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Monument details

HER Number:TR 26 NW 49
Type of record:Monument
Name:Medieval Salt mound

Summary

On the Chislet Marshes, part of the old Wantsum Channel which

formerly divided Thanet from the mainland, are some 50 large mounds

Grid Reference:TR 2348 6759
Map Sheet:TR26NW
Parish:CHISLET, CANTERBURY, KENT

Monument Types

Protected Status:Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England: Medieval salt mound

Full description

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On the Chislet Marshes, part of the old Wantsum Channel which formerly divided Thanet from the mainland, are some 50 large mounds (area centred TR 239666) resembling the Md salt-working mounds of Seasalter (TR 06 SE 6) and the Isles of Sheppey and Harty. Althoughthe majority have been reduced by the plough many still rise to over 3.0m in height and in some instances to over 350m in length; with a few exceptions they are situated in the middle of the channel which must have reached an advanced state of silting when they were formed. Burnt earth and oyster shells occur on all the mounds and 13th/14th c pottery fragments (identified by S E Rigold) were found on some of them. The process used was to wash brine from sludge collected from areas flooded during the spring tides and then to obtain the salt through evaporation by boiling. The waste sludge was dumped and in time formed large and conspicuous mounds (a). In Domesday the Archbishop of St Augustines, Canterbury is recorded as having 47 salt-pans yielding 50 loads of salt at Chislet; (b) also listed are five saltpans at Reculver, one at Monkton and two at Wickhambreux (c). Fifteen Saltcotes are mentioned amongst the tithes of the vicar of Chislet in 1345 (d). Published 25" survey revised. (For the 30 other salt-mounds in the Wantsum Channel see TR 26 SE 2 - 5, TR 26 SW 24, 25, TR 26 NW 30,31). Note: Within recent weeks a start has been made on the complete razing of the mounds near to the Thanet Way - area centred TR 233675. The saltmound situated at TR 2338 6756 has been destroyed by a bulldozer. (1) [The large number of saltmounds in this area have been numbered separately into individual groups. See TR 26 NW 29, 48, 50-53]. (1-5). Additional references (6,7) and for site in context with others in inter-tidal zone, see (8) and site photograph (9,10).


<1> Md Arch 5 1961 346-8 (M W Thompson) (OS Card Reference). SKE46641.

<2> VCH Kent 3 1932 243-4 (OS Card Reference). SKE51120.

<3> VCH Kent 3 1932 211 216-7 232-3 (OS Card Reference). SKE51118.

<4> W Thorne Chronicles of St Augustines, Canterbury 1934 554 (A H Davis) (OS Card Reference). SKE51255.

<5> F1 FCW 04.11.63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42876.

<6> Field report for monument TR 26 NW 38 - November, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5873.

<7> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, Canterbury Sites and Monuments Record, 49 (Index). SWX11836.

<8> Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, 1994, Inter-tidal archaeology in Kent, p 32 (Unpublished document). SWX9353.

<9> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9464.

<10> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9459.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
<1>OS Card Reference: Md Arch 5 1961 346-8 (M W Thompson).
<2>OS Card Reference: VCH Kent 3 1932 243-4.
<3>OS Card Reference: VCH Kent 3 1932 211 216-7 232-3.
<4>OS Card Reference: W Thorne Chronicles of St Augustines, Canterbury 1934 554 (A H Davis).
<5>OS Card Reference: F1 FCW 04.11.63.
<6>Bibliographic reference: Field report for monument TR 26 NW 38 - November, 1963.
<7>XYIndex: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. Canterbury Sites and Monuments Record. 49. [Mapped feature: #50704 Salt mound, ]
<8>Unpublished document: Department of Archaeology, University of Reading. 1994. Inter-tidal archaeology in Kent. p 32.
<9>Photograph (Print): 1946. Photograph. 4039. print.
<10>Photograph (Print): 1946. Photograph. 4022. print.