Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A cemetery was found in 1910 and 1911. Further excavation work was carried out in 1970-74. Over 135 graves were recorded. Finds typical of the assemblage from this site are on exhibition in Broadstairs Public Library. These include three bronze bucket mounts, two bronze studs, a disc brooch, seven sceattas and a fine claw-beaker. Other finds included, shield bosses, cinerary urns, a bronze bowl holding hazel nuts and fruit and a Frankish gold tremissis of the late 6th century was found in the mouth of one corpse. It is thought that two of the Anglo Saxon inhumations were surrounded by penannular ditches, while three further graves may have been covered by barrow mounds. The cemetery is focused around at least three Bronze Age barrows (see TR 36 NE 13).

The site lies on an Upper Chalk plateau, sloping towards the south-east. OD 35-45m.

Monument Types

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

Associated Finds

• BEAD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• BEAKER (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• BROOCH (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• HUMAN REMAINS (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• KNIFE (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• SPEAR (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• SWORD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)

Full description

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[TR 39456708] Anglo-Saxon burials found AD 1910 (NAT) (1)

Anglo-Saxon Burial Ground (NR) (2)

A Jutish cemetery, dated to c. A.D. 600, was uncovered during the making of a private roadway at Valetta House, Broadstairs, in 1910. In October 1911 nine more burials were found during the excavation of a Bronze Age ring-ditch [gr. TR 36 NE 13]. (3-6)

On exhibition in Broadstairs Public Library, property of Broadstairs Historical Society, under a label "Valetta House" are 3 bronze bucket mounts, 2 bronze studs, a disc brooch, 7 sceattas and a fine claw-beaker. In Margate Public Library are a shield boss and handle from the same site. Valetta House is now an LCC school (The Bradstow Boarding School) and no further information was obtained. (7)

TR 394670. Anglo Saxon inhumation cemetery found in 1910 in the grounds of Valetta House, Dumpton Park Drive. The graves were dug into the chalk subsoil 3 feet deep and mostly orientated west or north west. In 1911 Miss Bartrum's gardner noticed that grass did not grow well in a large circle on the playing field. Excavations were undertaken and two concentric circular trenches were found. Associated within the inner trench were 9 crouched burials which appeared to be Bronze Age, but were without grave goods, and part of a cinerary urn of typical late BA form. A further 9 Anglo Saxon graves were found, 5 males, 2 females and 2 gender unknown. Finds are now in the British Museum (Natural History), RCS collection. (8)

TR 394671. Excavation on the site of the Anglo Saxon cemetery investigated by H. Hurd in 1910-11, at Bradstow School, continued from 1970-1974. A total number of 98 graves were uncovered including a nucleated group of warrior burials. One grave in this group contained, among other goods, a bronze bowl holding hazel nuts and fruit and in the mouth of the corpse, a Frankish gold tremissis of the late 6th century. Structural features were found in some graves, including one with four deep post-holes set cornerwise around the grave at a distance of c. 4 ft from it; they may have supported a canopy over the grave. One grave contained an intact glass claw beaker. Another grave was enclosed by the penannular ditch of a low ploughed out barrow. (9-12)

Anglo Saxon glass claw beaker type 2b, dating to the 5th century from Broadstairs, is now in Broadstairs Museum. (13)

Romano Saxon Pottery from Broadstairs. (14,15) Anglo Saxon claw beaker of experimental type, found in Broadstairs is now in the Council Offices at Broadstairs. (14)

Anglo Saxon pottery from Valetta House, Broadstairs. (16)

TR 395671. Anglo Saxon sceattas recovered during the excavation of the cemetery at Valetta House (now school). (17)

Additional bibliography - not consulted. (18,19)

TR 393671 (sited to nearest 50m) Bronze Age and Anglo Saxon burials. Site no 125. (20)

TR 393761 (sic) Following the discovery on this site of an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in 1910, excavations in 1911 discovered two concentric ditches, the inner one of V-section, the outer one of truncated V- section, 14m and 24m diameter approx. In and around the inner ditch 9 crouched burials of the Bronze Age period were found, 9 Anglo-Saxon burials were also found. 135+ burials were found here in 1970-1974 on excavation by the British Museum. It is probably that other graves and Bronze Age barrows remain undetected. (21)

Field monument report (22).

Further published details of the Anglo-Saxon cemetery suggest that two of the Anglo saxon inhumations were surrounded by penannular ditches, while three further graves may have been covered by barrow mounds (23).

An evaluation in 2003 revealed two more possible Anglo Saxon inhumations, south west of the previously excavated cemetery. Both were aligned east-west. Part of a possible bronze age barrow ditch was also recorded (see TR 36 NE 13), (also ref. 23). See also Thanet cropmark evidence (TR 36 NE 226). A watching brief in 2004 did not observe any evidence for the Anglo Saxon cemetery extending to the north east, although only topsoil was removed (24).

An evaluation in 2009 on the proposed swimming pool site found an additional Bronze Age barrow. A possible grave cut, probably of Anglo-Saxon date, was also located. (25)

This was excavated by the Trust for Thanet Archaeology and found to be an extended inhumation orientated east-west and within the circuit of a Bronze Age barrow ring ditch. A bead was found around the neck, an iron knife and an iron plate were found in the area of the chest. The plate may be either a buckle or a brooch. A set of articulate teeth were found above a Bronze Age burial and may relate to a disturbed Anglo-Saxon burial largely removed by later truncation of the site. (26-27)

The Trust for Thanet Archaeology published their interim update on the excavations of the service trench at Bradstow School. The report states, for this area:
"The Bronze Age ring ditches, some graves and also some of the Anglo-Saxon graves encountered by
Howard Hurd in 1910 and the British Museum excavations in the 1980’s were re-exposed. In the
area to the east of the ring ditches a single backfilled grave cut, previously explored by the British
Museum excavation was encountered. As the grave was to be partly destroyed by cutting the
pipe trench, the eastern end was sampled and profiles were drawn. The fill deposit was
entirely composed of modern backfill material. The area of investigation crossed the eastern
limit of the outer ring ditch, where the deposits filling the ring ditch had not previously been
sampled, although a feature filled with modern backfill had penetrated the deposits.
A section was excavated through the ring ditch and an adjacent pit, which had previously featured
on the plan produced by the BM but had not been sampled.
It was possible to demonstrate that the pit on the eastern edge of the ring ditch was stratigraphically
later than the ring ditch and had in turn been cut by the feature backfilled with modern debris.
Later analysis of the published plans showed that this backfilled feature was a grave previously
emptied in the BM excavation phase. On the western side of the outer ditch a flat platform had been
cut into the chalk geology, following the circuit of the narrower inner ditch. It is not yet clear
whether the inner platform is a historic feature of the product of later intrusion into the site,
however it does appear to follow the circuit of the ring ditch. One possibility is that the platform is a
remnant of a the circuit of another ring ditch from a different phase in the evolution of the
monument, a phenomenon observed in excavations at North Foreland, Broadstairs and Lord of the
Manor Ramsgate, as well as in previous excavations at Bradstow School.
Two segments were excavated through the eastern and western sides inner ring ditch of the feature
that Hurd investigated in 1910 where the trench had exposed parts of the circuit. The segments
demonstrated that the inner ditch had an unusual steep V shaped profile with a very narrow base,
quite unlike the broad, flat bottomed ditches that have previously been encountered in ring ditch
circuits.
This profile had previously been recorded by Howard Hurd and his observation has been confirmed
by the present excavation. It is possible that the inner ditch represents another evolutionary stage of
the monument, perhaps representing a ditch for a palisade of timber posts creating an inner
enclosure.
A further segment was excavated through the western side of the outer ring ditch, which had also
been truncated on the western edge by a later feature, probably a grave of the Anglo-Saxon
cemetery phase.
Further along the trench toward the junction with the hard standing of the car park, small elements
of cut features intruded into the edge of the trench. No further excavation was carried out on these
as they were not threatened by the excavation of the 0.6m service trench.
Preliminary conclusions
1. The excavation of the service trench did provide a sample of some previously unrecognised
features which will contribute to understanding the way that the land on the chalk
downland hill top was used by prehistoric and Anglo-Saxon people.

2. No further burials were encountered within the area of the excavations, however the
archaeological work carried out may be able to provide better information for the future
about areas where there is some potential still for unexplored burials to remain in place.

3. Preliminary attempts to reconcile existing drawn plans of previous archaeological work with
the present georeferenced survey data show some major anomalies. A working plan of the
site which has been published using existing data can not be reconciled to the modern
survey. Preliminary manipulation of the survey and plans suggest there is a substantial
rotation error in the plan and that elements of Hurd’s original plan have been mis-plotted.
The reconciliation of the existing survey data and plans will make a substantial contribution
to understanding the excavations that have been carried out at Bradstow School over the
last century.

4. Synthesising the data gathered in the current excavation with the previous investigation will
demonstrate that the archaeological investigations at Bradstow School and on surrounding
sites demonstrate that the site is of regional and even national significance. The conclusions
should prompt a re-examination of previous excavations and the conclusions of earlier
research to produce a new analysis of the development of the archaeology of the site." (28)

Additional reference (29)

<01> OS 6" 1962 (OS Card Reference). SKE48371.

<02> OS 1/1250 1955 (OS Card Reference). SKE48114.

<03> P.S.A. 2nd Series 23, 1909-11, 272-82 (H. Hurd & R. Smith (Plan) (OS Card Reference). SKE48472.

<04> J.R. Anthrop. 1, 43, 1913, 550-52 (F.G. Parsons) (OS Card Reference). SKE44840.

<05> Some notes on recent archaeological discoveries at Broadstairs (1913), 21-27 (plan) (H. Hurd) (OS Card Reference). SKE49510.

<06> Arch. Cant. 79, 1964, LX, (D.G. Scurrell) (OS Card Reference). SKE37063.

<07> F1 CFW 04-OCT-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42423.

<08> Gaz. of Early Anglo-Saxon Burial Sites 1964, 111-112 (A. Meaney) (OS Card Reference). SKE43563.

<09> Arch. Cant. 85, 1970, 188 (D.G. Scurrell) (OS Card Reference). SKE37066.

<10> Med. Arch. 16, 1972, 156 (L.E. Webster & J. Cherry) (OS Card Reference). SKE46827.

<11> Med. Arch. 18, 1974, 179 (L.E. Webster & J. Cherry) (OS Card Reference). SKE46828.

<12> Med. Arch. 19, 1975, 223 (L.E. Webster & J. Cherry) (OS Card Reference). SKE46830.

<13> Arch. 107, 1982, 47, pl VIIIb, 53,58,59,61 (V.I. Evison) (OS Card Reference). SKE36948.

<14> Dark Age Britain 1956, 21,22,159, illus (D.B. Harden) (OS Card Reference). SKE39595.

<15> The Arts in Early England 4, 1915, 491, illus (G. Baldwin-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE50106.

<16> Wheel Thrown Pottery in Anglo-Saxon Graves 1979, 81,82,83,72 (V.I. Evison) (OS Card Reference). SKE51322.

<17> BAR 128, 1984, Sceattas in England & on the Continent 247, (Hill & Metcalf) (OS Card Reference). SKE37502.

<18> Antiquary 47, 1911, 480 (OS Card Reference). SKE33277.

<19> J.R. Anthrop. 1, 43, 1913, 560-592 (OS Card Reference). SKE44841.

<20> Thanet. The Arch. Heritage c.1982. (Thanet Dist. Council & the Isle of Thanet Arch. Unit (OS Card Reference). SKE49915.

<21> Isle of Thanet Arch. Unit Sites and Mons. Archive 1988, record No 125, 199 (OS Card Reference). SKE44739.

<22> Field report for monument TR 36 NE 12 - October, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6155.

<23> Canterbury Archaeological trust, 2003, Archaeological Evaluation Report: Bradstow School, Broadstairs (Unpublished document). SKE12812.

<24> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2004, An Archaeological watching brief at Bradstow School, Dumpton Park Drive, Broadstairs, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE12568.

<25> Trust for Thanet Archaeology, 2009, Bradstow School, 34 Dumpton Park drive, Broadstairs, Kent: Archaeological Evaluation Report (Unpublished document). SKE17926.

<26> Trust for Thanet Archaeology, 2009, Bradstow School, 34 Dumpton Park Drive, Broadstairs, Kent: Interim Archaeological Report (Unpublished document). SKE17932.

<27> Trust for Thanet Archaeology, 2009, Bradstow School, 34 Dumpton Park Drive, Broadstairs, Kent: Archaeological Assessment Report (Unpublished document). SKE24842.

<28> Trust for Thanet Archaeology, 2015, Interim update on Archaeological investigation on route of service trench at Bradstow School Broadstairs (Unpublished document). SKE31581.

<29> Andrew Richardson, 2000, Gazetteer of Anglo-Saxon Cemeteries and Burial-Sites in Kent (Unpublished document). SKE29253.

Sources and further reading