Historic Graffiti Survey at Stoneacre

The survey, carried out by MJC Associates in October 2025, was made possible through grant funding from the Kent Archaeological Society and the William and Edith Oldham Charitable Trust. It forms part of a wider programme of archaeological work helping to reveal the long history of activity at Stoneacre, both within the house and across its surrounding landscape.

The building preserves a remarkable collection of historic marks left by those who lived, worked and spent time there. The survey has recorded inscribed names and text, ritual protection marks including compass-drawn designs, taper burns, and other traces of everyday and symbolic activity.

Among the most striking features is the stone fireplace in the Great Hall, which is covered with inscriptions, some believed to date from the sixteenth century.

The National Trust has now published a new Archaeology at Stoneacre page bringing together information about the graffiti survey and other recent discoveries at the property. These include finds ranging from a Mid–Late Saxon hair pin to medieval and post-medieval objects, demonstrating activity at the site long before and after the construction of the surviving hall house.

The full graffiti survey report is currently in preparation and will subsequently be made available through the National Trust’s Heritage Records Online.

Find out more about the archaeology of Stoneacre on the National Trust website: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/kent/stoneacre/archaeology-at-stoneacre