sole basis for inference about the wider medieval difficulties. Later Medieval depopulation might not have population and its activities. been as abrupt as the pottery evidence indicates because The extraordinary stability of the Romney Marsh other factors need to be taken into account, most importantly landscape is demonstrated by plotting sites from the

Table 5.3. Medieval manuring over area of detailed survey: summary of statistics.

Orgarswick Parish Romney Marsh Romney Marsh Area of Detailed Known Monastic Non-Monastic as a Whole excluding Orgarswick Survey Lands Lands

Area 265.1 ha 172.8 ha 92.3 ha 37.9 ha 54.4 ha Area Manured 181.3 ha 142.8 ha 38.5 ha 7.0 ha 31.5 ha Percentage Manured 68.3% 82.6% 41.7% 18.5% 57.9%

Note: Three categories were used to record this manuring evidence Category l (S+ sherds per ha) ...... occured on 53.8 ha (30%) of manured land Category 11 (2-7 sherds per ha) ...... occured on 33.1 ha (18%) of manured land Category I11 (Background scatter, uncounted)...... occured on 94.4 ha (52%) of manured land 90 Anne Reeves

Source: Great and Little Bilsington, Walsfoot and Sheatie Waterings (part 1653. Thomas Boycot. Centre for Kentish Studies S/RM P2/1

Fig. 5.10. Land in the north-east of Newchurch parish beside Honeywood Lane. Thisfine 17th century manuscript map shows Mr Chayer's house (arrowed) and lands. No trace of the /louse is found on later maps. but fieldwork has confirmed a site here dating from the Medieval period. Field gateways still exist by the site, and the current OS 1:25000 map shows a public footpath connecting it with another site to the east. Although the internal field boundaries were re-aligned in the 1970s, the original layout of the land can still be traced and the essential framework of the landscape remains unchanged.

Footpaths Source: 0s 1:25000 1982 edition (selective extract). medieval period onto maps at the 1:25000 scale (Figure trackways. Where a site is found in the middle of a field, 5.10 is an example of this). Sites fit comfortably into the reference to older manuscript maps or aerial photographs present day network of lanes and field boundaries. They are usually show an adjacent but now lost field boundary. The where you would expect them to be - a few metres from an remarkable permanence of the framework of the Romney existing field gateway; beside the start or finish of a public Marsh landscape - a landscape which feels ancient and in footpath; sometimes grouped along the edges of lanes or map outline looks ancient - is thus confirmed. Romney Marsh: The Fieldwalking Evidence 9 1

Post Medieval Settlement just for local enthusiasts. So much is unique and exceptional about the Marsh but the implications of this In the Post Medieval period some fine examples of "uniqueness" are of national importance. imported pottery were found. Documentary sources give Above all, this project has provided pointers for future the impression of an unhealthy isolated rural backwater work, highlighting areas of special interest where further peopled only with a few "lookers" working for absentee study, more detailed field survey and archaeological landlords at this date (Lambarde 1926,180-1 8 1) (Hasted excavation can most fruitfully take place. 1972,469-470). There can be no doubt that the Marsh became increasingly depopulated through the 16th and 17th centuries, although the pottery evidence shows that Acknowledgements some successful yeoman farmers must have remained This work was undertaken as part of the research for a resident there. doctoral thesis funded by the British Academy. It was also supported by a small grant from the Romney Marsh Conclusions Research Trust. This project has demonstrated the potential of fieldwalking For help with pottery identification, my thanks are due for the study of settlement and landscapes over the ages. to Jessica Vale of Kent County Museum Service, David It has revealed that what is today a rather bleak and Kelly of Maidstone Museum, Mark Gardiner from the empty tract of agricultural land was once peopled by a University of London and especially Nigel Macpherson- thriving populous community in the Middle Ages; and Grant who gave so much of his own time, and other how even a thousand years before that, people worked members of Canterbury Archaeological Trust. and lived on the Marsh, exploiting and subtly but Thanks are also due to Tom Williamson, University of permanently shaping the land. East Anglia, and Miss Eleanor Vollans for help and advice; Fieldwalking has shown what an extraordinarily and to Romney Marsh farmers for their co-operation and valuable resource the Romney Marsh landscape is, not support during the initial fieldwork.

References Brooks, N. 1988: Romney Marsh in the Early Middle Ages. In Directorate of Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings, Eddison, J. and Green, C. (editors), Romney Marsh: Evolution, Occasional Paper No 2, 26-33. Occupation, Reclamation. OUCA Monograph 24, 90-104. Lambarde, W. 1926: A Perambulation of Kent Conteining the Brown, A. 1987: Fieldwork ,for Archaeologists and Local Description, Historie and Custornes of that Shire. Historians (Batsford). Le Patourel, Jean H.E. 1980: Fieldwalking at Collingham, West Cunliffe, B. 1980: Excavations at the Roman fort, Lympne, Yorkshire, in Hayfield C. (editor), Fieldwalking as a Method of Britannia, 1 1, 227-288. Archaeological Research, Directorate of Ancient Monuments Cunliffe, B. 1988: Romney Marsh in the Roman Period. In Eddison, and Historic Buildings, Occasional Paper No 2, 13-19. J. and Green, C. (editors), Romney Marsh: Evolution, Morgan, P. 1983: Domesday Book: Kent (Phillimore). Occupation, Reclamation. OUCA Monograph 24, 83-87. Reeves, A. (forthcoming): The Historical Development of Romney Douglas, C.C. 1944: The Domesday Monachorum of Christ Church Marsh: Field Survey, Landscape and Documentary Study, Canterbury (London). unpublished PhD thesis, University of East Anglia. Eddison, J. 1988: Early maps of the Romney Marsh area. In Rodwell, W. 1978: Relict landscapes in Essex, in Bowen H.C.and Eddison, J. and Green, C. (editors), Romney Marsh: Evolution, Fowler P.J. (editors), Early Land Allotment, BAR, Oxford, Occupation, Reclamation. OUCA Monograph 24, 186. 89-98. Foard, G. 1980: The recovery of archaeological information by Smith, R.A.L. 1943: Canterbury Cathedral Priory, a study in systematic fieldwalking: Research in Northamptonshire and Monastic Administration (Cambridge). Bedfordshire, in Hayfield C. (editor), Fieldwalking as a Method Tatton-Brown, T. 1989: Church building on Romney Marsh in the ofArchaeologica1 Research, Directorate of Ancient Monuments later Middle Ages, Arch. Cant. 107, 253-266. and Historic Buildings, Occasional Paper No 2, 34-40. Teichman-Derville, M. 1936: The Level and Liberty of Romney Green, C. 1988: Paleogeography of marine inlets of the Romney Marsh (Ashford). Marsh area. In Eddison, J. and Green, C. (editors), Romney Wilkinson, T. 1982: The definition of ancient manured zones by Marsh: Evolution, Occupation, Reclamation. OUCA means of extensive sherd sampling techniques, Journal of Field Monograph 24, 167-174. Archaeology, 9, 323-333. Green, R.D. 1968: Soils of Romney Marsh, Soil Survey of Great Williamson, T.M. 1984: "The Roman countryside: Settlement and Britain, Bulletin 4 (Harpenden). Agriculture in N. W. Essex," Britannia, 15, 225-230. Grove, L.R.A. and Warhurst, A. 1952: A thirteenth century kiln Witney, K.P. 1989: Development of the Kentish marshes in the site at Ashford, Arch.Cant. 65, 183-187. aftermath of the Norman Conquest, Arch.Cant. 107, 29-50. Hasted, E. 1972: The History and Topographical Survey of the Woodcock, A. 1988: Gazetteer of Prehistoric, Roman and Saxon County of Kent, vo1.8. sites in Romney Marsh and the surrounding area. In Eddison, J. Hayfield, C. 1980: Wharram Percy Parish Survey, in Hayfield C. and Green, C. (editors), Romney Marsh: Evolution, Occupation, (editor), Fieldwalking as a Method of Archaeological Research, Reclamation. OUCA Monograph 24, 177-185.