Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Anglo-Saxon cemetery probably discovered in 1839 when the Sevenoaks Turnpike road was diverted to the line of what is now the A21 trunk-road. No details of such early discoveries were recorded though the oral tradition of skeletons and weapons survived and was noted by Gordon Ward. Although its setting is typical of many pagan Saxon sites it is likely that the burials, all inhumations, were nominally Christian. Taking into account the multiple burials it is likely that about 200 people are buried here. Six small ditched barrows, 13-17 ft in diameter were found at the north west end of the cemetery. Grave-goods were produced by 69 graves but they were neither rich nor socially distinguished. The high proportion of unfurnished graves reflects the decline in the practice of depositing grave-goods with the dead in the later Saxon cemeteries.

The site lies on top of thje scarp slope of the North Downs were it meets the Darent Valley, on the steep south-east facing slope. The bedrock is Upper Chalk. OD 105-130m.

Monument Types

• BARROW (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD to 732 AD)
• CEMETERY (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD? to 732 AD?)

Associated Finds

• BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• BEAD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD to 732 AD)
• BOX (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD to 732 AD)
• CASKET (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD to 732 AD)
• COMB (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD to 732 AD)
• KEY (LOCKING) (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD to 732 AD)
• KNIFE (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD to 732 AD)
• NECKLACE (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD to 732 AD)
• PENDANT (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD to 732 AD)
• PIN (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD to 732 AD)
• RING (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD to 732 AD)
• SEAX (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD to 732 AD)
• SHEARS (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD to 732 AD)
• SPEAR (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD to 732 AD)
• VESSEL (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 667 AD to 732 AD)

Full description

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(TQ 50575894 - sited from plan [1]) Thirteen Anglo-Saxon burials, all aligned east-west except one north-south, were discovered on both sides of the A21 during road widening at Polhill in 1956. A scramasax of c. AD 650 and the alignment of the bodies imply a Christian cemetery, but the siting is Pagan and there are too few dateable findsto judge. Further investigation by the Otford and Dist H.S. (2) revealed only a coin of Magnentius (AD 350-3) and a bronze penannular brooch comparable with one from Springhead of the first half of the 1st c. AD. Mechanical excavators revealed further graves on the west side of the A21 at the northern extremity of Blumstein's plan. (No details given). Pottery rims of RB type were found on either side of the cutting at Polhill Crossing in gravel not native to the vicinity. (1-3) No further information on this cemetery was gained from members of the Oxford and Dist Hist Soc and no further work has been done on the road since 1959. All finds are in Maidstone Museum. (4)

A further 16 graves were located in Oct. 1964. Each grave had been dug through the chalk to a depth of 10 to 24 inches aligned roughly E-W. Of the 15 skeletons recovered, one at least, wasthat of a child, of the rest, 12 had finds of small iron knives associated with them and three contained bronze buckles and a stud (5 & 8)

The extensive Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Polhill, Dunton Green the largest so far discovered in West Kent, appears to have been in use during the second half of the 6th and first half of the 8th centuries AD. Although its setting is typical of many pagan Saxon sites it is likely that the burials, all inhumations were nominally Christian. 107 graves were recorded, but allowing for those destroyed by roadworks, the original number was probably greater than 150. Taking into account the multiple burials it is likely that about 200 people are buried here. (see plan) Six small ditched barrows, 13-17 ft in diameter were found at the north west end of the cemetery. Grave-goods were produced by 69 graves but they were neither rich nor socially distinguished. The high proportion of unfurnished graves reflects the decline in the practice of depositing grave-goods with the dead in the later Saxon cemeteries. Some of the earliest graves appear on the lower slope and many of the later graves were rather higher. The richer graves and barrows imply that the more important members of the community were buried at the west end. A small sub-rectangular structure, about 14 by 8 ft was found at the north west corner of the cemetery and this may represent a Saxon funerary hut. It seems highly probable that the cemetery was discovered in 1839 when the Sevenoaks Turnpike road was diverted to the line of what is now the A21 trunk-road. No details of such early discoveries were recorded though the oral tradition of skeletons and weapons survived and was noted by Gordon Ward. (17,18)

Andrew Richardson, 2000, Gazetteer of Anglo-Saxon Cemeteries and Burial-Sites in Kent (Unpublished document). SKE29253.

<1> Arch Cant 70 1956 278-80 plan illusts (M Blumstein) (OS Card Reference). SKE35476.

<2> Arch Cant 73 1959 225-6 (A D Stoyel) (OS Card Reference). SKE35536.

<3> Letter (K D Hore 12 10 57) (OS Card Reference). SKE46050.

<4> F1 CFW 08.08.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42477.

<5> Arch Cant 79 1964 lix (OS Card Reference). SKE35674.

<6> Sevenoaks Essays 1931 97 (G Ward) (OS Card Reference). SKE49442.

<7> Excav in W Kent 1960-70 1973 164-214 illus (B Philp S Hawkes A Cox E Crowfoot & A Gibson) (OS Card Reference). SKE41682.

<8> Philp, B. J., 1964, Recent Excavations: Saxon Cemetery at Polhill, near Sevenoaks, Page 3 (Article in serial). SKE7788.

<9> Philp, P, 1967, The Saxon Cemetery at Polhill, KAR 9 1967 2-6 (B J Philp) (Article in serial). SKE8151.

<11> Sevenoaks Essays 1931 89-91 (G Ward) (OS Card Reference). SKE49441.

<12> Gaz of Early AS Burial Sites 1964 132 (A Meaney) (OS Card Reference). SKE43542.

<13> KAR 58 1978-80 178-88 fig 1-4 (B Philp & S C Hawkes) (OS Card Reference). SKE45373.

<14> BAR 82 Anglo Saxon Cemeteries 1980 86-8 94-5 100 (C Arnold) (OS Card Reference). SKE37569.

<15> Field report for monument TQ 55 NW 22 - August, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE2812.

<17> Philp, B. J., 1967, Further Excavations at Polhill (Article in serial). SKE8152.

<18> BRIAN PHILP, 2002, The Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Polhill, near Sevenoaks, Kent, 1964-1986 (Bibliographic reference). SKE13566.

Sources and further reading