Revealing county’s early past

10:02am Thursday 22nd November 2007

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Kings, warriors and adventurers are all part of Kent's exciting past which is being brought to life in a new book. CLAIRE BURKE reports.

A NEW book has just been launched which sheds light on Kent's early history.

The Archaeology of Kent to AD800 examines the county's wealth of archaeological riches and tells the stories behind them.

It also brings readers up-to-date with the latest developments.

With the opening up of the Channel Tunnel and the construction of the high-speed railway line linking England and France, there has been a recent flurry of archaeological activity in the area.

Published by Kent County Council with Boydell and Brewer Press, the book is the eighth volume of 10 in the Kent History Project, but is the first in the series to feature an abundance of full-colour illustrations.

It has contributions from leading archaeologists Tim Champion, Martin Millett, Martin Welch and Francis Wenban-Smith.

And the book is edited by John Williams, Kent County Council's head of heritage conservation.

Mr Williams hopes it will appeal to anyone with a general interest in Kent's past as well as those with a more specialist interest.

He said: "This book is about how people lived. It brings together new information with what we already knew."

Chairman of English Heritage and former Kent County Council Leader Lord Sandy Bruce-Lockhart writes in his foreword: "Kent has a rich and exciting history.

"Over the centuries, numerous groups of traders, settlers, warriors and adventurers have travelled across its diverse landscapes.

"This book charts the impact of man on the landscape of the county and the life of its inhabitants.

"The combination of established frameworks and new perspectives makes us all realise Kent has a heritage to be proud of, celebrate and cherish as we move forward into the 21st Century."

One person who is particularly excited about the release of the book is Christoph Bull, district manager for Gravesham libraries and chairman of Dartford Historical and Antiquarium Society.

He believes readers may be surprised by some aspects of the area's history, such as the fact Kent was once an independent country.

Mr Bull, who works at Gravesend library, said: "It had its own royal family, army, currency and laws."

He added: "We are not a bog standard county. We were a separate kingdom before Roman times.

"One of the greatest kings was Ethelbert in 597AD."

The county has many sites of historical interest and has seen some fascinating finds over the years.

In Swanscombe the remains of a man, later discovered to be a woman, were unearthed.

These were around 450,000 years old.

While in Springhead - described as "an archaeologist's dream" - excavations have uncovered evidence of human activity going back to the Stone Age.

Many residents have been inspired by their historical surroundings.

One of these was Henry Stopes, father of Marie Stopes - who established Britain's first birth control clinic.

Mr Stopes grew up in Swanscombe and developed an interest in ancient remains.

And Mr Bull wants to encourage people to visit Gravesend library to take a look at the book.

He said: "I can't wait. We will be getting copies in our library."

The book launch was held on November 7 at County Hall, Maidstone.

To order a copy, send a cheque for £25 made payable to Kent County Council to Publications, Environment and Waste, Kent County Council, Invicta House, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1XX.