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Medway Recce - Kent

29th August 2009
 

A somewhat different venture for Ghost Connections on this weekend. With our largest investigation challenge due a fortnight later we had experiments to prepare and pans to make to schedule the best use of our time over 36 hours at our frequented manor house in deepest Kent.

This was the evening planned, combined with a BBQ at Kim's, but what to do beforehand?

Based, as we were, at Medway for the day we decided to explore some historically significant yet little known sites at Medway. Principally the aim was to see if we could identify the exact locations of these sites and see if there were any remains and, of course assess their suitability to any kind of investigation at a later date.

So where did we go?

Unfortunately Ian was not about for the afternoon but Kim, Paddy, and Dave were joined by Travis but Ian was present for the important planning and prep later.

Hoath Way at Gillingham was built to join the old A2 with the newly built M2 in the 1960's as one of Britain's earliest motorways. Since that time the infrastructure and housing in that immediate area has grown along its route and a large and popular shopping centre opened at Hempstead Valley and the residential areas of what was Hempstead village and Wigmore have expanded considerably. Now very little of the older settlements exist and certain villages like Lidsing now go unnoticed. It is only through researching history and studying old maps that we can see that important faculties once stood hereabouts.

We sought out two such sites only a couple of miles apart in this area, neither of which are openly advertised to the public at large.

Our first quest was the Alexandra Isolation Hospital at Wigmore. Isolation hospitals sprung up in the Victorian era at many locations to house those who were terminally ill of many contagious diseases of the time including Tuberculosis and Smallpox. It was to this extent that a reasonably remote area at Hempstead was selected for the erection of tented and tin structures in 1902. It was surrounded by obligatory 6.5 feet tall walls and fences to keep the local residents out and prevent the spread of disease. It did not and in a documented case in 1903 a girl died after tending some horses in a stable near the hospital. It continued in use, expanding to a purpose built building until it closed at the outbreak of World War II intending to be used as a military hospital but never being used and was eventually demolished in the 1970's and Hoath Way driven through the site.

An area of woodland now stands either side of the main road and the original surrounding wall still stands.

A search of the woodland revealed few traces – the odd piece of masonry and unidentifiable iron work protrude from the undergrowth but the construction of the dual carriageway and associated storm drains on either side have obliterated more remains.

 

Our next location was on the rural side of Hempstead. Hempstead village was once further north than it is now and immediately adjoining this was, and still is, the parish of Lidsing. Now only a few houses and The Harrow public house there are few signs that a reasonable sized settlement once stood here. Chapel Lane was closed to through traffic in January 1987 (as the sign still proudly states at one end) when the M2 was widened. The northern end was blocked off where it joins Hempstead Valley Drive which did not exist previously. At a sharp bend on Chapel Lane once stood the Chapel of St Mary Magdalene, Lydsing.

The chapel is first referred to in the Textus Roffensis, a document recording the fees of various churches payable for Chrism fees. This document was first prepared around 1080 when it was attended by the curate of Gillingham. By the 12th Century it was associated with the Nunnery of St Sexburgha at Minster on Sheppey and three hundred years later with St Andrew's Priory (now the Cathedral) at Rochester.

In 1798 Edward Hasted writes 'At this hamlet of Lydsing there has been of long time, and is now, a chapel of ease to the parish of Gillingham; in it divine service continues to be performed once a month, though there are but six houses within this district. The chancel, or east end of this chapel, was rebuilt a few years since with brick at the expence of the late vicar Mr. Jenkinson. It is endowed with all the tithes of this hamlet, and was valued in the year 1650, in a survey then taken by order of the ruling powers, at 251. per annum.'

Restored around this time it gradually fell into disrepair again and a faculty was drawn up to demolish the chapel in 1881 and use some its building materials in the repair of the graveyard walls. In 1903 Lidsing became part of the parish of Gillingham.

The tell tale signs of any demolished church site can include the obligatory yew tree, uneven ground in the churchyard even if no markers exist and some remains of walls or boundaries to the churchyard.

Immediately upon entering the woods here we found ourselves climbing from an even piece of ground up a distinct flint embedded earthwork. When we traced this we found it to be square in appearance with even raised flint earthworks on 3 sides, the missing side being where Chapel Lane runs parallel to the site. Progressing west from here the ground evened out but with a distinct uneven area by some older trees – maybe a burial. Within the newer trees we saw one of our other signs, a grand tall yew tree stretching into the canopy.

Finding our way to the yew we found ourselves at the furthest west end of the site. Glancing around the area east from here towards the enclosure there was a larger amount of flint debris, bricks and tiles. There was an absence of walls or footings but surely here was the site of the Chapel Of St Mary Magdalene. With further consultation on the 1879 map the area can be firmly identified.


Being situated to the east of the church we believe the enclosure to be the graveyard with walling added to at the demolition of the building.

So here, a stones throw from a modern shopping precinct is one of the oldest religious sites still existing in Medway.

As further interest it is reported that one of the arches from the church, and maybe a door were taken to Restoration House at Rochester upon demolition.

Returning to Kim's house during the course of the evening we made our plans and prepared our experiments for the 36 hour investigation that would be next on our agenda and judging by our previous experiences there this should be a report well worth reading...

 
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