206 ON THE CITY OF ANDERIDA, OR ANDREDESCEASTER. what is his opinion, as he adduces not a tittle of evidence for his assertion *", that the monastery, erected in Newenden by Sir Thomas Alberger, (or Fitz-Aucher, according to Dugdale's Monasticon,) temp. Edward I., actually was at or near the site of Andredesceaster. With the entire of the small parish of Newenden, I have been in former days most intimately ac- quainted : but nowhere, I contidently affirm, is there a single mark of early occupancy, such as we may suppose would be left by a city, like what we are assured Andredecester was. Some inequalities on the surface of the soil may tend to prove that buildings formerly stood there ; but I am aware of none, with an exception speedily to be considered, which could, from their situation, be any other than dwellings. The parish of Newenden lies upon the extremity of a long ridge or tongue of land, extending eastward from Sandhurst on the Avest, having the marshes or level meadows along the river Rother to the south, and on the north a narrow valley through which flows a small stream, meeting the Rother at some distance eastward ; in which last direction the junction of the two valleys produces a wide expanse of marsh-land. In the north- east corner of the utmost point of the upland, is a spot still bearing the name of " The Castle," or " Castle Toll," com- prising a high mound, with vestiges of a moat ; of which spot the following is the description in Harris's History of Kent, p. 21 5. " Castle Toll ; this is a raised piece of land, contain- ing, I guess, about eighteen or twenty acres of land ; on the east side it hath the remains of a deep ditch and bank, which seems to have gone quite round it. Near this Toll towards the north north-east lies a piece of ground raised much higher than the Toll is ; this was encompassed with a double ditch, the tracks of which are stih to be seen in some places ; and within the line is, I believe, about five or six acres of land ; on the south and north sides of the uppermost vallum, very eminent still." (sic.) " AVhen Dr. Plot visited this place in the year 1G93, he saith in some manuscript papers of his, which I have the favour to peruse, that they were then very lofty, and he was informed by an ancient and sober country- man, who had often ploughed upon this hill, that both the mounts or tumuli, and the valla, were then at least four foot •= Gibson's edition, j). 2 18.
