Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Three possible Anglo-Saxon burials found on Milky Down (now Mill Down) in 1760 during road widening.

Monument Types

• COFFIN (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 649 AD)
• CROUCHED INHUMATION (BURIAL, Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 649 AD)

Associated Finds

• BEAD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 649 AD)

Full description

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A crouched skeleton, with various beads was found on Milky Down, Newington, on 11.6.1760. A few days later, two more skeletons, one with beads, were found. These may have been coffined. "Handles" crumbed away when moved. Anglo-Saxon. "Apparently Saxon" (3). (1-3)

An inspection of the field at the north end of Milky Down was negative. The remainder of the Down is covered with thicket and difficult to inspect, but where this was possible, nothing of significance was noted. (4)

Newington. Inhumation cemetery. TR 1837 (sic). In 1760 a skeleton was found by the roadside on Milky Down, it was perfect except that the skull appeared to be fractured or much bruised. The body seemed not to have been laid out, but doubled up and thrust into a hole. Near the neck there were beads of various kinds, some of ?agate, pot and glass. There was some wine with them. A few days later two more skeletons were found near by, one with beads, both in coffins. (5)

Newington, near Hythe. At Milky Down parishoners were engaged in grubbing up a hedge to widen the road on 11 June 1760, when they found a skeleton, in perfect condition apart from a fractured skull. The skeleton was crouched and thrust into a hole. There were no signs of any hair, linen or woollen garments, or marks of a box or coffin. Various beads were found. A few days later two more skeletons were found in the near vicinity. They appear to have been laid in coffins, which had decayed. (6)

Additional bibliography - not consulted. (7)

RPS Clouston, 1994, Folkestone & Dover Water services: Bluehouse to Cherry Garden Trunk Main (Unpublished document). SKE6910.

RPS Clouston, 1994, Folkestone & Dover Water services: Bluehouse to Cherry Garden Trunk Main (Unpublished document). SKe6910.

<1> Gents Mag Aug 1760 371 (OS Card Reference). SKE43588.

<2> VCH Kent 1 1908 386 (RA Smith) (OS Card Reference). SKE50879.

<3> VCH Kent 3 1932 161 (RF Jessup and MV Taylor) (OS Card Reference). SKE51080.

<4> F1 CFW 26-APR-1963 (OS Card Reference). SKE42767.

<5> A Meaney, 1964, A Gazetter of Early Anglo-Saxon Burial Sites, Page 130 (Monograph). SKE7939.

<6> Gents mag Lib: Archaeology (ed GL Gomme) 1886 133 (OS Card Reference). SKE43597.

<7> Hist of Kent 1798 10 199 (E Hasted) (OS Card Reference). SKE43940.

<8> Field report for monument TR 13 NE 15 - April, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5339.

Sources and further reading