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Monument details
| HER Number: | TQ 67 SW 47 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | "Sweyns camp", possible medieval motte or prehistoric barrow? |
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Summary
Former site of earthworks, once thought to be a medieval motte but which may equally represent a prehistoric barrow.
Location accurate to 5m based on available information
| Grid Reference: | TQ 6030 7357 |
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| Map Sheet: | TQ67SW |
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| Parish: | SWANSCOMBE AND GREENHITHE, DARTFORD, KENT |
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Monument Types
- BARROW? (Prehistoric - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
- MOTTE? (MOTTE, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Associated Finds
- VESSEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Full description
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Sweyn's Camp [OE] (1) [TQ 60307355] CASTLE [GT] (Site of) (2) Sweyn's Camp, earthwork in Swanscombe Park. Known by this name since 1890 and probably formerly called 'the Folly'. A circular earthwork evidently a motte, almost certainly Norman. There is no indication of a bailey. Some nine pits, to the north of the camp, which are regular in form are probably the sites of dwellings. Pits V & VI were partly excavated to the undisturbed clay. Fragments of a 15th.c.costrel were found in pit V with some fragments of iron. In 1928 the earthworks were destroyed. (3) Complete destruction confirmed. (4)
In fact the interpretation of the earthworks as representing a motte is questionable. The only medieval evidence is the 'costrel' (a flask in this case made of pottery) and at 30m wide it would seem rather small for a motte. The site may represent a large barrow similar to that 1.5 km to the west (TQ 57 SE 9)
Archive material (6)
Location accurate to 5m based on available information
<1> O.S. 6" 1910 (OS Card Reference). SKE47819.
<2> O.S. 6" 1938 (OS Card Reference). SKE47824.
<3> Arch. Cant. Vol. 41 1929 pp. 13- 17 plan; showing 8 pits (A. H. A. Hogg) (OS Card Reference). SKE37089.
<4> F2 CFW 25-JUL-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE43278.
<5> Field report for monument TQ 67 SW 47 - July, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3676.
<6> SWEYN'S CAMP, SWANSCOMBE (Collection). SKE6521.
Sources and further reading
| Cross-ref.
| Source description | | <1> | OS Card Reference: O.S. 6" 1910. |
| <2> | OS Card Reference: O.S. 6" 1938. |
| <3> | OS Card Reference: Arch. Cant. Vol. 41 1929 pp. 13- 17 plan; showing 8 pits (A. H. A. Hogg). |
| <4> | OS Card Reference: F2 CFW 25-JUL-59. |
| <5>XY | Bibliographic reference: Field report for monument TQ 67 SW 47 - July, 1959. [Mapped feature: #103406 Barrow?, ] |
| <6> | Collection: SWEYN'S CAMP, SWANSCOMBE. |
Related records
| TQ 67 SW 1537 | Parent of: "Sweyns camp", possible medieval motte or prehistoric barrow? - Pit I (Monument) |
| TQ 67 SW 1538 | Parent of: "Sweyns camp", possible medieval motte or prehistoric barrow? - Pit II (Monument) |
| TQ 67 SW 1539 | Parent of: "Sweyns camp", possible medieval motte or prehistoric barrow? - Pit III (Monument) |
| TQ 67 SW 1540 | Parent of: "Sweyns camp", possible medieval motte or prehistoric barrow? - Pit IV (Monument) |
| TQ 67 SW 1541 | Parent of: "Sweyns camp", possible medieval motte or prehistoric barrow? - Pit V (Monument) |
| TQ 67 SW 1542 | Parent of: "Sweyns camp", possible medieval motte or prehistoric barrow? - Pit VI (Monument) |
| TQ 67 SW 1543 | Parent of: "Sweyns camp", possible medieval motte or prehistoric barrow? - Pit VII (Monument) |
| TQ 67 SW 1544 | Parent of: "Sweyns camp", possible medieval motte or prehistoric barrow? - Pit VIII (Monument) |
