| The
location of Holdenhurst on the edge of the fertile flood plain of the lower
Stour Valley made it an ideal location for prehistoric farmers. The large
number of archaelogical finds in the area and the fact that the river Stour
could be crossed at Holdenhurst in the Celtic period by the Durotriges tribe
(pronounced duro-tree-gez) who settled nearby, suggest that Holdenhurst was
occupied from the prehistoric era onwards. The Durotriges were numbered among
the few tribes of Celtic Britain which issued coinage, although unfortunately,
none of the coins associated with the tribe bear inscriptions. Sadly, this
means that we are left with no record of the names of any of the Dumnonian
nobility. It is likely that that the Romans settled here too, as coins have
been found in the area. The Saxons allowed the earlier settlements to revert to
heathland, and established their own low lying villages. Holdenhurst was rich
in natural resources which provided habitants with their livelihoods - willow,
rushes, heath, bog and water from the river. |
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