Stone Street (East and West of), ARC SST 98 (Canterbury Archaeological Trust)
Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2004. (updated 2017) https://doi.org/10.5284/1044760. How to cite using this DOI
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Primary contact
Stuart
Foreman
Senior Project Manager
Oxford Archaeology (South)
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Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 1845
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1044760
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
An archaeological field evaluation of land to the east and west of Stone Street, Westenhanger, Kent, was undertaken by the Canterbury Archaeological Trust, between the 15th February and 19th March 1999. This formed part of a programme of archaeological investigations along the route of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, and was commissioned by Union Railways (South) Limited.
The area under investigation consisted of two separate fields either side of Stone Street. The eastern area was located to the south of the existing London to Folkestone railway, whilst the western area lay to the north.
Twelve trenches were excavated in total, archaeological features being identified in six of these. These features consisted of a series of pits, two small ditches, and one larger unidentified linear feature possibly a geological anomaly. The evidence available from the limited datable material retrieved from these features indicates that all of them are of a late post medieval or more recent date.
A conclusion was drawn that there was no significant cut archaeological features or remains present within the areas under evaluation. However further investigations of the natural subsoil deposits revealed the presence of a humic layer sealed beneath a sequence of flood-plain alluvuim associated with the East Stour River. Although this deposit remained undated, it correlated to a similar deposit identified in additional work undertaken for URS by Wessex Archaeology, and interpreted as a ground horizon . possibly dating to the Late Bronze Age or Romano-British periods.
An Archaeological Excavation (ARC SST 99) was also undertaken West of Stone Street as part of CTRL phase 1, and alluvial deposits (ARC SSTW 98) were analysed by Wessex Archaeology.
N.B. Much of this work here has been superseeded by works associated with the Phase Two and Schemewide programmes, but are included here for completeness. Those wishing to use the most current data are urged to view the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Section 1 Project pages.
