Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Saxon inhumation cemetery found on the side and top of a hill before 1843, and excavated in 1843 and 1854. Finds suggest a 6th century date.

The site lies on a west facing valley slope, overlooking the source of a small stream. OD 10-15m. Bedrock chalk.

Monument Types

• CEMETERY (CEMETERY, Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 500 AD to 599 AD)

Full description

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[TR 2495 5690] Saxon Burial Ground [NR] (1) [TR 2498 5690] An early Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Witherden Hall, Wingham (d). Four Anglo-Saxon graves were found some time since in digging for chalk on the side of the hill on Witherden Farm. They contained a fewearthen and amethyst beads, a bracelet, a ring, a few pieces of iron and a spear (a). Four more graves were found by Lord Albert Conyngham, later Lord Londesborough (c), when he had the top of the hill trenched in April 1843. No tumuli were to be seen. The first grave contained a skeleton, with the links of a large chain between its legs and a knife by its side; the second contained one bracelet, about the centre of the grave, but the skeleton had disintegrated; thethird contained a skeleton with the remains of a shield, and of a spear at its feet were the remains of another skeleton (a). The fourth grave was T-shaped one skeleton lying at the feet of another: one of them had an urn at its feet and about its person a cowrie shell, two or three amethyst and earthen beads, two gold pendants, several small silver rings, a silver bracelet, a jewelled hairpin, and a fine ciruclar brooch with star design, whilst the otherhad a bronze bowl on its breast (a, c). Some of the finds are in the British Museum (c, e). In August 1854 J. Y. Akerman excavated several graves in the same place only two of which were unrifled. The first grave was that of a woman 5ft. 3 inches tall, with the head to the west, buried with several coloured beads, a bone spindle-whorl, the iron spindle passingthrough it, and a single amethyst bead. The second grave contained anadult skeleton with an iron knife, the tag of a waist belt, a ring, a clasp and a buckle, all of iron in the lap (b). (2) The chalk pits have not been worked for a great many years and are nowovergrown. (3) [TR 2495 5690] Inhumation cemetery, Wingham. (4) The bronze bowl found by Lord Albert Conynhgam in an Anglo-Saxon grave, Wingham, was exhibited at the Society of Antiquaries London in May 1843. (5) Two photographs of the excavations of 1854. (6) A plated disc brooch from a grave at Wingham is listed in a study of cross-hatched gold foils in Anglo-Saxon jewellery of the 6th and 7th centuries. British Museum accession No BM 79 5-24 34. (7) Wingham listed in Revised Check-list, Type 7. (8) Listed as No. 126. (9) Description of a vessel from Wingham with combed lines, horizontal andundulating, sometimes with rouletting. (10) Additional bibliography. (11)(12)

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

<1> OS 25" 1956 (OS Card Reference). SKE48271.

<2> Arch 30, 1844, 550-1 (Lord Albert Conyngham) (OS Card Reference). SKE34397.

<3> Arch 36, 1855, 177-9 (J Y Akerman) (OS Card Reference). SKE34403.

<4> V C H Kent 1, 1908, 356 (R A Smith) (OS Card Reference). SKE50711.

<5> Md Arch 2, 1958, 69 (S Chadwick) (OS Card Reference). SKE46595.

<6> Arts in Early Eng 4, 1915, 716 (G B Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE37362.

<7> F1 ASP 25-APR-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42279.

<8> F2 ASP 07-JUL-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE43086.

<9> Gaz of Early Anglo-Saxon Burial Sites 1964, 140-141 (A L S Meaney) (OS Card Reference). SKE43516.

<10> P S A Series 1, 1, 1843-49, 3 (J Amyot) (OS Card Reference). SKE48449.

<11> Ant J 13, 1933, 172 (OS Card Reference). SKE33129.

<12> Md Arch 21, 1977, 18 ( R Avent and D Leigh) (OS Card Reference). SKE46608.

<13> B A R 128 Sceattas in England and on the Continent 1984 (D Hill and D M Metcalf) (OS Card Reference). SKE37424.

<14> Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Pagan Pottery 1, 92 (J N L Myres) (OS Card Reference). SKE39243.

<15> Wheel-thrown Pottery in Anglo-Saxon Graves 1979, 74 (V Evison) (OS Card Reference). SKE51325.

<16> Remains of Pagan Saxondom 1853, 6, 23 plde x, 24 plate (J Y Akerman) (OS Card Reference). SKE49148.

<17> Remains of Pagan Saxondom pt 19,20,21, 1855, p 74 pl xxxvi, p 80 pl xl (OS Card Reference). SKE49153.

<18> Field report for monument TR 25 NW 19 - April, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5740.

<19> Field report for monument TR 25 NW 19 - July, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5741.

Sources and further reading