Parish Cake - Spring 2020

history
Cranbrook Museum
When Cranbrook Museum re-opens for its new
season in April 2020 there will be two significant
new exhibits on display writes Mike Huxley,
chairman of Cranbrook Museum and Local
History Society
IN 1857, during the creation of
an ornamental pool in Leggs
Wood, Frittenden, two clay
urns were found. The urns were
discovered on what is now
the site of a pond in a wood
near Knoxbridge, about three
quarters of a mile east of the
Roman road from Rochester to
Hastings.
The hole in which they
were found was partly timber
lined and filled with decayed
vegetable matter to the depth
of about 12 feet. They were
on solid ground at the base of
the pit and embedded in the
peat. They were subsequently
dated to around the first
century, i.e. during the Roman
occupation of Britain. This
perhaps indicates that this
route was opened fairly early
in the Roman occupation. The
pit may have been a well or a
shaft serving some sepulchral
or ritual purpose. It would
seem that two such large and
narrow-mouthed jars would be
unlikely to have been used for
drawing water. Nor, given their
undamaged condition, could
they have been dropped into a
well accidentally.
Although under the
control of various Frittenden
organisations over the years,
since 1968 the urns have been
housed in Maidstone Museum
on a long-term loan, but appear
never to have been exhibited
there. In November 2019,
the urns were permanently
returned to Frittenden
Historical Society. The Society
has now agreed a long-term
loan to Cranbrook Museum
where the urns will be on view.
The Museum re-opens
on Wednesday 1st April and
welcomes visitors Tuesday to
Saturday, 2pm – 4.30pm. During
April and May there is a special
exhibition on the history of
Cranbrook Primary School
followed in June and July with
a display of maps and aerial
photographs of Cranbrook and
the local area.
Thank You from Cranbrook Museum
CRANBROOK MUSEUM
and Local History Society
would like to thank the
growing number of sponsors
and supporters whose help
in keeping the museum
running is very much
appreciated. The Co-op, who
supported us as their local
good cause, Travis Perkins
who frequently help out
with materials and tools for
the maintenance work we
ABOVE: Alec Cox (Lambert and Foster),
Liz McGurk (Museum Curator) and Tim
Duncan (Lambert and Foster)
do and Lambert and Foster, our most recent financial supporter.
Cllr. Sean Holden secured funding through the KCC Local
Members Grants Scheme to support our development of outreach
boxes and Cranbrook Parish Council has awarded grants in the past,
the most recent of which was £500 towards a Cranbrook Colony
watercolour.
Any other businesses or individuals who would like to become
a sponsor are always welcome and are invited to contact us at the
museum.
come
along
Please come along and see if you can spot
yourself in one of the many school photos or,
perhaps, where you live on a map or aerial
photograph. www.cranbrookmuseum.org /
Facebook @cranbrookmuseum
Parish Cake • Spring 2020 33