Environmental archaeology at Shorne

This week we’ve had Archaeology South-East at Shorne to take a look at the fish ponds associated with Randall Manor.

They’ve taken core samples, to a depth of 120cm, of the separate ponds and will report back to us with findings. Hopefully there will be some clues to help us date the structures.

Update (8/11/2024) : The banks were extremely tough to auger through, but we ended up with six samples taken away for further analysis. The top pond had two metres of ‘suspended sediment’ over a metre of alluvial deposit – that we did not bottom…so when you visualise Randall Manor, imagine the top round pond having 3m + of water in it? This could mean that larger fish were being bred in the pond? All fascinating stuff.

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Halloween at Shorne

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Shorne documentary in the works

This week the SWAG team spent an enjoyable day being filmed by Finn MacDiarmid for a future, 15 minute documentary on the park’s archaeology and history. We visited the clayworks, RAF camp, our new dig site, Randall Manor, the Heath and the finds team to talk about the projects we run and some of our key finds from the park.

Once we have the link to the film, we will share it with you!

Shorne filming
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Gravesend Community Consultation

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Medway History

SWAG will be holding a display at the Medway History Showcase this year. The venue is the Royal Engineers Museum, Gillingham on the 5th October. There is free entry for pre-booked tickets.

The event will showcase local history groups and national societies. There will be talks throughout the day, including:

  • Adam Taylor – ‘Almost Lost Islands of the Medway Estuary”
  • Jason Mazzocchi – ‘Memory and Identity in the North Kent Mariner communities.’
  • Stuart Bligh – ‘William Harrison the clipper ship captain’
  • Dr Diane Heath – ‘The lost Bestiary Animals of Rochester.”
  • Orders and Medals Research Society, Kent Branch – TBC
  • Dr Martin Watts – ‘Innocence Lost: Kent and the Battle of the Somme.”
  • CWGC – ‘Lost at Sea – The Chatham Naval Memorial.’
  • Steve Davis – Military Grave Restorer

For further details, and to pre-book your tickets, please go to the Royal Engineers Museum website.

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