The plot thickens at our current dig site at the park.
We now have three walls and a stoke hole, plus a possible wicket gate! This is all supporting the idea that we have a late 18th-early 19th century industrial site, producing bricks, tiles and pavers! There’s a nice range of small finds and evidence for the military reuse of the area during WW2…
We also believe we have found part of the loading floor of the brick and tile kiln, surviving in one corner of the demolished structure. The photo below shows the NW of the kiln, with the remains of the floor and four courners of the superstructure. We currently date it to between the mid 18th to mid 19th centuries. This dating is based on evidence from claypipe bowls and map research.
The dig has so far revealed one area of the floor, two stokeholes and three walls. We hope to find the fourth wall next. Work will continue on-site across the winter, weather willing, on Thursdays and Fridays. If you’d like to get involved please contact us at SWAGkent2023@gmail.com
