March and April
In March, Andy Macintosh and Frances Morgan attended two schools in Rochester, Temple Mill Primary and St. Andrew’s, to talk about what it is like to be an archaeologist, as well as the recent CAT excavations in the area. The event aimed at children in Key Stage 2 (ages 7 to 8), focussed on the Bronze and Iron Age enabling the children to handle original and replica items from CAT’s education collection. Frances, dressed up as an Iron-Age lady – a surprisingly comfortable outfit, especially the shoes (carbatinae)! This helped the children visualise life from this period. The visit included a ‘design your own coin’ workshop, based on a silver Iron Age coin found at Frindsbury. We look forward to doing more school visits in the future!
At the end of July, Andy and Frances were back at Rochester to attended a one-day joint event with the Guildhall Museum, Rochester, supported by Medway Council. People were invited to bring in finds of their own and ‘Ask an Archaeologist’
Between 21 and 24 March, CAT archaeologists excavated four test-pits at Amerique, Castle Street, Winchelsea. The medieval heritage of the town was immediately apparent. The new town of Winchelsea was built to a fairly regular grid plan in the 1280’s, on a hilltop, to replace Old Winchelsea which was submerged during successive storms in the thirteenth century. The site investigated was located within the north-eastern corner of the town, half-way along Castle Street. Approximately 25m to the north-west of the site, a house named King’s Leap marks the spot where King Edward I, in 1297, is said to have come to Winchelsea to view his fleet, lying in the harbour below the walled escarpment, preparing to sail for Flanders. The king’s horse, disturbed by the grinding noise of a windmill, refused to move until prompted with whip and spurs, sending horse and rider over the wall and cliff edge. In a miraculous display of horsemanship, the king managed to remain seated after skidding to a muddy halt. So, it was with a ‘leap of expectation’ the excavations commenced.
A leap of faith for King Edward I at Winchelsea
For further information of the site go to: Newsletter 17
Nurturing young talent: Barton Court Grammar School Careers Fair The CAT stand aimed to inform students of the different aspects involved in a career in archaeology, provide information about the skills needed, and answer questions about the job itself and career pathway options.
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