ANCIENT EARTHWORKS 



the farm buildings. From its position and 

 surroundings we judge this to be the site of 

 an early settlement, perhaps Saxon or Danish. 

 East Wickham. — Moat House. Part of 

 the moat only exists. 



. , /•-••• 



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The Palace, Eltham. 



Edenbridge : Broxham. — Here is a fine 

 example of a homestead moat in perfect con- 

 dition, rectangular in shape and well filled 

 with water from a streamlet. Its size is about 

 270 by 230 ft., the moat being nearly 50 ft. 

 wide. It is just such a strong place as we 

 imagine was necessary in the days when clear- 

 ings for settlement were made in the forest 

 district. 



Edenbridge: Devil's Den. — About three- 

 quarters of a mile south-east of the church is 

 this smaller but complete moated enclosure. 



Eltham : The Palace. — In this chapter we 

 have not to notice ancient structures remain- 

 ing, but confine our attention to the earth- 

 work defence. In type it is that of a home- 

 stead moat, though of larger size than is 

 usually attained by such simple works. 



Here we find the enclosure surrounded by 

 a wide moat, so made as to form a water-level, 

 the west-north-west side being the base, and 

 as will be seen by the sections, the water, if 

 level with the outside on the west, must have 

 been much below the land outside and inside 

 north-east and east, but at the south-west 

 corner an underground passage leading into 

 the moat shows that the water level could not 

 have been much above the present bed of the 

 moat. Now three sides are dry, those south 

 and west being under cultivation as a garden. 

 A brick wall of ancient date can be traced and 

 may once have existed on all sides, but the 

 depth of the moat on the east and west ren- 

 dered such a defence unnecessary. Outside 

 the moat on the south-west the ground is un- 

 even of surface, as if some further defence 

 might once have existed. 



Eltham : Well Hall.— A deep water 

 moat encloses a rectangular island about 125 



by 1 10 ft. in area, adjoining the southern vnng 

 of the Elizabethan house, once the home of 

 Margaret Roper, the daughter of Sir Thomas 

 More. The western arm of the moat ex- 

 tends northward, and may at one time have 

 continued around Well Hall itself. 



Folkestone : Park Farm. — To the south- 

 east of the farm premises, on one of the foot- 

 hills of the great chalk range, are slight but 

 complicated traces of considerable moating. 



Goodnestone : Crixhall Farm. — Here is 

 a fairly perfect but small homestead moat. 



Great Chart : The Moat. — A small but 

 nearly complete example close to the high 

 road half a mile south-west of the church. 



Great Chart : Singleton. — About half a 

 mile east of the high road, another good home- 

 stead moat. 



Groombridge Place. — 5.?,? Speldhurst. 



Harty : Saye's Court. — The nearly cir- 

 cular moat here is probably of early date ; the 

 east and south of the islet of Harty (included 

 as part of Sheppey) lies exposed to the Swale, 

 once the waterway of numerous foes, when 

 anything worth preserving must have needed 

 strong protection. 



Hawkhurst : Conghurst. — A little more 

 than half the moating is left, enclosing the site 

 of the ancient hall. 



Herne : Hawe Farm. — The site of a manor 

 house is surrounded by a moat perfect in parts 

 and traceable throughout. 



Moat at Share Farm, Horsmonden. 



Horsmonden : Share Farm. — It is not 

 often we see so fine an example of a water-girt 

 defensive enclosure. As the plan indicates, 

 one branch of the river Teise was dammed, 



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