The Dutch Raid and more!

With the 350th anniversary of the 1667 Dutch Raid on the River Medway being commemorated in June, don’t miss monthly guided walks at Grain Coastal Park (and take a look at some of the damage caused to the village church by raiding Dutch seamen).

In the company of volunteer Michael Dale (a member of the Friends of Grain Coastal Park), pictured above, the walks offer the opportunity to get out and about in the fresh air and to learn more about our local history.

There's lots to explore at Grain Coastal Park - enjoy!

  

The loss of a great local character

Medway Council announced earlier today that Robin Burfoot (Rochester Town Crier) sadly passed away yesterday (22nd March).

Robin was a true gentleman – generously giving so much of his time and energy to helping many community groups and charities locally.

I was privileged to meet him on numerous occasions – both in Rochester (when he was at work entertaining tourists and locals) and when he frequently visited the Hoo Peninsula – particularly Hoo Village Fun Day in 2013 and at annual shows organised by High Halstow & District Gardening Club.

As an organiser of the Hoo Village Fun Day, I think our event would have felt very different without Robin’s input and involvement. He really ‘worked the crowd’ and made sure everyone, young and old, had an enjoyable time, especially during the fun Town Crier competition and Strongman contest.

Like many of those who met Robin over the years, I’ll never forget him or his sense of humour – he was a genuine and much loved local character.

I send my condolences to Robin’s family.

  

Share your local history!

Since starting my monthly local history column in the Village Voices Community Magazine earlier this year, I have been overwhelmed with people contacting me in response to my requests for sharing information about the area and old family photographs. As well as residents from the Hoo Peninsula, I have also been contacted by those who live further afield (but who have a connection to the area).

I will happily feature as many items as I can over the coming months, just keep getting in touch and be sure to include as many details (and photos) as you can when you do, as this helps greatly.

It really is fascinating to learn so much about other people’s family history and discovering even more about our fascinating area (especially when old photographs are supplied).

To get in touch, either use the contact panel (right) or send an email to the Village Voices Community Magazine by clicking here.

  

Remembering William Watson

Back in November 2011 I visited Arras in northern France to see the grave of a relative who was killed in action during the First World War.

A resident of the small settlement of Stoke here on the Hoo Peninsula, William Stephen Watson was my great grandfather’s nephew. He was only 21 when he was killed, on 17th February 1917 during the Battle of Miraumont.

With the passing of this centenary, I hope I will get the opportunity to visit Arras again in the near future.

Click here to view the full account of my 2011 visit to Arras.

  

Remembering Hazel

I found out this week about the passing of long-time Hoo Peninsula resident Hazel Stockbridge.

Back in 2010 I met Hazel several times at his home in High Halstow to discuss local history, particularly his own background, family and connections to the local community. 

Our discussions were recorded as part of my on-going film projcet to collect memories and stories about life on the Hoo Peninsula.

I send my condolences to Hazel's family.

  

Digging up the Past

Ahead of gravel extraction from ‘Kingsnorth Quarry’ near Hoo, recent investigations by a team from the Museum of London Archaeology, carried out between September and October 2016, on behalf of Tarmac, found evidence of multiple periods of occupation.

Archaeologists working on site, after the topsoil was stripped.

Much of what was discovered appears to relate to features illustrated on 19th century maps, such as former field boundaries and the remains of orchards, although predictably the majority of the archaeological features were in close proximity to existing buildings or those shown on historic maps, including rubbish pits from the 18th to the early 20th centuries.

However, some pits contained fragments of medieval pottery – testifying to the continuous and lengthy occupation of the area.

Many pits contained Roman or prehistoric pottery, suggesting that the area may have been more densely populated in the past, but due to the effects of ploughing over several hundred years, only the base of these older features survive.

The only direct evidence for human occupation was recovery of partially disarticulated human bones mixed up in the lower fill of a pit, pictured below.  It is uncertain whether these remains represent one of more individuals or whether they were deposited as part of a deliberate, but unusual, burial ritual.

Human bones in probable Roman pit.

The remains were sealed under a layer of debris from a collapsed wattle-and-daub building.  An adjacent pit also had a layer of wattle-and-daub debris containing Roman pottery.  It is possible to speculate that these findings may represent the residents of a Roman settlement that might have succumbed to a violent and untimely end, although further analysis is needed by osteoarchaeologists to determine the age and gender of the remains and possibly the cause and nature of their demise.

Probable Roman field ditch (marked in yellow).

The Roman pottery recovered from the pits consisted of ‘Samian’ pottery, pictured below, a fine red tableware imported from Roman Gaul.  This distinctive pottery suggests some of the Roman features may date from the 1st to 2nd century AD.

Roman pottery from Gaul with maker’s stamp on base.

Other findings discovered included prehistoric pottery, suggesting occupation in the area may stretch back into the Iron Age or Bronze Age periods.

Information and images appear courtesy of Museum of London Archaeology, Andy Richmond of Phoenix Consulting Archaeology Ltd and David Brown of Tarmac.