Geophysics in action
On a sunny weekend in August 2021 Wessex Archaeology joined forces with Kent County Council (KCC) and Maidstone Borough Council to take part in a ‘Hidden Histories’ discovery weekend at Mote Park, Maidstone, Kent.
The aim of this event was to enable members of the public to see archaeology in action whilst areas of the park were surveyed by Wessex Archaeology and KCC. Our Community and Education team also did artefact handling and ran children’s activities alongside the survey work.
Mote Park covers an area of approximately 450 acres and was formerly a country estate until it was converted into landscaped parkland at the end of the 18th century, with a castellated mansion house at its core. This is now Mote House, lying at the eastern edge of the park.
However, evidence of a former mansion and formal gardens has been identified in earthworks in the southern area of the park. These remains are thought to be that of the original mansion for the emparked grounds. This area has subsequently been a focus of archaeological and historical interest and was the focus for the survey work for the weekend.
During the weekend, Tom Richardson, Wessex Archaeology's Terrestrial Geophysics Manager, and KCC’s Geophysics Team undertook two separate geophysical surveys of the area where the earthwork remains of the original mansion house and gardens have been identified - just to the northeast of the Volunteers’ Pavilion in the southern area of the park. The work undertaken by KCC will be covered in a separate blog post.
Wessex Archaeology undertook a Ground Penetrating Radar Survey (GPR) of the area. Ground Penetrating Radar survey works by transmitting an electromagnetic pulse into the ground at regular intervals. These pulses reflect off features in the ground and are then detected by a receiver antenna. From this, an image of below ground features can be created. For more information on the use of GPR at Wessex Archaeology see here - Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) | Our Work | Wessex Archaeology.
The results of the GPR survey can be seen below and clearly show the outline of the original mansion house and formal gardens. Take a look for yourself and see what you think!
In addition, Sam, Elizabeth, Isobel, and Mark engaged members of the public with artefact handling and children’s activities. The aim of this was to highlight Wessex Archaeology’s work and showcase some of the amazing artefacts and their stories to the public. Many of the people who visited us are local residents which provides an opportunity for them to share their local knowledge and history of the park with us. Some very interesting stories were shared which will help to add to the work being undertaken on the history of the park.
