Archaeology at Stoneacre

Looking up at the house from the meadow at Stoneacre, Kent. Grass and wildflowers cover the meadow in abundance during the summer months, with the cow parsley growing up to waist height. — Looking up at the house from the meadow at Stoneacre | © James Dobson

Stoneacre may be best known for its late medieval Wealden hall-house, but archaeological discoveries from the site reveal a much longer and richer story of human activity.

Finds uncovered through archaeological fieldwork and metal detecting, in 2018 and 2024 - 2025, point to more than a thousand years of possible activity, from the early medieval period through to 20th-century life.

Inside the house, these discoveries have now been brought together in a new display, offering an opportunity to explore how Stoneacre and its surrounding landscape has been used, lived in and shaped over the centuries.

Glimpses into Stoneacre’s early past

Archaeology has been discovered at Stoneacre that pre-dates the construction of the house which offer exciting insights into earlier use of the site.

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Mid–Late Saxon hair pin discovered during archaeological fieldwork and metal detecting at Stoneacre, Kent — Mid–Late Saxon hair pin found at Stoneacre | © National Trust Archaeology

Mid–Late Saxon hair pin c.650 - 1066 AD

The earliest object discovered at Stoneacre is an intricately decorated Saxon hair pin, making it the oldest piece of archaeology found at the site so far. Made of copper alloy, the pin has a solid, biconical head decorated with stamped ring-and-dot motifs. Similar hair pins have been found at major Saxon sites such as Flixborough in Lincolnshire, helping archaeologists to date this object and place it within a wider Saxon context. Its presence suggests activity on or near the site several centuries before the hall-house was built, offering insights into early settlement in the area long before Stoneacre became the place we recognise today.

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Medieval copper alloy buckle discovered during archaeological fieldwork and metal detecting at Stoneacre, Kent — Medieval copper alloy buckle found at Stoneacre | © National Trust Archaeology

Medieval Copper Alloy Buckle, Late medieval, c. 1390–1420

This ornate, lyre-shaped buckle was uncovered on site, and dates to the decades just before the hall house was built (c. 1440–1520). Objects of this type were not simply functional, they are widely associated with high-status dress and are thought to have been used primarily by the upper and knightly classes. Similar buckles are often depicted on monumental brasses, further reinforcing their links to displays of status and wealth. This offers valuable insight into the character of activity at Stoneacre before the construction of the present house. It suggests that people of status were active in this landscape in the late medieval period, helping to place Stoneacre within a longer story of settlement and change.

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Archaeological discoveries from later centuries

Life at Stoneacre

There are also many discoveries dating to the 19th century that appear to reflect more domestic activity at Stoneacre, such as oyster shells, animal bones, fragments of plates and even a peanut butter jar lid.

Together, these objects offer valuable insight into the rhythms of daily life at Stoneacre, such as what people ate, used and discarded as part of their everyday routines.

Movement and activity at Stoneacre

Metal detecting at Stoneacre has also unveiled a wide range of buckles, buttons, horse fittings, furniture fixings and coins, largely dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.

This variety of small personal and practical items hints at moments when people gathered here, perhaps for informal exchange, seasonal work, or even small-scale markets. While this interpretation remains speculative, it adds another layer to our understanding of Stoneacre as a place of movement, activity and connection, not just residence.

Explore the finds record

Historic graffiti at Stoneacre

Stoneacre’s archaeology is not limited to objects found in the ground. The house itself preserves a remarkable collection of historic graffiti, offering a more personal insight into the people who lived, worked, and passed through the building over the centuries.

A specialist graffiti survey was recently carried out to record marks made directly onto the fabric of the building. These include:

Inscribed names and text

Ritual protection marks, such as compass-drawn designs

Taper burns and other traces of everyday and symbolic behaviour

The Great Hall fireplace

One feature not to be missed is the Great Hall fireplace, believed to have been brought to Stoneacre by Aymer Vallance from a pub or hotel in Sittingbourne. Covered in text inscriptions, some dating to the 16th century, it preserves marks left by the people who once gathered around

Early text, marks and engravings on the great hall stone fireplace at Stoneacre, Kent — Early text on the great hall fireplace at Stoneacre | © National Trust Archaeology

Acknowledgements

This graffiti survey was carried out by MJC Associates, with grant funding kindly provided by the Kent Archaeological Society and the William and Edith Oldham Charitable Trust.

The full report is currently in preparation and will be uploaded to Heritage Records Online once complete, where it will sit alongside other archaeological records for Stoneacre.

You can follow its progress here:

Access the graffiti report

Special thanks to Luke Barber for his specialist work in assessing and recording the artefacts, which has made a valuable contribution to our understanding of Stoneacre’s historic fabric.

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