[TQ 5132 7375] (Approx.) Two groups of late Bronze Age gold penannular rings discovered 1906-07. Now in B.M. (1) Seventeen Late Bronze Age gold braclets from the site of the Sand, Gravel & Brick Works, Wansunt Estate, between Bexley and Crayford. The manager of the works brought to the Vicar of Bexley 8 pure gold armlets found in July, 1906, by workmen quarrying for gravel in a large pit. Unornamented, with flattened terminals, they are of two patterns, one being rather more massive than the other, and vary somewhat in size. In February 1907, 9 more similar bracelets were found in the same pit. The Vicar of Bexley, who visited the gravel pit immediately after the first find was reported, concluded that the bracelets were found about 3 ft. below the present surface, and he thought he saw indications of a burial and of a layer of burnt wood and bones. The present writer [R. Holt-White] was told by a workman at the site that there were no similar signs of burnt wood and bones at the later find. The bracelets belong the Bronze Period, and may be assigned to roughly c. 700 B.C. They are similar to three which were purchased by the late Mr. E. Pretty in 1861, and which, it was stated, "were found in the Medway, below Aylesford, enclosed in a box." (a) [See Illustrations Card] (2) The sandpit has been long disused and is heavily overgrown. (3) Objects noted and photographed in VCH. (4) The items from the two hoards are listed and described by Taylor in her corpus. She lists them both as coming from Wansunt near Bexley. Corpus nos are Kt 21-28 and Kt 30-38. (5)

<1> Corr. 6" (P.J. Tester, Feb. 1957) (OS Card Reference). SKE39295.

<2> Arch. Cant. Vol.5, 1863, pp. 41-4. (E. Pretty, F.S.A.) (OS Card Reference). SKE37112.

<3> The Antiquary, vol.43, Apr. 1907, pp. 126-8, illus. (R. Holt-White) (OS Card Reference). SKE49952.

<4> F1 ASP 11-SEP-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42060.

<5> Field report for monument TQ 57 SW 24 - September, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3131.

<6> VCH Kent Vol 1, 1908, 334 and plates (opp p.336 & 338) (G Clinch) (OS Card Reference). SKE51204.

<7> Bronze Age Goldwork of the British Isles, 1980, 82-3 (Joan Taylor) (OS Card Reference). SKE38398.