Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

An Anglo-Saxon inhumation cemetery, found c.1828, in the quarry on the edge of the hill skeletons, spearheads, a short sword 15 inches long, an iron shield-boss, a glass vessel, a Kentish bottle vase and an ornamental buckle and buckle-plate of Frankish appearance were discovered circa 1828. Probably 7th century.

Situated on the brow of the ridge overlooking the sea and marshes to the south, OD c.100m.

Monument Types

• CEMETERY (CEMETERY, Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 600 AD to 699 AD)
• INHUMATION (INHUMATION, Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 600 AD to 699 AD)

Associated Finds

• BUCKLE (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 600 AD to 699 AD)
• SHIELD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 600 AD to 699 AD)
• SPEAR (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 600 AD to 699 AD)

Full description

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[TR 10963499] Anglo-Saxon Burials found [NAT] (1) About 1828, Anglo-Saxon interments were found at the quarry on the edge of the hill at Bellevue, a mile west of Lympne Camp. With skeletons were spearheads, a sword 15 inches long, a shield boss, a goblet of green glass, a pottery bottle of Kentish type, and a buckle with corresponding plate for the belt, both very Frankish in appearance. The objects are in the possission of Mr W Hills of Chichester. (2,3) Sited by K.A.S. to the present published position. (4) Finds group described as C6th or C7th. (5) This small stone quarry is completely grassed over and has obviously been out of use for a number of years. No confirmatory siting evidence on these burials was gained. (6) Lympne, Bellevue, Kent. The pot, no longer extant, was wheel-thrown with an ovoid body, narrow base and hollow neck. It was of a "dark earth" colour, and 22 cm. in height. The decoration consisted of rows of double line wave rouletting with double impressions in the upper valleys. (7) [TR 109349] Bellevue, Lympne. An Anglo-Saxon inhumation cemetery. In the quarry on the edge of the hill skeletons, spearheads, a short sword 15 inches long, an iron shield-boss, a glass vessel, a Kentish bottle vase and an ornamental buckle and buckle-plate of Frankish appearance were discovered c. 1828. (8) In the neighbourhood of the old Roman station at Lympne, skeletons have been found with characteristic Anglo-Saxon objects, the most interesting of which are a buckle with oval shape of the Frankish type, and a back plate connected with a girdle, both engraved with linear and conventional ornament of early character. (9) [TR 1635] Bellevue, Hythe. A plain glass squat jar, classified as VIII c. No.30 is included in a list of glasses from Anglo-Saxon interments of the C5th to the C7th AD It is in Brighton Museum. (10)
Situated on the brow of the ridge overlooking the sea and marshes to the south, OD C.100m.

<1> OS 6" 1961 (OS Card Reference). SKE48369.

<2> VCH Kent 1 1908 364 (RA Smith) (OS Card Reference). SKE50852.

<3> JBAA 4 1849 158 (illust) (OS Card Reference). SKE44957.

<4> KAS 6" (Maidstone Museum) (OS Card Reference). SKE45640.

<5> Richboro Reculver Lympne 1850 263 4 illus (C Roach Smith) (OS Card Reference). SKE49253.

<6> F1 CFW 10-DEC-62 (OS Card Reference). SKE42511.

<7> A corpus of wheel-thrown pottery in Anglo-Saxon graves 1979 71 132 (VI Evison) (OS Card Reference). SKE32767.

<8> A Gazetteer of Early Anglo-Saxon Burial Sites 1964 127 (A Meaney) (OS Card Reference). SKE32790.

<9> The Arts in Early England 4 1915 712 (G Baldwin Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE50099.

<10> Dark-Age Britain (ed DB Handen) 1956 164 (DB Handen) (OS Card Reference). SKE39600.

<11> Field report for monument TR 13 SW 2 - December, 1962 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5378.

Sources and further reading