Upper Cray Valley Project

The Cray is a river in north Kent, which runs from the Orpington area into the Thames near Dartford. Like other rivers in this area, has a great deal of (pre-) historical and archaeological significance.

The Upper Cray Valley Project is a survey carried out by ODAS (in conjunction with local museums) of archaeological finds in the Upper Cray Valley area.

The published results are available to the public in several separate volumes - see publications page for details.

The project has recently been updated and published as a one-volume Millenium Edition.

The publication records activity in the area from pre-historic to early modern times (500,00BC - AD 1603)

The River Cray and the Cray Valley

In the map below, the river Cray begins at Orpington and flows north-eastward through a lowland area (the Cray river valley) . The area around the river's source in Orpington is the upper Cray valley. Eventually, it joins the river Darenth and flows into the Thames at Dartford.