Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

At Addington are the remains of a Neolithic long barrow. The site was disturbed in 1827 when a park road was constructed and some of the stones were moved from their original positions. In 1981, members of Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit carried out a detailed survey of the mound and its stones. The survey located 25 stones on all four sides of the structure. The results indicated that the original length was about 60 metres and that the sides were straight, but tapering from about 14 metres to 11 metres towards the west. The large number of stones at the east end indicated that this was where the stone chamber was located. The mound was formed of sand still standing to 1 metre in height. It was originally much higher but has eroded and spread beyond the stones. A slight depression surrounding the mound may indicate the presence of a ditch.

Monument Types

• CHAMBERED LONG BARROW (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• LONG BARROW (Early Neolithic - 4000 BC to 3001 BC)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)

Full description

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[TQ 6533 5910] Burial Chamber [NR] (Remains of) [NAT] (1) A rectangular long barrow, 200ft. by 35ft., orientated N.E.-S.W. The edge of the barrow is marked by a revetment and at the N.E. end are some fallen megaliths which may be the remains of a chamber or of a false portal - the former is more likely. (2) The Beale-Poste MSS(b) mentions that the two disassociated stones in the corner of the wood near the long barrow were removed from their original positions, where the park road crosses the barrow, in 1827 and this means that they were part of the peristalith on the S.E. (3) Refers to the Rev. Larking digging out fragments of rude pottery. (4) Additional references. (5-8) The remains of a (probable chambered) long barrow as described by Daniel, which has been extensively mutilated by the construction of a road. A 25" survey has been carried out; see also AO/59/56/5 - remains of probable chamber from S.W. (9) Checked and correct. (10) [TQ 653 591] The Addington Long-Barrow. In 1981, members of Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit carried out a details survey of the mound and its stones (see illustration card 2). This showed that some 25 stones could still be located on all four sides of the structure, thus forming a peristalith. This suggests that the length was about 60 metres and that the sides were straight, but tapering from about 14 metres to 11 metres towards the west, thus revealing a true truncated wedge shape. The stone chamber was clearly at the east end and the number of large stones here shows that it has mostly collapsed. Assuming that the complete long barrow was lined with stones, equally spaced, then about 50 stones may have been the original number. The axis of the barrow is slightly north of east. The mound of sand is still about 1 metre high and was originally much higher, but it has since weathered down and spread beyond the stones. A local vicar apparently carried out excavations here in about 1845. Human bones were found and the eastern chamber still had its capstone, this collapsed following excavation. (13) [TQ 654 592] Addington Long Barrow. A slight depression surrounding the mound may indicate the presence of a ditch. (12) Addington Long Barrow. Brief description and history of excavation. (13) [TQ 653 591] Addington Long Barrow. No evidence for quarry ditches or scoops. (14)


From the National Heritage List for England:
Details
The Long Barrow is situated on level ground on the western edge of Addington above a stream but, unusually, is not in a prominent location in the landscape. It is, however, sited less than 100m from another similar monument known as the Chestnuts Long Barrow. It is oriented NE-SW, with the broader and higher end, also the end with the burial chamber, to the NE. A little-used metalled road divides the visible part of the monument into unequal parts, the road metalling being excluded from the scheduling but not the ground beneath. The most distinctive feature of the monument is the cluster of medium- sized sarsen stones to the north of the road which represent the remains of a collapsed burial chamber. The chamber originally lay at one end of a long earthen mound which was bordered, probably continuously, by other sarsen stones to form a kerb or peristalith. Many of these kerbstones, both north and south of the road, are either visible or have been detected close to the surface by probing. Quarry ditches probably flanked the mound. The original dimensions of the mound as suggested by the surveys of the kerbstones are ca. 60m in length and 12-14m in width. The actual surviving mound, spread slightly by erosion, measures 63m by 24m and stands to aheight of less than 1m. The road has removed a strip 7-8m wide diagonally across the mound towards the eastern end. During excavations at the monument in 1845 only "rough pottery", undated and untraced, was recovered. The monument has clear parallels, however, in the other Neolithic Long Barrows of the region which form the `Medway Megaliths'.

Reasons for Designation
Long barrows were constructed as earthen or drystone mounds with flanking ditches and acted as funerary monuments during the Early and Middle Neolithic periods (3400-2400 BC). They represent the burial places of Britain's early farming communities and, as such, are amongst the oldest field monuments surviving visibly in the present landscape. Where investigated, long barrows appear to have been used for communal burial, often with only parts of the human remains having been selected for interment. Certain sites provide evidence for several phases of funerary monument preceding the barrow and, consequently, it is probable that long barrows acted as important ritual sites for local communities over a considerable period of time. Some 500 long barrows are recorded in England. As one of the few types of Neolithic structure to survive as earthworks, and due to their comparative rarity, their considerable age and their longevity as a monument type, all long barrows are considered to be nationally important.

This example not only survives well as an earthwork of considerable proportions but also holds high archaeological potential, never having been seriously disturbed over much of its length. Its proximity to another similar monument, also one of the `Medway Megaliths' group, is of particular note.(19)

<1> OS 6" 1936 (OS Card Reference). SKE48337.

<2> Prehistoric Chamber Tombs of England and Wales 1950 233 (G E Daniel) (OS Card Reference). SKE48651.

<3> Beald Post MSS (Maidstone Museum) 13 Sect 3 154-173 (OS Card Reference). SKE37607.

<4> Arch Cant 62 1949 136 (J H Evans) (OS Card Reference). SKE35340.

<5> Wanderings of an Antiquity 1854 173 (T Wright) (OS Card Reference). SKE51273.

<6> History of Kent 1719 23 (OS Card Reference). SKE44097.

<7> Arch Cant 63 1950 74 ff (J H Evans) (OS Card Reference). SKE35365.

<8> OS Prof Paper NS no 8 1924 (O G S Crawford) (OS Card Reference). SKE48426.

<9> Arch Cant 13 1880 13 ff illus (W M Flinders-Petrie) (OS Card Reference). SKE34685.

<10> Archaeology of Kent 1930 70 ff illus (R F Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE37348.

<11> F1 AC 21-JUL-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE41820.

<12> F2 FGA 19-FEB-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE43329.

<13> Philp, B, 1981, A survey of the Medway megaliths, KAR 64: 78-80 (Article in serial). SKE24000.

<13> Philp, B. and Dutto, M., 2005, The Medway Megaliths: An illustrated guide to the famous Neolithic chambered long-barrows of the Medway area (Monograph). SKE23999.

<14> Arch J 126 1969 241 (E Warman) (OS Card Reference). SKE36549.

<15> SE England 1970 103 plan (R F Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE49424.

<16> Arch Cant 97 1981 231 (R Holate) (OS Card Reference). SKE36277.

<17> Field report for monument TQ 65 NE 13 - July, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3302.

<18> Field report for monument TQ 65 NE 13 - February, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3303.

<19> English Heritage, Register of Scheduled Monuments (Scheduling record). SKE16191.

Sources and further reading

Related thematic articles

• Neolithic Kent (Thematic Essay)