Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Surface finds of Mesolithic flint flakes were made at King's Sandpit, near Newlands. Belgic cremation burials and Romano - British sherds were also found. Also found at the site in 1961 was a polished stone axe, about 4 inches long, which was is in the posession of the landowner. The bottom portion of a beehive quern, now in the Maidstone Museum were also found in Newlands Sandpit which lies to the west of Newlands Medieval chapel. A large number of Belgic pottery fragments were found in this pit in 1952 and at least one complete Belgic pot has come from the site.

Monument Types

• CREMATION (CREMATION, Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)

Associated Finds

• FLAKE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
• AXEHEAD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• QUERN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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The bottom portion of a beehive quern, now in the Maidstone Museum (accession No. 84 1958), was found in Newlands Sandpit, belonging to Messrs. H.R. King & Co., which lies to the west of Newlands medieval chapel. A large number of Belgic pottery fragments were found in this pit in 1952 and at least one complete Belgic pot (accession No. 23.1952) has come from the site. (1) [TQ 9344 4824] Surface finds of Mesolithic flint flakes were made at King's Sandpit, near Newlands. Belgic cremation burials and Romano - British sherds were also found. (2) Mr. H.R. King (owner of the sandpit) indicated the findspot of the Belgic and R.B material to be at TQ 9356 4822, (surveyed on Ant. Model), and the quernstone at TQ 9360 4846. He did not know anything about the Mesolithic finds. Mr. King added that he has in his possession a polished stone axe, about 4 inches long, which was found in November (1961) at TQ 9361 4856. Surveyed on Ant. M. The whole area within which these findspots fall has been dug to a considerable depth for sand. (3) Sand-digging progresses at this pit but to date no further finds have been made. (4)

<1> Arch Cant., 73, (1959), p 226.(L.R.A Grove) (OS Card Reference). SKE36481.

<2> Oral, A Warhurst, Arch Asst Maidstone Mus (OS Card Reference). SKE47991.

<3> Maidstone Mus 6" (L.R.A Grove), undated (OS Card Reference). SKE46278.

<4> F1 ASP 15-DEC-61 (OS Card Reference). SKE42117.

<5> F2 CFW 09-JAN-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE43213.

<6> Field report for monument TQ 94 NW 8 - December, 1961 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4754.

<7> Field report for monument TQ 94 NW 8 - January, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4755.

Sources and further reading