Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Possible Anglo-Saxon (?) cemetery comprising an estimated 50 burials in total. The burials were substantially on the same alignment with feet pointing approximately eastwards. A building above the burials (TQ 56 NW 69) appears to date to the 13th century and so the burial must pre-date this. Possible spindle whorl and a broken whetstone were the only artefacts recovered.

The site lies at the base of a north-west facing slope, on the valley bottom east of the Darent. OD40m.

Monument Types

• CEMETERY (CEMETERY, Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)

Associated Finds

• HUMAN REMAINS (Undated)
• SPINDLE WHORL? (Undated)
• WHETSTONE (Undated)

Full description

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Three unaccompanied skeletons, (possibly Saxon) (2) were found in 1940 in excavating an air raid shelter in the garden of Darenth Cottage, Eynsford, adjoining the cemetery of Eynsford Baptist Church. (1,2) The site of these burials, which appear to have been made with their heads to the west, (a) is TQ 54236578. (3) (TQ 542658) A burial ground was discovered in 1971 in the grounds of Castle Cottage adjacent to Eynsford Castle. Excavations were carried out by the Springhead group of KARU. The depth of the burials varied from 1.20 to 2.00 metres below present ground level. The burials were substantially on the same alignment with feet pointing approximately eastwards. In most cases the skull was found supported between two or three large smooth flints. There was no evidence to suggest the use of wooden coffins and no trace of clothing or shrouds. No grave goods were associated with any of the burials and in fact only two artefacts were recovered, one being a possible spindle whorl and one a broken whet-stone. It is estimated that there are a total of 50 burials. Hawker suggests that the evidence may point to an early Christian context. A building above the burials (TQ 56 NW 69) appears to date to the 13th century suggesting that the burials are of an earlier date. (4)

Andrew Richardson, 2000, Gazetteer of Anglo-Saxon Cemeteries and Burial-Sites in Kent (Unpublished document).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

<1> E Greenfield's Card Index in Dartford Mus. file "Darent Valley 942.23 General" (OS Card Reference). SKE41533.

<2> Letter (S Hawkes 23 10 63) (OS Card Reference). SKE46081.

<3> Oral: Mrs D Cow, Enysford. (OS Card Reference). SKE48078.

<4> F1 CFW 24.09.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42741.

<5> KAR 26 1971-72 illus 163-167 (S Harker) (OS Card Reference). SKE45281.

<6> Field report for monument TQ 56 NW 33 - September, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE2924.

Sources and further reading