Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Seven dispersed deneholes on land land held by Blue House Farm.

Monument Types

• DENE HOLE (DENE HOLE, Early Iron Age to Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 800 BC? to 410 AD?)

Full description

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At TQ 9295 5289 there is a well preserved denehole shown as a well on O.S. 6" 1961. The shaft, driven through clay with flint to the chalk, is about 12.0 metres in depth and 1.5 metres in diameter, with a chamber visible at the bottom. At TQ 9281 5297 there is the filled-in shaft of another denehole of which the entrance pit remains. Published 25" survey revised. (q.v. TQ 95 SW 5.) (1) Four deneholes found by LS 25" field examiner and put onto field document at TQ 9264 5347, TQ 9278 5300, TQ 9289 5338 and TQ 9285 5342. All are six to nine feet in diameter and have a vertical drop of 30 to 90ft. before opening out into a cavern at the base. (2) [TQ 9264 5347] Denehole [NR] [TQ 9286 5342 and TQ 9288 5339] Deneholes [NR] [TQ 9278 5299 and TQ 9282 5297] Deneholes [NR] (3) Seven denholes, single and grouped, and in varied condition, widespread on land held by Blue House Farm. TQ 9295 5289. Open, the top 4 metres in diameter, the shaft 2.5 metres across and about 12 metres deep. The hole is fenced off at the edge of a pasture field. TQ 9281 5297. A depression about 6 metres across and of unknown depth since it has been used as a dump for hedge trimmings. In a pasture field. TQ 9264 5347. A depression 4.5 metres across and of unknown depth since it has been used as a dump for farmyard rubbish. At the edge of a pasture field. TQ 9278 5300. Fenced off; the top is 4 metres in diameter, the shaft 3 metres across and in excess of 6 metres deep. Near the corner of a pasture field. TQ 9288 5338. Open, at the edge of Eagles Wood. The top is 3 metres in diameter, the shaft 1.7 metres across and at least 12 metres deep. No galleries are visible. TQ 9285 5342. Open, at the edge of Eagles Wood. The top is 4.5 metres in diameter, the shaft 2 metres across and 11 metres deep. One gallery can be seen. TQ 9285 5339. A collapsed denehole, additional to those previously recorded, in the south west corner of Eagles Wood. it is visible as a depression with diameters of 7 metres by 10 metres and is 1.5 metres deep. (4) Historic Englan archive material: MD002734 Quarter Sheet TQ 95 SW: Archaeological sites 6 and 17 (Dene Holes) Ordnance Survey map annotated in ink.

<1> F1 ASP 03-JUL-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE41906.

<2> LS 25" (Reviser 1969) (OS Card Reference). SKE46198.

<3> OS 1:10000 1971 (OS Card Reference). SKE48156.

<4> F2 NVQ 23-Oct-86 (OS Card Reference). SKE43361.

<5> Field report for monument TQ 95 SW 17 - July, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4848.

<6> Field report for monument TQ 95 SW 17 - October, 1986 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4849.

Sources and further reading