In the spring of 2015 the Heritage Lottery gave Kent County Council funding for the Woodland Wildlife Hidden Histories Project. This enabled community archaeology to be undertaken at Rose Hill, Sittingbourne. Those involved included Grove Park Primary School, the North Downs Young Archaeologists Club, the Historic Research Group Sittingbourne and Shorne Woods Archaeology Group.
As part of the Project an initial two evaluation days looked at garden features and identified the walled garden at the house site along with a number of outbuildings. Initial excavation work was also carried out on a substantial outbuilding at the rear of the house. By the end of this day the YACs confirmed that part of the brick floor remained intact. Finds recovered included pottery and metal objects covering a chronology from c.1800 AD to the late 20th century.
From the 15th to the 18th June the Project performed further excavations. By the end of the period a number of phases had been established for the buildings – from a laid brick floor to concrete skimmed yard probably used as a garage for storage. Finds included bricks, metalwork, pottery, bone, shell, tiles and worked flint.
For more detail on the social history of the house at Rose Hill click here.
Bibliography:
- Mayfield, A. and Taylor, R., 2015. Schools and young people. Kent Archaeological Society Newsletter, winter 2015, pp.28-31.
- Cockett, R., 2015. Occupiers. Kent Archaeological Society Newsletter, winter 2015, pp.32-33.
