Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Anglo-Saxon burial ground with ring ditches, pits, two linear features. Five warrior graves, which produced an urn, and iron knife, a spearhead, a scramasax (?) and a tall conical shield boss.

The site occupies the mid-slope of a Chalk spur of the North Downs. The ground slopes steeply north-west, overlooking the Darent Valley. OD 80-100m.

Monument Types

• CEMETERY (CEMETERY, Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• LINEAR FEATURE (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• PIT (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• RING DITCH (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)

Associated Finds

• SEAX? (Undated)
• URN (Undated)
• KNIFE (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD? to 1065 AD?)
• SHIELD BOSS (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD? to 1065 AD?)
• SPEARHEAD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD? to 1065 AD?)

Full description

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TQ 555665. An Anglo-Saxon inhumation cemetery at Charlton Manor was excavated by Greenfield in 1939. (a) There were four warrior graves, which produced an urn, and iron knife, a spearhead, a scramasax (?) and a tall conical shield boss (umbo). (1). Another burial was found c.1952 at TQ 55616647 (b). There is a mention of finds from here in 1890, but they are not traceable in the Museum (3). (1,2,3) The site of the cemetery falls in a typical position upon the false crest of a ridge of downland overlooking the Darent Valley. Mr Goldsworthy of Charlton Farm, well remembers the excavation and confirmed that the cemetery was centred at about TQ 55666654. He also indicated the site of the isolated burial which was found at TQ 55626649, in 1954, when a gatepost was being erected. Nothing further has been found. (4) Pagan Saxon cemetery at Horton Kirby noted. (5) Farningham, Kent. Possibly Charton where there was a late cemetery, TQ 555665; appears in a checklist of English finds of sceattas by S E Rigold and D.M. Metcalf. Pieced for mounting and worn. Found in the 1870's. In Maidstone Museum ex R. Ashenden. (6) TQ 55786633. Farningham. Anglo Saxon burial ground with ring ditches, pits, two linear features, all cropmarks. (7,8) Dartford library holds notes on the excavation which may have belonged to Greenfield. (9) Article about the cemetery (10)

additional bibliography (11-14)

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

<1> Oral: E Greenfield, Dartford Museum (OS Card Reference). SKE48026.

<2> Early AS Burial Sites 1964 118 (A Meaney) (OS Card Reference). SKE41561.

<3> Oral: A Warhurst, Maidstone Museum 17 3 54 (OS Card Reference). SKE48016.

<4> F A Hastings (OS Card Reference). SKE41715.

<5> Letter (Curator Dartford Museum to Mrs S Hawkes, 18 3 63) (OS Card Reference). SKE46028.

<6> F1 ASP 28.08.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42327.

<7> Arch Cant 54 1941 26 (A H A Hogg) (OS Card Reference). SKE35282.

<8> Brit Num J 30 1960-1 6-53 (S E Rigold) (OS Card Reference). SKE38348.

<9> BAR 128 Sceattas in Eng & on the Continent 1984 251 (ed. D Hill & D M Metcalf) (OS Card Reference). SKE37484.

<10> AP (NMR TQ 5566/2/325-6; 5 4 77) (OS Card Reference). SKE33562.

<11> AP (NMR TQ 5566/3/327-8; 5 4 77) (OS Card Reference). SKE33563.

<12> Kentish Times 5.4.1940 (OS Card Reference). SKE45974.

<13> KARU SV 78 (OS Card Reference). SKE45620.

<14> Field report for monument TQ 56 NE 11 - August, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE2877.

Sources and further reading