Monument record TQ 84 NW 100 - Late Iron Age cremation burials and Iron Bloomery furnace at Jubilee Corner, Ulcombe

A small cremation cemetery of Late Iron Age date at Ulcombe. A total of six burial were found during a small trial excavation following the discovery of surface finds after deep ploughing. All six cremations appear to have been contained within pottery vessels, and some were accompanied also by brooches. The brooches suggest a date in the last century BC for the burials. The cemetery was found to partly overlie an iron smelting furnace. The furnace was 'boat-shaped', the northern end enclosed by a wall of fired clay and the southern end open 2 metres long and up to 1.3 metres wide, the stone and fired clay wall survived to a height of 18 centimetres. The fill comprised charcoal, iron cinder, slag and collapsed furnace material. No more precise dating is yet available. The interim report locates the site only to "former pastureland in the southern part of the parish of Ulcombe". (1)

Cremation 1 contained an iron ore one-piece rod bow fibula and cremation 4 revealed a badly decayed fibula of Aylesford type together with two copper alloy fragments which may represent terminals of a Belgic toilet set. The osteological report showed there were 4 adults, one female, and two young children. The full details will be published in Archaeologia Cantiana (June/July 2005). (2)

The published report promised in source 2 is now available and contains an overview of the site at TQ 4825 4715, with descriptions of the cremations, finds and of the iron bloomery. The group of cremations are thought on the evidence of a broach from cremation 4 to date to circa 50BC. The iron blommery was oval ("boat-shaped") in plan. The base and the beginnings of the sides of the furnace wre identified. The source contains diagrams of some of the finds, and plan and section drawings of the surnace. The report mentions other discoveries in the area and notes that Ulcombe and Headcorn appear to have an unusually high incidence of early iron working sites. (3)

Bloomery furnace was roughly oval. Small stones had been incorporated into the base of the south-east side. (1)

<1> Neil Aldridge, 2005, A Belgic Cremation Cemetary And Iron Bloomery Furnace At Jubilee Corner, Ulcombe (Article in serial). SKE13627.

<2> 1996, Arch Cant 116, 1996 (Article in serial). SKE54497.