The Classics and Archaeology Department at the University of Kent have a series of public lectures that have just begun that might interest you all. See the posters below for details.
Unfortunately we have some sad news for all friends of Shorne Woods and those who have volunteered at the park over the past 10+ years. We have lost a couple of treasured team members during the year.
Dennis Rozier, much loved archaeology volunteer, supporter of all our projects at the park, and latterly volunteer in the sensory garden and cafe, passed away recently. We celebrated his 90th birthday at the Park in 2020, when he was still a regular presence in the café, providing an ear and much love and support to all who met him. Andrew remembers him fondly as a new volunteer in the early years of Randall, when he was in his late 70s! He then toured people around the site and assisted with all the school groups. His tours around the site were legendary, full of tall tales and good humour, never letting a dry archaeology fact get in the way of a good story. He always had a twinkle in his eye…
We also lost Roger Hornsby earlier in the year, AKA “Roger2”. Roger joined the SWAG team about 10 years ago. Although having some health issues he through himself into the melee with all the organisation and zeal you would expect from someone with a military background. He expertly crafted the shovel and spade stand now in use in the shed. He always carried a full pack, in all weathers, and could be relied on to carry out any task without question. He was a man who was fully equipped for all eventualities. Over lunch he would regale us with stories of his military service and, later, as a volunteer on the Talyllyn Railway in his native Wales. Roger could, as the old saying goes, talk the hind leg off a donkey. What he didn’t know about anything wasn’t worth knowing!
In the trenches I joined Michael, who does a lot of work at Scadbury Manor, Kent. This is the site of medieval manorial estate in the Greater London Area. The first family to settled on the estate around 1200 AD, and by 1301 John De Scathebury was the richest man in Chislehurst. The manor estate from that time included fields and woodland, as it still does today.
In 1982 the Orpington and District Archaeological Society began a reserach project into the history of the site and excavations began in 1986. A number of excavations have taken place since then and during Covid lockdowns the site remained open at times for the public to enjoy socially distanced visits.
If you’d like to visit the site or join the team of volunteers in excavation (training given), finds processing, gardening and public events then visit their website and get in touch: http://www.odas.org.uk/
A new tour of Shorne Woods is beginning to shape up.
Roger Cockett, our local historian, has put together a schedule that covers the archaeology and history of the Park. The current tour covers the western half of the Park and takes in elements of the ‘Great Down’, the sites of Randall Manor, Randall Bottom Farm, the medieval windmill on Randall Heath and Randall Hall. Only the Farm is currently visible, with the other sites having no exposed features.
Roger recently lead a tour for the Faversham Society Archaeological Research Group. Here are a couple of photos from the day (with Roger supporting his shepherd’s crook).
Roger will trial a tour of the eastern half of the Park in the coming months.
We don’t have specific dates for future tours at this point but if you and a few friends would be interested in joining us, please let Andrew know and we can get back to you with any details. There are a couple of hills and everyone is advised to wear boots / shoes with treaded soles. The whole circuit takes about 90 minutes but there are a couple of short-cuts home in case anyone wants to break off early.
Work at Shorne slowed down recently as SWAG members have been involved in other local Kent and London projects during the summer, but we are on site again. A new finds sorting project has started and weather willing, we’ll be back at Shorne next Thursday and Friday.
