1 2 2 5 ▁Henry ▁III ▁gave ▁every ▁man ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁sink ▁a ▁mar l ▁pit ▁on ▁his ▁own ▁land . ▁Sp reading ▁ch alk ▁on ▁the ▁fields ▁was ▁a ▁common ▁practice ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁This ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁continued ▁into ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁The ▁need ▁for ▁ch alk ▁in ▁agricult ure ▁supports ▁the ▁theory ▁that ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁den e hol es ▁was ▁for ▁ch alk ▁extra ction . ▁ ▁V ort ig ern ' s ▁C aves ▁at ▁Marg ate ▁are ▁possibly ▁den e hol es ▁which ▁have ▁been ▁adapted ▁later ▁for ▁other ▁purposes ; ▁and ▁excellent ▁examples ▁of ▁various ▁pick - hol es ▁may ▁be ▁seen ▁on ▁different ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁walls . ▁ ▁Local ▁tradition ▁in ▁some ▁cases ▁suggests ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁these ▁c aves ▁by ▁sm ug gl ers . ▁Il licit ▁traffic ▁was ▁common ▁not ▁only ▁on ▁the ▁coast ▁but ▁in ▁the ▁Th ames ▁as ▁far ▁up ▁the ▁river ▁as ▁B ark ing ▁Creek . ▁The ▁theory ▁is ▁at ▁least ▁pla us ible ▁that ▁these ▁ready - made ▁hiding - p laces , ▁which ▁were ▁difficult ▁of ▁approach ▁and ▁dangerous ▁to ▁descend , ▁were ▁used ▁in ▁this ▁way . ▁ ▁Pur pose ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century , ▁three ▁purposes ▁had ▁been ▁suggested ▁for ▁which ▁den e hol es ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁originally ▁exc av ated : ▁▁ ▁as ▁hiding - p laces ▁or ▁dwell ings ▁ ▁store h ouses ▁for ▁gra in .