Kingsnorth Air Station

The Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust installed a memorial at Kingsnorth Industrial Estate near Hoo on 6th October - in recognition of where a Royal Navy Airship Station (and later RAF) airfield once stood. 

The memorial was initiated and privately-funded by Kenneth Bannerman from the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust.

You can find out more about this memorial (and the work of the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust) by clicking here.

  

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.

  

E.ON Public Exhibitions

I went to Lower Stoke last week to take at look at the E.ON public exhibition about their pipeline proposals on the Hoo Peninsula. This exhibition, along with one held in Hoo the day before, was part of E.ON’s consultation into proposals for a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) pipeline. The pipeline could run from Kingsnorth to St. Mary’s Marshes and out into the North Sea, if a new cleaner-coal power station were built after the existing Kingsnorth Power Station closes in 2015.

As well as talking through issues and concerns regarding the impact on the landscape and disruption to residents, I was particularly interested to hear about the work to survey the seabed from St. Mary’s Marshes, out into the North Sea and up towards the North Norfolk coast. I knew there must be quite a few shipwrecks in that area, but didn’t expect such a huge number dotted around the maps on display.

If anyone would like more information about the recent exhibitions, contact E.ON on 0800 019 8315 or by email here.

To find out more about Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) click here and here.
 

E.ON Public Exhibitions – Pipeline proposals on the Hoo Peninsula

Residents on the Hoo Peninsula recently received a newsletter from E.ON. This gave details of their consultation into proposals for a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) pipeline. The pipeline could run from Kingsnorth to St. Mary’s Marshes, then out into the North Sea, if a new cleaner-coal power station were built after the existing Kingsnorth Power Station closes in 2015.

There are two public exhibitions in the coming week:

Tuesday 18 January - from 10am until 4pm at Hoo Village Institute, 25 Main Road, Hoo, Rochester, Kent, ME3 9AA.

Wednesday 19 January – from 2pm until 8pm at Stoke Village Hall, Mallard Way, Lower Stoke, Rochester, Kent, ME3 9ST.
  

Winter Walk - Hoo to Kingsnorth

Another day, another dog walk. This time from Hoo to Kingsnorth walking along the riverside. Beautiful views of the mud flats, even with the ever present power station dominating the skyline.

Roadworks (Kingsnorth Development) - Ropers Lane and Stoke Road, Hoo and Kingsnorth

Roadworks off the A228 (reference ZT9981893 and ZT9981894), including Ropers Lane and Stoke Road, towards Kingsnorth, seem to be progressing. Completion of the 're-alignment' work is expected in February 2011. Updates and further information can be obtained by clicking here.

Stoke Road / Eschol Road, Kingsnorth

Further to my earlier post (Jacobs Lane, Kingsnorth), these photographs were taken on Stoke Road, at the junction with Eschol Road. The first few images show Kingsnorth Industrial Estate in the distance, with the Power Station in the background. As well as photographs of open fields and pylons, there are also images looking out to Damhead Creek and beyond!

Jacobs Lane, Kingsnorth

Some spare time on Bank Holiday Monday and I decided to have a drive along Stoke Road, stopping at the junction with Jacobs Lane to look at the views out to Kingsnorth Power Station.  A gloomy old day, weather wise, but very nice to get out and about for some fresh air!  With these photographs, I seem to have a bit of a pylon thing going on . . .