LONGBURY / SLAUGHTER BARROW /
LONG BARROW, NEOLITHIC (NEW STONE AGE)
Slaughter Gate
Stourton Tower, about three miles away to the north west of the town, was the rallying place where Alfred mustered his troops for his onslaught against the Danes. Local men could have been involved in the battle fought at Penn (in Somerset, but near Gillingham) when Edmund Ironside fought and defeated Canute the Dane in 1016 or earlier. This battle was very fierce. The Saxons routed the Danes and drove them downhill to Gillingham to a point near the Long Barrow, where they finished them off and to this day we call this area ‘Slaughter Gate’.*1 Wavering Lane may refer to the place where the Danes ‘wavered’, i.e. the Danish line broke, but there is little or no evidence, as, in the records, this was known in the 14th.c as Whiffling Lane. Peacemarsh traditionally commemorates the subsequent peace treaty, or it may be a corruption of Peace March (i.e. Borderland) - an area in which there was to be no fighting.
Gylla’s Hometown & A History of the Town of Gillingham by Eileen E. Shaw, 1973
*1 Hutchin’s ‘History of Dorset’ connects Slaughter Gate with the battle fought at Penn. "The pursuit probably extended into this parish where is a gate still called Slaughter Gate." This may or may not be correct and perhaps a more considered interpretation is that the name in old English describes this particular road into Gillingham as the ‘slatter’ (meaning untidy, insecure or uncertain), gate (meaning a way or road) – in other words not the best road into Gillingham. Taken from "In and around Gillingham" leaflet. Date unknown, but quite recent.
Wavering Lane
Wavering Lane bounds the northern fringe of Wyke, comprising of cottages, inter-war housing and large modern detached housing, in a location that has become one of the less attractive areas of Gillingham. Access has been blocked to the B3081 east end and most gardens Wavering Lane East have been built upon . Nearer to’ Slaughtergate’ (Wavering Lane West) the lane remains mostly unchanged
