Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A mound at Kings Wood in Boughton Aluph has been identified as the site of a possible Neolithic long barrow. There is evidence of a mixture of flints at the site. The barrow measures 75m in length, 11m in width and 1.7m in height at the eastern end and 9m in width and 1m in height at the western end. There is no evidence of a ditch around the monument but it is scheduled as an ancient monument.

Monument Types

• LONG BARROW (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)

Full description

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TR 03314960 Long, low mound in Forestry Commission land Wye Forest, on the top of the Downs. (1) Surveyed at 1:2500. (2) Long mound of earth with a mixture of flints on southern spur of Soakham Downs, on chalk capped by clay with flints at about 550ft OD. Orientated approximately ESE-WNW, it measures 75m in length: 11m in width and 1.7m in height at the E end; 9m in width and 1.0m in height at the W end. No evidence of ditches to be seen. Trench (? excavation dug transversely across mound 18m from W end. Flank of mound higher and steeper on S side, lower on N side. Under re-afforestation. Orientation and appearance suggest a long barrow, but apparent absence of ditches, and difference in lateral heights of mound unusual, and preclude positive classification. (3) Boughton Aluph, a long barrow south-east of Jackets Field, scheduled. (4)
From the National Heritage List for England:
The Long Barrow is situated on level ground at the top of the North Downs scarp overlooking the valley of the Great Stour. It is oriented SE-NW, with the SE end broader and surviving to a greater height. The most distinctive feature of the monument is the elongated earthen mound, measuring some 70m in length and 10-12m in width. It stands to a height of 2m above the surrounding area at the SE end, and 1m at the NW end. Less obvious but nevertheless discernible are two long but shallow depressions alongside the mound which are now no more then 20-30cm deep but which are the filled-in remains of two deep flanking ditches, the same length as the mound itself, from which earth and chalk was quarried to make the mound. No excavations appear to have taken place at this monument, but its form is distinctively that of a Neolithic burial mound. Similar examples which have been excavated have shown that a burial chamber containing the remains of a number of individuals can be expected at the eastern end of the monument. The surface of the adjacent footpath/track, where it lies within the constraint area, is excluded from the scheduling although the ground below remains included. (7)

<1> Oral- F Bradshaw, Challock (OS Card Reference). SKE47919.

<2> F1 CFW 02-APR-70 (OS Card Reference). SKE42388.

<3> F2 ASP 06-APR-1970 (OS Card Reference). SKE43085.

<4> Field report for monument TR 04 NW 22 - April, 1970 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5165.

<5> DOE (IAM) Notification of scheduling & plan 17 7 74 (OS Card Reference). SKE40713.

<6> Field report on TR 04 NW 22 - 02-APR-1970 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6464.

<7> English Heritage, Register of Scheduled Monuments (Scheduling record). SKE16191.

Sources and further reading

Related thematic articles

• Neolithic Kent (Thematic Essay)