Red highlighted text,Principal Site - Integrated Site Report available,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Standard text,Subsidiary excavation/ watching brief - Results incorporated within relevant Integrated Site Report ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Black bold text,"Excavations/ watching briefs with some archaeology of limited significance - Assessment and some specialist reports available, but no Integrated Site Report",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Standard text,Watching briefs with very little significant archaeology - Watching brief interim report only,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Principal Site,Event Name,Post-excavation Status,Major landscape groups,General landscape zone/ landscape context,Event Code,Event type,Contractor,Start date,Finish date,Grid (NGR),,Project,County,District,Parish,SMR,Site type,Period,Method,Phasing,Environmental,Finds,Geology,Context Num.,Threat,Sample,Summary,Archive,Acc. Num. 02 - Pepper Hill,Pepper Hill,Main site for publication,1,Boundary of North Downs/ North Kent Plain. Hinterland of Springhead in the Ebbsfleet Valley; A2/ Watling Street corridor,ARC PHL97,Excavation,OAU,01/11/1997,15/01/1999,561900,172100,CTRL 330,Kent,Dartford,Northfleet,,NT,IA;RO,"In the Autumn/Winter of 1997 Oxford Archaeological Unit was commissioned by Pirelli Construction Company Ltd, to undertake a deatailed watching brief on topsoil stripping operations during cable relay works for SEEBoard, to the south of the A2 (Watling Street) near Pepper Hill, Kent. Apreviously unrecorded Roman cemetery comprising inhumations and cremations was revealed. After several weeks work it became apparent that it would be impossible to complete the excavation of the whole cemetery within the easement width before the cable trench was due to be excavated in early January. Following meetings with SEEBoard, KCC and RLE it was agreed that work should continue on the southern end of the cemetery. Initially it was believed that the remaining area of the cemetery to the north of the cable trench could be preserved in situ. OAU was therefore instructed to terminate any further work in that area, apart from completing the recording and lifting of burials already exposed. The area was covered with geotextile and reburied. Subsequently it became clear that the latter area would be affected by construction for the CTRL and that complete excavation for the remainder of the cemetery would be required.",No phasing completed as yet,Substantial quantities of charcoal were recovered from many of the cremation burials. The analysis of the charcoal has the potential to illuminate our understanding of pyre technology as well as providing an indication of the woodland cover in the vicinity of the cemetery during the period of the use of the cemetery.,"Approximately 628 pottery vessels, the majority of which were either complete or substantially so, were recovered. Otherwise the bulk of the artefactual material comprised nails and other coffin fittings. Other finds include 14 coins, traces of 36 sets of hobnailed footwear, a copper-alloy bell, a twisted armlet and iron ring, 20 copper alloy fibula and one large iron object, possibly a socketed tool. One inhumation contained part of a tinned copper-alloy mirror. A total of 81 beads were recovered from seven burials.","The geology of the area comprises sands and gravels overlying brickearth. The site slopes gently down from north to south, towards Watling Street and the Roman Town, and drops away sharply to the west of the cemetery. The site is located in a field used for arable agriculture.",1406,Development: CTRL,," The first phase of fieldwork revealed the southern part, the second phase the northern part, of a previously unknown Roman cemetery dating between the late 1st and the mid 3rd century AD. The later prehistoric period was represented by a small number of pits of possible Iron Age date and a linear ditch which contained a large quantity of burnt flint. The cemetery comprised 326 inhumations and 235 cremations and was bounded to the south-east by a hollow way and to the north-west by a slot/fenceline. The remaining boundaries comprised a series of linear ditches. In addition a small number of other features were revealed. These included pits containing dumps of pyre debris, a possible ritual shaft or well and a cobbled surface of uncertain function. There was also evidence for in situ burning of cremations. Preservation of the inhumations was poor: Many survived only as body stains and a number of graves appeared empty as the bone had decayed completely. In contrast the cremated bone was well preserved and fragments were generally substantial and easily recognisable. Limited evidence has already been recovered for structured deposition of bone within vessels, indicating that the bone was sorted into body parts prior to deposition. Many inhumations had been buried within wooden coffins which were represented by nails and other fittings as well as wood stains. Cremations were generally contained within pottery vessels and regularly accompanied by at least one other accessory vessel. With the exception of pottery vessels (over 600) grave goods were few. They included, hobnailed boots, brooches, glass beads, bracelets and finger rings. A single mirror fragment was also identified. The few coins recovered included several 3rd-4th century examples, the latest being an issue of Magnentius (350-351 AD). However most of the coins, including all of the definite 3rd and 4th century examples, were recovered from the topsoil or silts filling the hollow way, which tends to reinforce the picture of abandonment of the cemetery during the 3rd century.",OAU,None 02 - Pepper Hill,Waterloo Connection,Main site for publication,1,As above,ARC NBR98,Excavation,OAU,01/11/1997,15/01/1999,561900,172100,CTRL 330,Kent,Dartford,Northfleet,,crmtns; pits; ditch; feature UF;well CL;,IA;RO,"In the Autumn/Winter of 1997 Oxford Archaeological Unit was commissioned by Pirelli Construction Company Ltd, to undertake a deatailed watching brief on topsoil stripping operations during cable relay works for SEEBoard, to the south of the A2 (Watling Street) near Pepper Hill, Kent. Apreviously unrecorded Roman cemetery comprising inhumations and cremations was revealed. After several weeks work it became apparent that it would be impossible to complete the excavation of the whole cemetery within the easement width before the cable trench was due to be excavated in early January. Following meetings with SEEBoard, KCC and RLE it was agreed that work should continue on the southern end of the cemetery. Initially it was believed that the remaining area of the cemetery to the north of the cable trench could be preserved in situ. OAU was therefore instructed to terminate any further work in that area, apart from completing the recording and lifting of burials already exposed. The area was covered with geotextile and reburied. Subsequently it became clear that the latter area would be affected by construction for the CTRL and that complete excavation for the remainder of the cemetery would be required.",No phasing completed as yet.,Substantial quantities of charcoal were recovered from many of the cremation burials. The analysis of the charcoal has the potential to illuminate our understanding of pyre technology as well as providing an indication of the woodland cover in the vicinity of the cemetery during the period of the use of the cemetery.,"Approximately 628 pottery vessels, the majority of which were either complete or substantially so, were recovered. Otherwise the bulk of the artefactual material comprised nails and other coffin fittings. Other finds include 14 coins, traces of 36 sets of hobnailed footwear, a copper-alloy bell, a twisted armlet and iron ring, 20 copper alloy fibula and one large iron object, possibly a socketed tool. One inhumation contained part of a tinned copper-alloy mirror. A total of 81 beads were recovered from seven burials.","The geology of the area comprises sands and gravels overlying brickearth. The site slopes gently down from north to south, towards Watling Street and the Roman Town, and drops away sharply to the west of the cemetery. The site is located in a field used for arable agriculture.",2230,Development: CTRL,,"The first phase of fieldwork revealed the southern part, the second phase the northern part, of a previously unknown Roman cemetery dating from the late 1st to the mid 3rd century AD. The later prehistoric period was represented by a small number of pits of possible Iron Age date and a linear ditch which contained a large quantity of burnt flint. The cemetery comprised 326 inhumations and 235 cremations and was bounded to the south-east by a hollow way and to the north-west by a slot/fenceline. The remaining boundaries comprised a series of linear ditches. In addition a small number of other features were revealed. These included pits containing dumps of pyre debris, a possible ritual shaft or well and a cobbled surface of uncertain function. There was also evidence for in situ burning of cremations. Preservation of the inhumations was poor: Many survived only as body stains and a number of graves appeared empty as the bone had decayed completely. In contrast the cremated bone was well preserved and fragments were generally substantial and easily recognisable. Limited evidence has already been recovered for structured deposition of bone within vessels, indicating that the bone was sorted into body parts prior to deposition. Many inhumations had been buried within wooden coffins which were represented by nails and other fittings as well as wood stains. Cremations were generally contained within pottery vessels and regularly accompanied by at least one other accessory vessel. With the exception of pottery vessels (over 600 complete vessels) grave goods were few. They included coins, hobnailed boots, brooches, glass beads, bracelets and finger rings. A single mirror fragment was also identified. The few coins recovered included several 3rd-4th century examples, the latest being an issue of Magnentius (350-351 AD). However most of the coins, including all of the definite 3rd and 4th century examples, were recovered from the topsoil or silts filling the hollow way, which tends to reinforce the picture of abandonment of the cemetery during the 3rd century.",OAU,None 03 - 330 Zone 1 & 2,"Package 330/350 Chainage Zone 1, Whitehill Road",Main site for publication,1,Boundary of North Downs/ North Kent Plain. Hinterland of Springhead in the Ebbsfleet Valley; A2/ Watling Street corridor,ARC WHR 99,Excavation,MoLAS,20/05/1999,16/07/1999,558965,169236,CTRL 330 / 350,Kent,Dartford and Gravesham,Longfield and Hook Green,,Ring Barrow,BA;PM,Excavation,"A Bronze Age round barrow consisting of the truncated remains of a double ring ditch was found at Whitehill Road. Cutting through the inner ditch was a burial in a flexed position. The burial has been provisionally dated to the Middle Bronze Age, c 1600 BC, based on parallel sites. Whitehill Road Bridge revealed post-medieval field boundary ditches and other activity.",The samples from the ditch fills of the Whitehill barrow were taken from 1m length cuts around the circumference of the ditches. A column sample was taken through the sediments from the deepest surviving part of the barrow for pollen analysis.The human bone from the Whitehill barrow was very poorly preserved with much of it disintegrating on excavation.,The amber bead necklace from the Whitehill barrow was provisionally dated to the Early Bronze Age.,Upper Chalk overlaid by Pleistocene drift deposits of silt and gravel,87,Development: CTRL,,"A Bronze Age round barrow consisting of a double ring ditch, four posts in central area, the inner ditch cut by inhumation burial in a flexed position. Around the area of the neck was the remains of an amber necklace. No other grave goods were found and no artefacts were found within the ditch fills. The burial has been provisionally dated to the Middle Bronze Age, c 1600 BC, based on parallel sites where amber artefacts have been found. Whitehill Road Bridge revealed post-medieval field boundary ditches and other activity.",MoLAS ,None 03 - 330 Zone 1 & 2,"Package 330/350 Chainage Zone 2, South of Station Road",Main site for publication,1,As above,ARC SSR 99,Excavation,MoLAS,07/06/1991,09/06/1999,561286,171800,CTRL 330 / 350,Kent,Gravesham,Southfleet,,Field system,LIA; RO;,excavation,Iron Age/Roman agricultural activity was found at Station Road. A post-medieval denehole was also recorded. ,Environmental analysis of the soil samples from the oven at Station Road may indicate its use for either domestic or industrial purposes,,Upper Chalk overlaid by Pleistocene drift deposits of silt and gravel,64,Development: CTRL,,"Pottery from the Late Iron Age was found in features associated with the Early Roman period, possibly representing the location of a small settlement spanning the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD. A post-medieval denehole was also recorded.The earliest feature found on the site from the watching brief was a pit, probably Iron Age in date in the central part of the site. Later features were dated to the Roman period and consisted of ditches, one of which formed the corner of an enclosure. Cutting through the backfill of the enclosure ditch was an oven also provisionally dated to the Roman period. Other features from the site were undated but included ditches, postholes and a pit.",MoLAS ,None 03 - 330 Zone 1 & 2,"Package 330/350 Chainage Zone 2, Springhead Temple",Main site for publication,1,As above,ARC STP 99,Excavation,MoLAS,12/07/1999,02/08/1999,561286,171800,CTRL 330 / 350,Kent,Gravesham,Southfleet,,"Relict watercourse, occupation site?",ME;PR;MO;UM,Excavation,"Prehistoric activity, possibly beginning in the Mesolithic period was located by the presence of a relict stream bed, pits and hearths. Later prehistoric activity in the form of pits, ditch and hearths were also located in the upper colluvial deposits, suggesting that this area became an important focus of activity by the Late Bronze Age period.Some recent features were also recorded. ","Two monolith column samples were taken through the sediments. A report states that the only strata of archaeological potential is the present soil and underlying colluvium. The gravels formed in a yet to be determined environment with reworked artefacts. The loess probably accumulated in the later Devensian, while the periglacial environment in which soliflucted sediments accumulated would only have been suitable for human habitation on a seasonal basis. It is possible that archaeological surfaces could occur in horizons within the colluvium.", Struck flint flakes were identified. Confirmation of dates and analysis of the flint flakes from all the contexts is still awaited.,Upper Chalk overlaid by Pleistocene deposits of silt and gravel,91,Development: CTRL,,"Prehistoric activity, possibly beginning in the Mesolithic period was located in the Springhead area. This was evinced by the presence of a relict stream bed, pits and hearths under up to 3m below the current ground level, possibly representing seasonal occupation on the margins of the river. Later prehistoric activity in the form of pits, ditch and hearths were also located to the south of this mitigation area in the upper colluvial deposits, suggesting that this area became an important focus of activity by the Late Bronze Age period. ",MoLAS ,None 04 - Northumberland Bottom,Northumberland Bottom,Main site for publication,1,Boundary of North Downs/ North Kent Plain. Hinterland of Springhead in the Ebbsfleet Valley; A2/ Watling Street corridor,ARC WNB 98,Part excavation,MoLAS,21/07/1998,25/09/1998,562950,171650,CTRL 330 / 350,Kent,Gravesham,South Fleet,,"Funerary site, field system, enclosure, boundary ditch, occupation site ",EBA; MBA;LBA; MIA;LIA; LIA; RO; MD; PM,Mechanical removal of topsoil; record all features; hand excavation and recording of selected features,"A linear depressionrunning along the contour of the dry valley is interpreted as an erosion feature, perhaps a prehistoric track.The only dating evidence for this feature is a single sherd of Roman pottery in its fill. A late Neolithic-Early Bronze Age double inhumation was found. Evidence for late Bronze Age activity was a cremation burial in a pottery urn, found on the higher ground in the vicinity of the former Northumberland Bottom army camp. Another (undated) cremation was found to the south of the late Bronze Age cremation. Other (undated) features that might have been associated with funerary activity in the area were a circular hearth or fire-pit and a pit. However, these features might relate to the medieval enclosures located nearby. Iron ages ditches were recorded as were late Iron age/early Roman enclosure and ovens. Two human inhumations were located in the south-east corner of the enclosure. Roads were associated with the enclosure system. Later Roman activity was recorded as was some medieval and later activity. ","Bulk soil samples; animal bone, including complete Iron Age horse skeleton","Prehistoric, Roman and medieval pottery; iron objects",Chalk overlain locally by drift deposits of sandy silts and gravels; subsoil; topsoil,1332,Development; CTRL,,"Early Bronze Age double inhumation with Beaker vessels; Middle/Late Bronze Age ditch; Middle/Late Iron Age ditches, pits, kiln; Late Iron Age/early Roman ditches, pits, kilns, tracks, human burials, horse burial; medieval timber structures, ditches, limited post-medieval activity and a number of undated features. ",MoLAS ,None 04 - Northumberland Bottom,"Package 330/350 Chainage Zone 3, Hazells Road Diversion",Main site for publication,1,As above,ARC HRD 99,Excavation,MoLAS,29/03/1999,26/04/1999,562556,171781,CTRL 330 / 350,Kent,Gravesham,Southfleet,,"Settlement, field system",IA; RO; MD; PM; MO,,"Roman agricultural activity - field boundary ditches, pits, a trackway, a chalk-built malting oven and a brick clamp were located. Medieval activity - a series of field boundary ditches and two malting ovens. The trackway founded in the Roman period continued to be used during the medieval period, up until the 14th/15th century. Worked flint and residual pottery from the site also suggests prehistoric activity in the site vicinity.","Environmental analysis of the soil samples from the oven at Hazells Road may indicate its use for either domestic or industrial purposes. Soil samples from the Roman structure, thought to be a malting oven, may clarify its function","From the Hazells Road site pottery from 13 contexts was scanned; four were post-Roman and the remainder are late Roman (ie 250/270-400 AD). The Roman contexts are dated primarily by Oxfordshire red colour-coated and white ware mortaria, also grey wares from Alice Holt Farnham. The post-Roman ones were dated by a fairly local medieval shelly ware dating from 1200 to 1350. Most of the sherds are in fairly good condition and of moderate size. A number of registered finds came from the Hazells Road excavation. The area was metal detected before undergoing investigation. A number of coins dating to the 3th/4th century and a child’s silver bracelet were recovered. A total of 43 objects from the site were registered",Upper Chalk overlaid by Pleistocene drift deposits of silt and gravel,229,Development: CTRL,,"A focus of late Roman agricultural activity was found on the Hazells Road diversion site and to the north of Hazells Farm. Field boundary ditches, pits, a trackway, a chalk-built malting oven and a brick clamp were located.Medieval activity was evinced by a series of field boundary ditches and two malting ovens at the Hazells Road diversion site. The trackway founded in the Roman period continued to be used during the medieval period, up until the 14th/15th century. Worked flint and residual pottery from the site also suggests prehistoric activity in the site vicinity.",MoLAS ,None 05 - Tollgate,Tollgate,Main site for publication,1,Boundary of North Downs/ North Kent Plain. Hinterland of Springhead in the Ebbsfleet Valley; A2/ Watling Street corridor,ARC TLG 98,Part survey,MoLAS,01/09/1998,30/09/1998,564100,171000,CTRL 330,Kent,Gravesham,Cobham CP,,Natural feature; field system,PR;UN,Mechanical removal of topsoil and excavation of trench; section recorded,Natural geological strata; cultivation,Bulk and monolith samples collected,"worked, burnt flint",Upper Chalk (North Downs) overlaid by deep colluvium; subsoil; topsoil,25,Development; CTRL,?,"Colluvial deposits, without direct evidence of human activity, possibly later agricultural deposition?",MoLAS ,None 05 - Tollgate,"West of Church Road, Singlewell",Main site for publication,1,As above,ARC CRS 98,Part excavation,MoLAS,09/09/1998,18/09/1998,565200,170525,CTRL 330,Kent,Gravesend,Cobham CP,,Ditch; pit; chalk pit,LPR; MD; PM; UN,Mechanical removal of topsoil and subsoil; record all features; hand excavation of selected features,"Field ditches, pits and chalk (marl) pits of prehistoric, medieval, or uncertain date; post-medieval pits and ditches",No samples taken,Some pottery identified provisionally as medieval,Upper Chalk (North Downs) overlaid by clay-with-flints and localised colluvium; subsoil; topsoil,28,Development; CTRL,?,"The excavation found several small pits or postholes, and ditches. One pit and one ditch contained burnt unworked flint and possibly medieval pottery. The ditches and two possible marlpits suggest that the land was cultivated and enclosed, presumably at any date from the prehistoric onwards, although specific dating was lacking. ",MoLAS ,None 06 - Cobham Golf Course,Cobham Golf Course,Main site for publication,2,"North Downs. Medway Valley, hinterland of Rochester. A2/ Watling Street corridor",ARC CGC 98,Part excavation,MoLAS,17/08/1998,23/10/1998,569000,169500,CTRL 330,Kent,Gravesham,Cobham CP,,Occupation site,MBA; LBA; LBA; LPR; MO; UN,Mechanical removal of topsoil and subsoil; further mechanical removal of subsoil in selected areas; recording of all features; excavation of selected features. ,"Prehistoric to ?later activity. Middle and Late Bronze Age ditch, pits, possible postholes and hearths; Bronze Age ring ditch. Some features containing later prehistoric pottery. ",Soil samples from selected cut features,"Early and Late Bronze Age pottery, ceramic loom weight, ?contemporary struck flint","Chalk overlaid by clay-with-flints, local pockets of colluvial silt; subsoil; topsoil",152,Development; CTRL,,"Middle and Late Bronze Age ditch, pits, possible postholes and hearths; Bronze Age ring ditch, secondary fill of ditch containing Late Iron Age/early Roman pottery ",URL Archive Aylesford,None 06 - Cobham Golf Course,Brewer's Gate,Main site for publication,2,As above,ARC BG 98,Part excavation,MoLAS,21/09/1998,28/09/1998,568360,169580,CTRL 330,Kent,Gravesham,Cobham CP,?,Gate Lodge,PM,Mechanical removal of car park surface and topsoil; trial trenching to locate and survey building remains,At least two phases of construction identified,None,Post-medieval pottery,Upper Chalk (North Downs) overlaid by clay-with-flints and colluvium; topsoil,15,Development; CTRL,?,"Post-medieval foundations of brick gate lodge, adoining gate and carriage drive into Cobham Park",MoLAS ,None 06 - Cobham Golf Course,Watling Street,Main site for publication,2,As above,ARC WS 98,Part excavation,MoLAS,21/09/1998,09/10/1998,568600,169600,CTRL 330,Kent,Gravesham,Cobham CP,,Road; Hollow Way; HA HA; Deer fence; Boundary stone; Kennels,PM,Mechanical removal of topsoil and subsoil in five widely separated trenches across Watling Street; then sufficient hand excavation and sampling of features to identify them,"A post-medieval holloway and associated features, possible earlier orignins ie medieval.",None,None,Upper Chalk (North Downs) overlaid by clay-with-flints and localised colluvium and gravel; subsoil; topsoil,66,Development; CTRL,?,"A ?medieval and post-medieval hollow-way and road, bordered by a post-medieval ha-ha or park pale and ditch; kennels or isolated service buildings for Cobham Park; no direct evidence for a Roman road",MoLAS ,None 07 - Cuxton,Cuxton Anglo-Saxon Cemetery,Main site for publication,2,North Downs. Medway Valley. Hinterland of Rochester,ARC CXT 98,Excavation,MoLAS,27/07/1998,25/09/1998,57200,167350,CTRL 350,Kent,Rochester upon Medway,Cuxton CP,,Funerary site,PR; IA; RO; EM; MO,Mechanical removal of topsoil; recording all features; hand excavation of burials and other features,"Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age, Late Iron Age, Late Iron Age/Roman activity; early medieval activity -Anglo-Saxon burials (36 inhumations in ditched enclosures, 2 cremations) and some medieval, post-medieval activity. ",Animal bone found in Iron Age pits,"Prehistoric and Roman pottery; Anglo-Saxon burial goods, cremation vessels",Chalk; subsoil; topsoil,282,Development; CTRL,,"Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age, Late Iron Age, Late Iron Age/Roman activity; early medieval activity - in the form of a cemetery with Anglo-Saxon burials (36 inhumations in ditched enclosures, 2 cremations) and some medieval, post-medieval activity. ",MoLAS ,None 07 - Cuxton,CTRL 350 Watching Brief,Main site for publication,2,As above,ARC 350 50+000-51+000 98,Watching Brief,OAU,1998,1999,56350,17350,CTRL 350,Kent,Rochester Upon Medway,Cuxton;Rochester (NPA),,NONE,NONE,"All groundworks in areas with potential to contain archaeological remains were monitored by an archaeologist, in accordance with the WSI. Works included the removal of topsoil, subsoil, made ground and superficial geological deposits such as alluvium and colluvium. The translocation of ancient woodland soil was also monitored. When appropriate, a watching brief was maintained on demolition and site clearance works. Stripping of topsoils was largely carried out with machines fitted with toothguards due to agricultural soil protection requirements. ",NONE,None,None,The geology comprises chalk overlain by deep alluvial clay deposits in the River Valley.,3,Development: CTRL,1,No significant archaeology has been discovered to date within this area.,OAU,None 08 - Nashenden Valley,Nashenden Valley,Insufficient stratigraphic potential to take beyond assessment. Artefacts to be recorded to baseline spec and incorporated in scheme-wide report summary tables.,3,North Downs (east side of the Medway Gap),ARC NSH98,Excavation,OAU,07/09/1998,21/09/1998,573194,165581,CTRL 440,Kent,Rochester Upon Medway,Borstal,,BT,U,Stepped trench 15m x 10m x c. 3.2m deep. Machine excavated through Holocene colluvium and Pleistocene deposits. Area 1m x 5m hand excavated through Holocene colluvium and dry sieved to recover artefacts.,No archaeological deposits present,"One kg samples were taken at 0.10m gradations through the Holocene colluvium for molluscs (13 samples) and pedology (13 samples). Mollusc shells were clearly visible in some of the layers, suggesting some potential for palaeo-environmental reconstruction. However, the potential is limited by the lack of secure artefactual dating evidence or organic material suitable for radiocarbon dating.",Few finds recovered only two struck flint recovered from dry sieving,Pleistocene head deposits along the base of the valley and Holocene colluvium overlying Cretaceous Upper Chalk,14,Development: CTRL,," A stepped trench was excavated to a maximum depth of 3.50 m, at the location of an evaluation trench in which a possible Allerød soil was identified (ARC_NSH_97 Trench 1497TT). The section revealed a Holocene colluvial sequence and Pleistocene Coombe rock deposits which were of some geological interest but produced no significant archaeological results. The possible Allerød soil horizon recorded in the evaluation was not identified. Mollusc and pedological samples were taken at 0.10 m intervals from the topsoil to a depth of 1.3 m, which have yet to be assessed. Only two retouched and utilised flint flakes were recovered during sieving of spoil from a section excavated by hand through the Holocene colluvium. In spite of the largely negative results, further assessment of the samples recovered from the sequence, in conjunction with scientific dating techniques, may reveal some potential for palaeo-environmental reconstruction.",OAU,None 08 - Nashenden Valley,CTRL 410 Watching Brief,Insufficient stratigraphic potential to take beyond assessment. Artefacts to be recorded to baseline spec and incorporated in scheme-wide report summary tables.,3,As above,ARC 410 51+000-57+500 98,Watching Brief,OAU,01/01/1998,01/01/1999,57350,16300,CTRL 410,Kent,Rochester Upon Medway,Rochester (NPA),,pits; ditches; settlement,BA;RO;PM,"All groundworks in areas with potential to contain archaeological remains were monitored by an archaeologist, in accordance with the WSI. Works included the removal of topsoil, subsoil, made ground and superficial geological deposits such as alluvium and colluvium. The translocation of ancient woodland soil was also monitored. When appropriate, a watching brief was maintained on demolition and site clearance works. Stripping of topsoils was largely carried out with machines fitted with toothguards due to agricultural soil protection requirements.",NONE,"Sample 1 from context 44 contained grain, wheat, chaff and charcoal. 40l soil sample taken.","BA pot; RO pot, tile and CBM; pm pot in upper fills of ditches.",Cretaceous Upper Chalk overlain by Pleistocene clay-with-flints ans some colluvial deposits.,58,Development: CTRL,,"Sparse distribution of finds, features and deposits, ranging in date from the Bronze Age to the post-medieval periods. BA pits and ditch. RO pits and ditches suggesting occupation in the area.",OAU,None 09 - White Horse Stone,White Horse Stone,Main site for publication,3,"North Downs. Dry Valley on the southern escarpment of the Downs, on the east side of the Medway Gap. Junction of Pilgrims Way and Rochester to Hastings Roman Road. Hinterland of Maidstone.",ARC WHS98,Excavation,OAU,10/08/1998,05/03/1999,57520,16030,CTRL 410,Kent,Maidstone,Aylesford; Boxley,,Settlements; metal production furnace,NE; BA; IA; RO; MD,"Machine stripping, then hand excavation",None as yet,"Environmental sampling was intensive, involving sampling a percentage of features for retrieval of animal bones, artefacts and charred remains, with emphasis on selective representative spatial distribution. Bulk soil sampling on a grid pattern was also employer in some areas, and particular emphasis paid to long sequence of deposits at lower end of valley. Results indicated extensive later prehistoric buried soil has very high potential for palaeo-environmental reconstruction. Buried soil provided mainly woodland mollusc species in some trenches and mainly open country species from others. Disturbed nature could indicate ploughsoil formed shortly after woodland clearance? Successive colluvial layers produced mainly open country species. In buried soil limited assessment has revealed charred remains + worked flint. Flots are dominated by snails, all samples have a small quantity of modern intrusive materials. 1KG sub-samples from Neolithic posthole fill and associated postpipe show clear differences between fill of postpipe and posthole. Sample from EIA cremation produced a vast flot of very clean and well preserved material, dominated by grain. Animal bones are well preserved in LBA and IA pit deposits, but assemblage is comparatively small.","Worked Flint: 1200 pieces recovered, mainly debitage, some retouched forms, no strong blade element. Flint important where in association with earlier Neolithic Longhouse. Pottery: 8800 sherds from 495 contexts, mainly LBA-IA. Also a small quantity of Neolithic pottery in contexts and associations of considerable importance. Most LBA and IA material from discrete features such as pits and postholes. Preservation and condition is excellent, with several semi complete vessels. MIA material almost absent. The LBA-EIA range is of significance and should provide a sequence to illustrate changes in form and fabric. Pottery of other dates including RB and med. occurs in small quantities. Metalwork: Outstanding group of metalwork (inc. knife, 4 iron awls and a small curved iron blade) recovered from a single cremation. Also present was a whetstone and a group of at least 6 pottery vessels, one of which produced a huge quantity of charred grain. Preservation is exceptional, and this combined with secure context, early date and associations may indicate that this group is of national importance. LBA/EIA settlement also provided evidence for metalworking, including a group of pits filled with iron slag and hearth bottoms. No associated furnaces, but possible that they lie outside excavated area.",Solid geology is middle chalk.,2765,Development: CTRL,,"Major discoveries include the clearly defined traces of a longhouse, found near the bottom of the dry valley, apparently sealed by a later prehistoric palaeosoil. It is thought to date from the early Neolithic (c.3750 BC), although mid-late Neolithic pottery (Grooved Ware and Peterborough Ware) was also recovered from features in the immediate vicinity, suggesting activity on the site over a long period of time. The structure was defined by a substantial array of postholes, bedding trenches, pits and hearths. Associated activity areas in the form of utilised tree throw holes, pits and ditches lay to the south and east of the building. A sub-rectangular posthole structure to the south-east of the Pilgrim’s Way site has been tentatively ascribed to the Bronze Age on the basis of it’s form, and pottery retrieved from adjacent features. A late Bronze Age / early Iron Age settlement was found on the chalk spur forming the western side of the dry valley, on the White Horse Stone site. Patterns of postholes suggest possible roundhouses and numerous four-post structures. A number of pits contained rich deposits of pottery and animal bone suggestive of domestic refuse, and three human pit burials were also recorded. A unique cremation deposit produced an exceptional group of transitional late Bronze Age/ early Iron Age artefacts, including an iron knife, four iron awls, a whetstone, a small curved iron blade and a group of at least six pottery vessels, one of which was a large urn containing a deposit of grain. A metal-working area located on the eastern side of the settlement produced furnace bases and pits containing large quantities of slag. A very few sherds were found that may suggest a diminishing intensity of activity extending into the middle Iron Age. By the late Iron Age or early Roman period there seems to have been a significant settlement shift, to the south-east of the Pilgrim’s Way. There is no clear evidence for a settlement of this date, but several dispersed posthole structures and alignments, cremations, pits and animal burials have been found at the Pilgrim’s Way and West of Boarley Farm sites, probably indicating occupation on or near the sites. The medieval features consist of trackways, including the Pilgrim’s Way and a plough-levelled hollow way running north-south across the Pilgrim’s Way site. Other medieval features comprised a corn-drying kiln found on the Pilgrim’s Way site, which utilised sarsen fragments in its construction, and possibly a human burial found next to the Pilgrim’s Way. A section excavated through the Pilgrim’s Way failed to identify any trackway surfaces earlier than the medieval period. The main dry valley at White Horse Stone was in-filled with a series of late glacial solifluction deposits. Within these the remnants of a Pleistocene palaeosoil were located, possibly dating from the Allerød Interstadial. These deposits were sealed by a substantial, well-preserved Holocene buried soil which is truncated by an Iron Age ploughsoil. This in turn is overlain by a deep colluvial sequence dating from the Iron Age to the present day. Initial assessment indicates that these deposits have considerable potential for environmental reconstruction",OAU,None 09 - White Horse Stone,White Horse Stone watching brief,,,,ARC 410 57+500-57+950 with 57+950-58+200,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 09 - White Horse Stone,Pilgrims Way,Main site for publication,3,As above,ARC PIL98,Excavation,OAU,10/08/1998,05/03/1999,57530,16010,CTRL 410,Kent,Maidstone,Aylesford; Boxley,,Longhse;Settlemnt;Cremation;metal indst.,NE;MBA;LBA;EIA;RO;MD,"A total area of 6.8ha (White Horse Stone, West of Boarley Farm and Pilgrims Way combined) was stripped by machine and features were dug by hand.",No phasing completed as yet.,"Thirty five samples from Neolithic, Bronze Age and medieval contexts were assessed from the Pilgrims Way site. Samples were taken from postholes, buried soils, cremation deposits, pits, a ditch fill and tree-throw holes. One posthole sample (context 573) is dated to the Middle Bronze Age. Charred seeds and chaff were noted in thirteen samples. Five samples (54, 55 60, 61 and 64) produced collected woodland resources including Malus sylvestris (crab apple) and Corylus avellana (hazel) nut shell fragments. One of those samples (54) also produced a possible bean or pea (Vicia/Pisum sp.). Cereal remains were noted in eight samples, generally very small amounts of grain. Sample 24 (context 573) produced a more noticeable amount of grain with 51 to 100 grains, including Triticum spelta and Hordeum vulgare. Chaff was not noted and weeds were limited to a single grass seed in sample 17. Charcoal was recorded in 24 samples, generally in very small amounts, with more frequent charcoal in six samples. Taxa provisionally identified includes Quercus sp., Pomoideae, Prunus spinosa and coniferous charcoal in samples 54, 60 and 61.","Large quantities of burnt and worked flint giving a broad date range of Neolithic - Bronze age when examined in conjunction with the pottery of which a large assemblage was found. This included some middle Neolithic Peterborough ware in the form of a large bowl sherd and some possible middle Bronze Age Bucket Urns found in association with a post-built structure. Other finds included several iron objects, mostly nails, glass, stone, CBM, shell, human and animal bone and a bone pin.",Solid geology of Middle Chalk in dry valley with natural sarsen boulders occurring buried under the colluvial deposits in the valley bottom.,406,Development: CTRL,,"Major discoveries include the clearly defined traces of a longhouse, found near the bottom of the dry valley, apparently sealed by a later prehistoric palaeosoil. It is thought to date from the early Neolithic (c.3750 BC), although mid-late Neolithic pottery (Grooved Ware and Peterborough Ware) was also recovered from features in the immediate vicinity, suggesting activity on the site over a long period of time. The structure was defined by a substantial array of postholes, bedding trenches, pits and hearths. Associated activity areas in the form of utilised tree throw holes, pits and ditches lay to the south and east of the building. A sub-rectangular posthole structure to the south-east of the Pilgrim’s Way site has been tentatively ascribed to the Bronze Age on the basis of it’s form, and pottery retrieved from adjacent features. A late Bronze Age / early Iron Age settlement was found on the chalk spur forming the western side of the dry valley, on the White Horse Stone site. Patterns of postholes suggest possible roundhouses and numerous four-post structures. A number of pits contained rich deposits of pottery and animal bone suggestive of domestic refuse, and three human pit burials were also recorded. A unique cremation deposit produced an exceptional group of transitional late Bronze Age/ early Iron Age artefacts, including an iron knife, four iron awls, a whetstone, a small curved iron blade and a group of at least six pottery vessels, one of which was a large urn containing a deposit of grain. A metal-working area located on the eastern side of the settlement produced furnace bases and pits containing large quantities of slag. A very few sherds were found that may suggest a diminishing intensity of activity extending into the middle Iron Age. By the late Iron Age or early Roman period there seems to have been a significant settlement shift, to the south-east of the Pilgrim’s Way. There is no clear evidence for a settlement of this date, but several dispersed posthole structures and alignments, cremations, pits and animal burials have been found at the Pilgrim’s Way and West of Boarley Farm sites, probably indicating occupation on or near the sites. The medieval features consist of trackways, including the Pilgrim’s Way and a plough-levelled hollow way running north-south across the Pilgrim’s Way site. Other medieval features comprised a corn-drying kiln found on the Pilgrim’s Way site, which utilised sarsen fragments in its construction, and possibly a human burial found next to the Pilgrim’s Way. A section excavated through the Pilgrim’s Way failed to identify any trackway surfaces earlier than the medieval period. The main dry valley at White Horse Stone was in-filled with a series of late glacial solifluction deposits. Within these the remnants of a Pleistocene palaeosoil were located, possibly dating from the Allerød Interstadial. These deposits were sealed by a substantial, well-preserved Holocene buried soil which is truncated by an Iron Age ploughsoil. This in turn is overlain by a deep colluvial sequence dating from the Iron Age to the present day. Initial assessment indicates that these deposits have considerable potential for environmental reconstruction",OAU,None 09 - White Horse Stone,Boarley Farm,Main site for publication,3,As above,ARC 420 58+200-59+500 99,Watching Brief,OAU,,,57550,15980,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Boxley,,,,Land stripped by machine and recorded/excavated by hand where necessary.,"BA; IA; MD, PM",,"Pot (1429), Bone (352), CBM (35), Copper (1), Fe (43), Flint (23), Slag (4), Shell (45), Stone (11)",Middle Chalk,63,Development: CTRL,0,"Sparse features including a small pit containing Iron Age pottery and burnt bone. an area 22mx50m was excavated following the discovery of a large medieval rubbish pit. The excavation also investigated a number of pits, postholes and field boundaries dating to the post-medieval period.",OAU,None 09 - White Horse Stone,East of Boarley Farm,Main site for publication,3,As above,ARC BFE99,Excavation,OAU,03/01/1999,22/01/1999,57600,15930,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Boxley,,CL,LIA;RO,"A 20x50m area was excavated by machine, with features being dug by hand, located immediately to the south of an area of late Iron Age/ early Romano-British activity, designated for preservation in situ.",No phasing completed as yet.,"A series of bulk samples, incremental samples and intact monoliths were taken from the colluvial sequence at the north-eastern edge of the site. Samples were taken for mollusc analysis, recovery of charred plant remains, artefacts and animal bone, palaeomagnetic dating, micromorphology, pollen, OSL dating, pedology, particle size analysis and soil chemistry.","A small collection of finds was recovered, mainly comprising pottery and worked flint. The pottery assemblage comprised c. 40 sherds of late Iron Age/ early Roman-British material, recovered from colluvial layers in a large erosion gully and a ditch terminal.","The site lies within the undulating landscape at the foot of the North Downs. The solid geology is chalk. A Head deposit, generally consisting of silty clay with flints has been deposited over this landscape by solifluction. Subsequent erosion has often removed the head deposit and the weathered chalk, but in the vicinity of Boarley Farm a large area of the Head remains in situ. The excavation lies on a moderately steep slope, dropping from 52 m OD in the north-east to 50 m OD in the south-west, and coincides with a slight dry valley or erosion gully. Prior to the excavation the site was under arable cultivation.",39,Development: CTRL,," An area of late Iron Age/ early Romano-British activity, identified to the east of Boarley Farm during an evaluation of the CTRL corridor, has been designated for preservation in situ. The present trench, which was specified as detailed excavation, was located immediately to the south, within the trace of the rail link cutting. The site was 0.1 ha in extent (20 m x 50 m). A single ditch, dated to the late Iron Age/ early Romano-British period by a small pottery assemblage, and three undated postholes were the only definite archaeological features identified. Other features and deposits which produced small quantities of residual late Iron Age/ early Romano-British pottery and worked flint, are interpreted as resulting from colluvial erosion and deposition. A thick colluvial sequence, filling a large erosion gully, has been sampled for a range of environmental indicators and for pedological analysis. The potential of the material has yet to be assessed but it is hoped that it will provide material for comparison with the important dry valley sequence at the nearby White Horse Stone site.",OAU,None 09 - White Horse Stone,West of Boarley farm,Main site for publication,3,As above,ARC BFW98,Excavation,OAU,22/11/1998,18/12/1998,57550,15980,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Aylesford; Boxley,,pholes; pits; cremations; animal burial,LIA;RO,"Strip, map and sample on area c. 1.0 ha. Machine stripped, features dug by hand.",No phasing completed as yet.,"Grain, chaff, charcoal. Environmental sampling was intensive throughout the programme of excavation (including White horse Stone and Pilgrims way). A series of bulk samples, incremental samples and intact monoliths were taken, to look for various environmental indicators and for analysis of the deposits themselves. Samples were taken for mollusc and insect analysis, recovery of charred plant remains, artefacts and animal bone, palaeomagnetic dating, micromorphology, pollen, OSL dating, pedology, particle size analysis and soil chemistry. Comparative samples were taken from the much shallower dry valley sequence at the West of Boarley Farm site The overall strategy involved sampling a percentage of features for the retrieval of animal bones, artefacts and charred remains, with an emphasis on selecting a representative spatial distribution of the major feature types, and applying more detailed sampling to contexts with particularly good preservation. Samples were generally collected without removing artefacts or animal bones, except in the case of fragile finds. For animal bones a group of three complete late Iron Age/ early Romano-British animal burials were found at West of Boarley Farm. The animal burials are of intrinsic interest because of the completeness of the skeletons, in addition to any light they may shed on ritual practises in the later prehistoric period.","1200 pieces of worked and burnt flint; a large pottery assemblage (of late Bronze Age to early Iron Age date from the excavated settlement and a small quantity of Neolithic pottery; an outstanding group of ironwork including a knife, four iron awls and a small curved iron blade from one cremation; evidence for metal-working, including a group of pits filled with iron slag and hearth bottoms. Other finds included pottery, CBM, shell, metal, stone, flint, glass, slag, fired clay and burnt flint."," The sites lie at the foot of the escarpment of the North Downs, on the east side of the Medway Gap. The excavation areas included two dry valleys, the second, much smaller dry valley, lies further to the east and was investigated in the West of Boarley Farm site. The solid geology is Middle Chalk with a Holocene soil sequence from topsoil to overlying bedrock of middle chalk..",178,Development: CTRL,,"The Boarley Farm excavations produced three possible ritual deposits, including burials of a cow, a sheep and a horse, of probable late Iron Age or early Romano-British date. Structures include a poorly defined series of dispersed post-hole groups and alignments, which could represent fenced stock enclosures.By the late Iron Age or early Roman period there seems to have been a significant settlement shift, to the south-east of the Pilgrim’s Way. There is no clear evidence for a settlement of this date, but several dispersed posthole structures and alignments, cremations, pits and animal burials have been found at the Pilgrim’s Way and West of Boarley Farm sites, probably indicating occupation on or near the sites.",OAU,None Boxley Valley,Boxley Valley,Not assigned to Principal Site. Insufficient potential to take beyond assessment stage.,4,"North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - actually on the Gault clay strip, close to the foot of the Downs escarpment. Overlooks the Medway Valley. Hinterland of Maidstone",ARC 420 59+500-61+900 99,Watching Brief,OAU,,,57700,15850,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Boxley,,,PM,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,,"Pot (1), Flint (5)",Middle Chalk overlain by Gault Clay and clay-with-flint,,Development: CTRL,100,PM rubbish and road surface.,OAU,None 11 - West of Sittingbourne Road,West of Sittingbourne road,Insufficient stratigraphic potential to take beyond assessment. Artefacts to be recorded to baseline spec and incorporated in scheme-wide report summary tables.,4,"North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - actually on the Gault clay strip, close to the foot of the Downs escarpment. Overlooks the Medway Valley. Hinterland of Maidstone",ARC 61+900-62+000 99,Watching Brief,OAU,02/08/1999,17/09/1999,57840,157880,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Detling,,,EMD,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,,"Few finds recovered, mostly pottery, animal bones and shells",Middle Chalk overlain by Gault Clay and clay-with-flints,24,Development: CTRL,1,"an early medieval enclosure was identified during evaluation. Although designed for preservation in situ, some further work was carried out during the watching brief. Stripping exposed the remains of 2 ditch terminals probably an entrance, 1 posthole and 2 pits.",OAU,None 11 - West of Sittingbourne Road,West of Sittingbourne Road,Insufficient stratigraphic potential to take beyond assessment. Artefacts to be recorded to baseline spec and incorporated in scheme-wide report summary tables.,4,As above,ARC 420 62+000-62+200 99,Watching Brief,OAU,,,57840,157880,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Thurnham,,,,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,,,Middle Chalk overlain by Gault Clay and clay-with-flint,,Development: CTRL,100,No significant archaeology.,OAU,None 12 - Thurnham Roman Villa,Hockers Lane,Main site for publication,4,"North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - actually on the Gault clay strip, close to the foot of the Downs escarpment. Overlooks the Medway Valley. Hinterland of Maidstone",ARC 420 62+200-63+000 99,Watching Brief,OAU,04/06/1999,01/01/2000,57920,15740,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Thurnham,,,LIA;ERO,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,29 samples,"Medium size assemblage of finds including pot, bones, CBM, 3 metal SF, flints, fired clay, slag, shell and stone",Middle Chalk overlain by Gault Clay and clay-with-flint,258,Development: CTRL,1,Trackway possibly connected to LIA/ERO occupation area.,OAU,None 12 - Thurnham Roman Villa,Honeyhills Wood,Main site for publication,4,As above,ARC 420 63+000-63+400 99,Watching Brief,OAU,,,57970,15720,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Thurnham,,,,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,,,Middle Chalk overlain by Gault Clay and clay-with-flint,,Development: CTRL,,No archaeological features or deposits identified,OAU,None 12 - Thurnham Roman Villa,Thurnham Roman Villa,Main site for publication,4,As above,ARC THM98,Excavation,OAU,02/11/1998,18/06/1999,57995,15720,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Thurnham,,settlements; pits; cremations; ditches;,MBA;LIA;RO;MD;PM;MO,"Majority of the area (c. 2.2 ha) was strip, map and sample with detailed excavation in the area of Thurnham Roman Villa Scheduled Ancient Monument (c. 0.8 ha). Trenches were also excavated in the area of Honeyhills Wood (See dataset ARC HHW 98)",No phasing completed as yet.,"Charred remains were well represented across the site. Most importantly, material was recovered that can be dated to the transition from the late Iron Age enclosure to the proto-villa phase, and from the proto-villa to the main villa phase. The results are expected to be of considerable potential importance and reliability, both at site level and regionally, as most of the deposits were securely stratified and well dated. Excavated waterlogged remains were limited to a single timber and stone-lined well with excellent organic preservation. Column samples and incremental samples were taken from the top of the waterlogged sequence to the excavated depth of 3.7 m. The visible organic remains (hazel, coppice oak, moss and ash seeds) suggest a managed woodland environment in close proximity to the well. Overall the palaeo-environmental and economical remains offer good potential for examining the economic basis of the settlement, and the character of the immediately surrounding landscape.","A wide range of artefacts were recovered in good condition, spanning the period from the foundation of the site in the Late Iron Age, to the demise of the villa in the 3rd or 4th century AD. The bulk of artefacts were of pottery and CBM, of which most were Roman roof tiles from various phases of the villa. Pottery was mainly from st and 2nd centuries AD. The flint assemblage contained few tools, but displayed a range of flint working products. Worked bone objects included gaming pieces and several pins. Roman glass fragments were vessel sherds, beads and small gaming piece. Worked stone was represented by quern fragments. Iron finds were mostly nails and copper alloy finds included coins, beads, pins, brooches, rings and mirror fragments. A small bronze rapier was also found dating to the Middle Bronze Age and a large bronze needle.",Site lies on Gault Clay with localised areas of Chalk Head. A variable drift deposit of yellowish brown silty clay and flints covered the solid geology to varying depths.,3450,Development: CTRL,,"This work revealed a continuous sequence of occupation spanning the Late Iron Age through to the early 4th century AD. Prehistoric remains were represented by a large ramped waterhole near Thurnham Lane, which produced a small Middle Bronze Age rapier. A sparse in situ flint scatter was preserved beneath the villa levels. A large rectilinear ditched enclosure, containing one definite and two possible roundhouse and two 4-post structures was established in the late Iron Age, following clearance of woodland from the site. Remodelling during the early post-conquest period saw the enclosure levelled and replaced by a larger enclosure containing a proto-villa placed centrally and towards the rear. This building had a painted plaster interior and firm clay floor surfaces. A possible shrine or temple was added shortly afterwards, overlying the former enclosure ditch. Further development followed at the end of the 1st century AD with the construction of a stone two storey villa replacing the proto-villa. By the early 3rd century AD, following many structural additions, this had developed into a large winged corridor villa with a bath suite attached to its southern side (excavated in 1958). No in situ floor surfaces relating to the main villa phases were encountered although several opus signinum and sand floors were recorded in previous excavations. The ‘temple’ structure remained in use throughout this period and was accompanied within the core of the estate enclosure by a large aisled building constructed early in the 2nd century AD. Massive wooden posts supported the central roof whilst shallow flint foundations supported the outer walls. A crushed tufa floor defined a room at the western end of the building, which had a neatly constructed oven at one end. Personal items such as pins, brooches, coins and fragments of mirror were all recovered from within this building. The boundary to the estate was redefined with successive fence lines around the villa and the aisled building replacing the earlier ditched boundaries. Access to the villa enclosure was gained by a cobbled trackway approaching from the east, passing a large timber building located outside the enclosure boundary. This large 14-post structure, which probably had an agricultural role, had a number of surrounding and internal drains. It was demolished and replaced, by the 3rd century AD, with a stone-built corndrier. Two wells were investigated, one of which was excavated to a depth of 3.7 m without locating the bottom. Both were stone-lined at the top, and the lower portion of the deeply excavated example was supported by a timber box-frame. Trenches excavated in Honeyhills wood, immediately adjacent to the villa complex, demonstrated that Roman occupation did not extend into the wood, and strongly suggest that the wood was in existence when the Iron Age settlement and later villa complex were established. The western boundary ditch of the settlement enclosure closely follows the modern edge of the woodland. The earthworks in the wood, which do not form a clear pattern, were very shallow and were not associated with subsoil features. Insufficient artefactual material was recovered to indicate their date of origin. The final occupation on the site saw the demise of the villa complex towards the end of the 3rd century AD and early into the 4th century. By this time the temple structure had already collapsed or been demolished, and the character of occupation in the main villa building had changed substantially (one of the central rooms was utilised extensively as an iron smithy). Several coins of Constantine were recovered, generally from the upper fills of defunct features, representing the latest evidence for Roman activity on the site of the villa . Activity ceased on the site until the foundation of Corbier Hall in the 14th century AD. Associated postholes and gullies were located to the immediate south-east of the Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM KE 309) and the moat area, but all were peripheral in character. The most recent period of activity was represented by successive field boundaries and drainage ditches aligned along the length of the low lying ground. These were dated to the 19th and 20th century and associated with the expansion and subsequent clearance of Corbier Hall Wood.",OAU,None 12 - Thurnham Roman Villa,Thurnham Roman Villa,Main site for publication,4,As above,ARC 63+400-63+900 99,Watching Brief,OAU,04/06/1999,01/01/2000,57995,15720,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Thurnham,,,RO,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,NO SAMPLES,"a few finds (pot, bone, CBM, 1 copper alloy brooch. flint)",Middle Chalk overlain by Gault Clay and clay-with-flint.,53,Development: CTRL,100,More of the RO settlwement was uncovered.,OAU,None 12 - Thurnham Roman Villa,Honeyhills Wood,Main site for publication,4,As above,ARC HHW98,Excavation,OAU,30/11/1998,11/12/1999,57970,15720,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Thurnham,,earthwork; woodland,LIA;RO,Series of 6 trenches hand excavated inside Honeyhills Wood adjacent to Thurnham Roman Villa. These trenches were specified as detailed excavation.,No phasing completed as yet,Only one bulk sample of ditch fill was taken.,Only 2 sherds of pottery was recovered from this site which was insufficient to indicate a period of use.,Site is close to the foot of the North Downs on Gault Clay with localised areas of Chalk Head. A variable drift deposit of silty clay and flints covered the solid geology to varying depths.,47,Development: CTRL,,"Trenches excavated in Honeyhills wood, immediately adjacent to the villa complex, demonstrated that Roman occupation did not extend into the wood, and strongly suggest that the wood was in existence when the Iron Age settlement and later villa complex were established. The western boundary ditch of the settlement enclosure closely follows the modern edge of the woodland. The earthworks in the wood, which do not form a clear pattern, were very shallow and were not associated with subsoil features. Insufficient artefactual material was recovered to indicate their date of origin.",OAU,None 12 - Thurnham Roman Villa,Thurnham Lane to West of Crismill Lane,Main site for publication,4,As above,ARC 420 63+900-66+350 99,Watching Brief,OAU,04/06/1999,01/01/2000,58100,15620,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Thurnham,,,,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,None,"A few finds (pot, CBM, flint, slag, stone)",Middle Chalk overlain by Gault Clay and clay-with-flint.,11,Development: CTRL,0,No significant archaeology.,OAU,None 13 - South of Snarkhurst Wood,South of Snarkhurst Wood,Main site for publication,5,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River Len.,ARC SNK99,Excavation,OAU,22/01/1999,17/02/1999,58170,15560,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Hollingbourne,,Settlement; metal production furnace;,EBA;LIA;RO;PM,"Strip, map and sample site in two seperate areas totalling c.1.36ha in size. Machine stripped with features being dug manually by hand.",No phasing completed as yet," Twenty six samples from South of Snarkhurst Wood were selected for assessment; these were taken from pits, ditches and postholes, and were processed for the extraction of charred plant remains. An assessment of the processed flots demonstrated the presence of low levels of seeds and chaff, including hulled wheat and barley. There appears to be no relationship between the quantity and quality of the remains and feature type. The range of material noted in the samples is generally typical of the late Iron Age and Roman periods throughout southern Britain, with spelt wheat the dominant cereal and hulled barley also cultivated. The role of emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum) is less well known than spelt for this period","Worked and burnt flint (c. 138 pieces) included a concentration at the western end of the site, in broadly the same area as a scatter identified by the surface collection survey. This material included several characteristic early Bronze Age pieces, including a plano-convex knife, a backed knife and a piercer. The remainder of the flint is likely to be residual in Iron Age and Roman contexts or unstratified. One interesting find was an opposed platform bladelet core of possible Mesolithic date. Pottery included an estimated 1882 sherds, predominantly of late Iron Age or early Roman date. The assemblage is dominated by late Iron Age coarsewares, with only a few Romanised sherds. A small assemblage of metalwork was recovered, including a single, as yet unidentified, copper alloy object. Burnt human bone was recovered from a single cremation deposit. A small assemblage of animal bone, in a variable state of preservation, comprised c. 598 fragments. The slag and fired clay recovered was mostly associated with a small kiln or furnace. Post-medieval finds include glass and ceramic building material.","The site lies close to the foot of the North Downs escarpment, between the villages of Hollingbourne, Eyhorne Street and Bearsted. The geology consists of Folkestone Sand Beds. Just to the north of the CTRL corridor the Folkestone Beds are overlain by Gault Clay. The site lies between the M20 Motorway (near Junction 8), the Maidstone to Ashford Railway and Snarkhurst Wood. A balancing pond, lying between the two excavated areas, occupies most of the width of the rail link trace in the central part of the site, and a culverted stream crosses the site in the same area. The land is undulating, ranging from c. 57 m OD at the western end of the site to c. 63.5 m at the eastern end.",242,Development: CTRL,,"The site was excavated in two parts (Areas A and B): The eastern part (Area A) produced evidence for a settlement of late Iron Age and early Roman date (1st century BC – 1st century AD). Features included rectangular and sub-rectangular enclosure ditches and several post-hole structures, including one small, circular building with a central post, and five four-posters. Other evidence for occupation included a small kiln or furnace associated with metal-working slag, and several storage or rubbish pits. Burial evidence was restricted to a single cremation. The settlement is likely to be a continuation of the site identified during construction of the Maidstone by-pass in the 1950’s. The features were overlain by elements of the post-medieval field system and a possible trackway. Features to the west of the main post-medieval boundary were very severely truncated by ploughing, which seems to have entirely removed all but the deepest Iron Age features. The western part of the site (Area B) produced a small scatter of worked flints from tree-throw hollows and the stripped surface, including several characteristic early Bronze Age pieces (a plano-convex knife, a backed knife and a piercer). Other flints include a bladelet core of possible Mesolithic date, also from Area B. The location of the flints coincides broadly with a scatter recovered from the ploughsoil during the surface collection survey. No definite archaeological features were identified in this area, although a series of irregular linear soil marks may be field boundaries of indeterminate date, and a single possible pit was identified.",OAU,None 13 - South of Snarkhurst Wood,South of Snarkhurst Wood,Main site for publication,5,As above,ARC 420 66+300-67+100 99,Watching Brief,OAU,04/06/1999,01/01/2000,58170,15560,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Hollingbourne,,,IIA;UN,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,1 sample taken,"Medium size assemblage of pottery and a few other finds (bone, CBM, Fe, flint, burnt flint, fired clay, glass and stone)",Folkestone Sand Beds,33,Development: CTRL,100,"Anumber of pits and ditches, some of the latter datable to the LIA. Also a sub-rectangular enclosure.",OAU,None 13 - South of Snarkhurst Wood,Musket Lane,Main site for publication,5,As above,ARC 420 67+100-68+100 99,Watching Brief,OAU,04/06/1999,01/01/2000,58400,15380,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Hollingbourne,,,,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,no sample taken,very few finds recovered,Folkestone Sand Beds,2,Development: CTRL,0,No significant archaeology.,OAU,None 14 - South East of Eyhorne Street,Eyhorne Street,Main site for publication,5,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River Len. ,ARC 420 68+100-68+500 99,Watching Brief,OAU,02/07/1999,14/12/1999,58350,15430,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Hollingbourne,,,LNE;BA;M-LIA;PM,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,"36 samles taken, rich in IA grain and containing NE charred fruit.","Fairly large assemblage of worked and burnt flint, medium size assemblage of pottery, small quantities of other finds",Folkestone Sand Beds,226,Development: CTRL,,Activity from NE to LIA. PM field boundary.,OAU,None 15 - Holm Hill,A20 Diversion Holm Hill,Insufficient stratigraphic potential to take beyond assessment. Artefacts to be recorded to baseline spec and incorporated in scheme-wide report summary tables.,5,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River Len. ,ARC HOL99,Excavation,WA,29/03/1999,30/04/1999,58480,15323,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Hollingbourne,,Ditches; paleochannels; pits; postholes; heart,ME; BA; IA; RO; MD,"Mechanical removal of all bulk hearth. All bulk soil removal continued until archaeological features and/or deposits, in situ geological deposits or the formation level for anticipated impact was reached, whichever was encountered first. The 1m² Harrietsham Mesolithic test-pits were hand-excavated either to the upper surface of in situ geology, or to a maximum depth of 1.2 m, whichever was encountered first. Test-pit 2023TP, located at the deepest point of a colluvial sequence encountered was deepened to 1.35 m to reach the base of this sequence. The test-pits were excavated in discrete 0.1 m thick spits, with fifty litres of soil from each spit dry-sieved through a 4mm mesh to augment the hand-recovery of artefacts. Any archaeological features/deposits encountered were hand-cleaned and recorded to current best archaeological practice. ","Main phase of activity dated to Iron Age/Romano British; Limited evidence for Mesolithic, Bronze Age and Medieval activity","26 bulk soil samples, generally of 10 litres, were taken from the excavation for the recovery of charred plant remains, of which thirteen were selected for processing. These are augmented by a further 9 samples from the evaluation. Human cremated bones from 1 Romano-British pit.","Overall quantities are small, and the finds form a low-level scatter across the site (incl. 62 worked flint). Condition ranges from fair to poor; the ceramic material in particular (pottery -328g-, fired clay -134g-, ceramic building material -796g-) is in a heavily abraded condition","1.2.3 The underlying geology comprises Cretaceous Lower Greensand Folkestone Sand Beds, with a more recent superficial cap of 4th Terrace River Gravel formerly mapped immediately to the south-west of the site, in the general area now occupied by the A20 cutting through the ridge noted above ",96,Development: CTRL,12,"Overall, archaeological features recorded during the excavation comprised 12 ditches, 15 pits, five lynchets, four post-holes and one hearth. In addition, six tree throws, six burnt-out tree stumps and one animal burrow were also recorded. Many features were sealed by extensive colluvial deposits (probably beginning to develop during the prehistoric periods) that varied in thickness across the site. Dating evidence from the excavation indicates both Bronze Age and Iron Age remains; with the preceding evaluations in addition identifying probable Mesolithic, Romano-British and medieval activity beyond the limit of the excavation.",WA,None 15 - Holm Hill,Holm Hill and Harrietsham,Insufficient stratigraphic potential to take beyond assessment. Artefacts to be recorded to baseline spec and incorporated in scheme-wide report summary tables.,5,As above,ARC 420 68+500-73+500 99,Watching Brief,OAU,,,58480,15323,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Harrietsham,,,,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,no sample taken,"Few pieces of CBM, and a few flint",Folkestone Sand Beds,24,Development: CTRL,0,No significant archaeology.,OAU,None 16 - Sandway Road,Sandway Road,Main site for publication,5,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River Len. ,ARC SWR99,Excavation,WA,04/04/1999,28/05/1999,58800,15140,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Lenham,,Field system; pits; tree throws; burnt features,ME; NE; BA; IA; ERO; MD,Mechanical removal of overburden; hand excavation and recording of archaeological features.,Good evidence for Mesolithic and Neolithic activity (various features); limited activity from the Middle Bronze Age to the Early Romano-British period and limited evidence for Medieval activity.," A comprehensive suite of bulk samples was taken from sealed contexts to recover charred plant remains and charcoal, the largest number being taken from Mesolithic pit 72. In addition, a series of five undisturbed soil samples (kubienas) was taken from in situ Mesolithic deposits for consideration of soil micromorphology and pollen. These were accompanied by five small bulk samples to analyse soil chemistry and particle size in order to characterise and help provide a soil history. A soil monolith was taken through the colluvium that sealed features on the upper terrace to assist in the understanding of the soil history and truncations. ","The finds assemblage from Sandway Road is dominated by a significant collection of worked flint; other material types are represented in much smaller quantities. Of primary importance here is the early prehistoric assemblage recovered from two artefact scatters and from various cut features, comprising a substantial collection of Mesolithic/Neolithic worked flint, and a smaller but nevertheless highly significant group of Early and Middle Neolithic pottery. There is also a smaller amount of later material, ranging in date from Middle Bronze Age to post-medieval. ","The underlying solid geology that forms the promontory noted above comprises Cretaceous Lower Greensand Folkestone Sand Beds, with more recent drift alluvium mapped along the course of the River Len to the south-west (Ordnance Survey 1976). The characteristic soil of the area is argillic brown earth ",179,Development: CTRL,72,"During the course of the evaluation and excavation 70 features were identified and excavated. These comprised eight ditches, four pits, three possible hearth pits, two artefact scatters, 43 probable tree-throws, nine amorphous irregular features filled with burnt material (possibly representing burnt-out tree stumps) and one irregular feature of indeterminate function (though probably natural). The watching brief revealed a further six ditches (or gullies), three possible pits, one modern? post-hole, 11 tree-throws and three burnt-out tree stumps. Mesolithic remains included a 3 m diameter subcircular pit, two smaller subcircular shallower pits, two large irregular flint scatters and a feature of indeterminate form, with Earlier Neolithic features represented by a large ditch/pit and tree-throw. Middle Neolithic features include a large pit, burnt-out tree stump and two tree-throws (one previously recorded in evaluation trench 3577TT). Middle Bronze Age remains comprised two ditches that appear to form a coherent part of a field system. Late Bronze Age/ Early Iron Age features included a single pit (only observed in evaluation trench 3632TT), and a sequence of five intercutting ditches recorded during the targeted watching brief to the south-east of the excavation area. Other similarly dated features also recorded during the watching brief included a burnt-out tree stump and tree-throw. Late Iron Age/ Early Romano-British remains comprised a single burnt-out tree stump, whilst medieval remains included a pair of parallel ditches, co-aligned with the Middle Bronze Age ditches, and a small pit recorded during the watching brief.",WA,None 16 - Sandway Road,Sandway Road,Main site for publication,5,As above,ARC 420 73+500-73+700 99,Watching Brief,OAU,,,58800,15140,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Lenham,,,BA;UN,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,7 samples taken.,A few finds,Folkestone Sand Beds,68,Development: CTRL,100,Possible BA farming.,OAU,None 17 - Chapel Mill,Chapel Mill,Insufficient stratigraphic potential to take beyond assessment. Artefacts to be recorded to baseline spec and incorporated in scheme-wide report summary tables.,5,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the source of the River Len. ,ARC CML99,Excavation,OAU,29/03/1999,21/04/1999,59030,15000,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Lenham,,ditches; cremations; pits,LBA;LIA;RB;PM;MO,0.95 hectares was machine stripped and features dug by hand.,No phasing completed as yet.,"Deposits sampled during the evaluation included the Bronze Age pit and Iron Age boundary ditches. The only additional samples recovered during the strip, map and sample were the late Iron Age cremations, which were collected for wet-sieving in their entirety. The evaluation showed the density of charred remains in the prehistoric features to be low.","Artefacts recovered from in situ archaeological deposits were limited to small assemblages of later prehistoric pottery (63 sherds from the excavation, 47 from the evaluation) and worked flint (43 pieces in total). The pottery recovered during the evaluation included 24 sherds of late Bronze Age date, probably deriving from a single tub-shaped vessel with affinities with either the Deverel-Rimbury or post-Deverel-Rimbury (Plain Ware) pottery traditions. Three other Bronze Age sherds were residual in later contexts. No further stratified Bronze Age material was found during the strip, map and sample excavation. A small assemblage of late Iron Age pottery was recovered, the largest stratified group (27 sherds) being recovered from a boundary ditch during the evaluation. The material was generally heavily abraded and fragmentary. The two cremations appear to have been unaccompanied, but a sherd of probable late Iron Age date was recovered from one of them.","Folkestone Beds, close to the foot of the North Downs escarpment",50,Development: CTRL,,"An archaeological evaluation of the site uncovered a small number of features, including a single pit containing a substantial amount of later prehistoric pottery, from a simple tub-shaped vessel dated to the late Bronze Age (c.1750 – 900 BC). Two ditches were also identified, one of which produced a small amount of mid-late Iron Age pottery and some residual Bronze Age material. The strip, map and sample excavation identified few new features apart from those identified by the evaluation. There was no indication for human settlement on the site at any period. Two cremations, dated on the basis of a small amount of pottery to the Iron Age, were discovered in the same area as a Bronze Age pit discovered during the evaluation. Two parallel, linear boundary ditches, on a north-east to south-west alignment, are also thought to be of later prehistoric (probably late Iron Age) date, on the basis of a small amount of pottery from one of the ditches. A series of four parallel ditches are thought to be of post-medieval or modern date as they coincide with modern field boundaries crossing the site. The only material recovered from the sections excavated comprised a small amount of Iron Age pottery from the easternmost ditch, which must be residual.",OAU,None 17 - Chapel Mill,"Chilston Park, Chapel Mill and Lenham He",Insufficient stratigraphic potential to take beyond assessment. Artefacts to be recorded to baseline spec and incorporated in scheme-wide report summary tables.,5,As above,ARC420 73+700-78+150 99,Watching Brief,OAU,30/06/1999,09/12/1999,59030,15000,CTRL 420,Kent,Maidstone,Lenham,,,UN;EN;PM,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,no sample taken,"A few finds present, in small quantities",Folkestone Sand Beds,55,Development: CTRL,0,PM brick working;. UN iron-working debris from pits. EN flint working site.,OAU,None 18 - Hurst Wood,Hurst Wood,Not assigned to Principal Site. Insufficient potential to take beyond assessment stage.,6,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the upper reaches of the River West Stour. ,ARC HWD98,Excavation,OAU,14/09/1998,01/10/1998,59300,14840,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Charing Heath,,pits; PM/MO cultivation marks,BA;IA;RO;PM,1.4 ha stripped with 25 tonne mechanical excavator with toothless bucket. The area was mapped with hand excavation of sample sections,No phasing at present. Insufficient stratigraphic information. C14 dates awaited.,Seven features were bulk sampled for flotation and carbon-14 analysis. Material included charcoal datable to IA and immature grape seeds.,"Pit 27 and Pit 140 contained Bronze Age pottery. Tree-throw hole 49 contained Iron Age pottery. Pit 46 contained Romano-British pottery. Pits 53, 102, 122, 126, 136, 140 and tree-throw holes 12 and 49 produced flint.","Site on slight south-facing slope on the north side of the Great Stour floodplain. Solid geology of Cretaceous Sandgate beds below light mottled orange-grey clay silts with sand, mapped as Pleistocene Head Brickearth..",143,Development: CTRL,,"Twenty-seven pits, 17 postholes, 4 tree-throw holes and 2 furrows were excavated. Of those features 2 pits contained Bronze Age pottery, one tree-throw hole produced Iron Age pottery and a further pit contained a single Romano-British sherd. Six pits and two postholes contained flint. It is likely that the postholes and the furrows are associated with a post-medieval hop garden. Many of the pits contained evidence of burning and may have been associated with charcoal production, woodland clearance or some other form of woodland management. The pits were all fairly similar, they had flat bases and short, steep, concave sides. Many contained evidence of burning ‘in situ’, including fire hardened and reddened bases and ashy, charcoal-rich fills. It proposed that radiocarbon dates will be obtained from the fills to ascertain whether the pits are broadly contemporary (possibly relating to the prehistoric flint found in the topsoil) or if the activity was spread over a longer time period.",OAU,None 18 - Brockton Farm,Brockton Farm,Not assigned to Principal Site. Insufficient potential to take beyond assessment stage.,6,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the upper reaches of the River West Stour. ,ARC 430 78+150-78+600 99,Watching Brief,OAU,,,59200,14890,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Charing,,,PM,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,no samples taken,very few fragments of pot and CBM recovered,Cretaceous Lower Greensand,15,Development: CTRL,0,Activity associated with farm.,OAU,None 18 - South of Charing Heath,South of Charing Heath,Not assigned to Principal Site. Insufficient potential to take beyond assessment stage.,6,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the upper reaches of the River West Stour. ,ARC 430 78+600-79+200 98,Watching Brief,OAU,1999,2000,59200,14890,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Charing,,,,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,no samples taken,few fragments of pot and CBM,Cretaceous Lower Greensand,9,Development: CTRL,0,No significant archaeology.,OAU,None 18 - Hurst Wood WBG,Hurst Wood WBG,Not assigned to Principal Site. Insufficient potential to take beyond assessment stage.,6,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the upper reaches of the River West Stour. ,ARC 430 79+500-79+950 99,Watching Brief,OAU,1999,2000,59300,14800,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Charing,,,PM,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,no samples taken,no finds recovered,Cretaceous Lower Greensand,3,Development: CTRL,100,WW II concrete tank traps dumped there. Not original location.,OAU,None 18 - East of Newlands,East of Newlands,Not assigned to Principal Site. Insufficient potential to take beyond assessment stage.,6,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the upper reaches of the River West Stour. ,ARC NEW98,Excavation,OAU,21/09/1998,25/09/1998,59370,14800,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Charing Heath,,BT,LIA;RO,"15m by 5m trench excavated onto the Sandgate beds, to investigate a hollow way identified during the evaluation, with a 25 tonne mechanical excavator with a toothless bucket. All archaeological features excavated by hand.",No stratigraphic relationships observed.,10 litre sample taken from lower fill of hollow way and 20 litres taken from upper fill. No significant paleo-environmental data was recovered.,"2 sherds (4 g) of prehistoric pottery from backfill of MoLAS trench. Two struck flakes and a core fragment from upper fill of the hollow way, in association with 21 sherds (86 g) of Late Iron Age/ Early Roman pottery. Four pieces of medieval/post-medieval tile were found in the backfill of the MoLAS evaluation trench.",Located between the foot of the North Downs escarpment and by the River Great Sour. Cretaceous Sandgate beds form the drift geology.,8,Development: CTRL,,"A single trench was excavated to further investigate a hollow way, possibly representing the line of a Romano-British track, identified during a previous evaluation of the area. Prehistoric: Two sherds (4 g) of probable later prehistoric pottery were recovered from the backfill of the evaluation trench. Two struck flakes and a core fragment were found within the upper fill of the hollow way. Late Iron Age/ early Romano-British features (c. 100 BC – 200 AD): A possible late Iron Age or early Romano-British trackway, first identified during the evaluation, was re-exposed and sectioned. Limited artefactual dating evidence was recovered, confirming the results of the evaluation. The track crossed the trench in a hollow way, which was 4.85 m wide, 0.88 m deep and was aligned from north-west to south-east. Of the two fills identified only the upper produced dateable finds (21 sherds, 86 g), comprising pottery of late Iron Age/ early Romano-British date (c. 100 BC – 200 AD). Post-medieval material (c. 1500 – 1800 AD): Four pieces of post-medieval tile were found in the backfill of the evaluation trench. It is likely that these were redeposited from the topsoil. Since the hollow way is likely to have developed and then been filled over a long period of time, the artefactual and organic material recovered is likely to comprise residual material from the nearest settlement, rather than necessarily reflecting the lifespan of the track. All that can be said for certain is that the track fell out of use at some time after the period c. 100 BC – 200 AD.",OAU,None 18 - East of Newlands,East of Newlands,Not assigned to Principal Site. Insufficient potential to take beyond assessment stage.,6,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the upper reaches of the River West Stour. ,ARC 430 79+950-80+150 99,Watching Brief,OAU,1999,2000,59380,14740,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Charing,,,IA;RO;PM,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,,"a few finds recovered including pot, CBM, burnt flint and 1 metal object",Cretaceous Lower Greensand,16,Development: CTRL,0,IA cremations. Hollow way may be RO based on pottery evidence.,OAU,None 18 - Newlands Stud to East of Pluckley Road,Newlands Stud to East of Pluckley Road,Not assigned to Principal Site. Insufficient potential to take beyond assessment stage.,6,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the upper reaches of the River West Stour. ,ARC 430 80+150-81+800 99,Watching Brief,OAU,1999,2000,59430,14760,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Charing,,,LIA,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,no samples taken,6 sherds of pot and 6 slag,Cretaceous Lower Greensand,13,Development: CTRL,0,Possible LIA kiln.,OAU,None 18 - Leacon Lane,Leacon Lane,Not assigned to Principal Site. Insufficient potential to take beyond assessment stage.,6,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the upper reaches of the River West Stour. ,ARC 430 81+800-82+000 99,Watching Brief,OAU,1999,2000,59560,14750,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Charing,,,LNE;EBA;LIA;ERO,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,3 samples contained charred plant remains,concentration of 160 worked flints found. some Roman pot +1 stone and 1 animal bone frag,Cretaceous Lower Greensand,65,Development: CTRL,8,LNE/EBA flint working. LIA occupation.,OAU,None 18 - Westwell Leacon and Leda Cottages,Westwell Leacon and Leda Cottages,Not assigned to Principal Site. Insufficient potential to take beyond assessment stage.,6,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the upper reaches of the River West Stour. ,ARC 430 82+000-83+800 98,Watching Brief,OAU,1999,2000,59650,14730,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Charing,,,LIA,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,the 3 samples contained charred lant remains,"50 frags of pot, 2 of CBM, 20 Cu alloy and 5 flints recovered",Cretaceous Lower Greensand,25,Development: CTRL,3,LIA pits.,OAU,None 18 - Leda Cottages,West of Leda Cottages,Main site for publication,6,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the upper reaches of the River West Stour. ,ARC 430/83+200,Watching Brief,OAU,01/07/2000,,59690,14710,CTRL 430,KENT,Ashford,Westwell,,Late Iron age-Roman settlement,LIA; RO,Previous evaluation trenching and monitoring of the work durring the stripping of the trace had shown no significant archaeology and the site was earmarked for a watching brief only. The WB covered an area c. 240m x 120m (2.88ha). Machine stripping under archaeological supervision and excavation of feature by hand.,"3 major phases at assessment stage: phase 1-LIA; ERO, phase 2: late 1st-late 2nd, phase 3: mid to late 2nd-AD270",61 samples on a total of 66 were submitted for assessment of charred plant remains and charcoal. 41 produced seeds and/or chaff and 51 produced charcoal. Cereal species dominated by Triticum spelta with occasional Hordeum vulgare (barley) and Avena sp. (oats). Weed seeds also present in 24 samples. The large deposits of cereal grain and chaff suggest cereal processing activities were taking place. The two furnaces samples and hearth associated feature produced frequent or abundant charcoal representing fuel for firing. Total of 315 fragments of animal bones in very poor condition.,"Excavation yielded 1982 sherds (2087g) of late Iron Age and Roman pottery from 115 contexts and a further 281 sherds (1542g) from environmental sieving. The pottery data suggest fairly limited occupation during late Iron Age and period c. AD 50-150, followed by a great increased in activity during period c. AD 150-270. No pottery after AD 270. Late Iron Age and early roman pot came from the ditches forming the earliest enclosure. The larger quantities of late 1st and 2nd century came from the new enclosure, the south-east corner of this one and various scattered pits. A total of 17 kg of CBM and fired clay was recovered. Most of the CBM is of Roman date. Some of the fired clay is associated with iron smelting. Some appears to be from wattle-and-daub structures. A total of 83 pieces of worked flin, all residual, and 245 pieces of burnt flint were found. Worked flints were dated roughly to the late Mesolithic/early Neolithic and Bronze Age. 300 fragments of stone were recovered of which 10 pieces were worked. Five of these were fragments of rotary querns, the remaining were a possible tessera, two possible building blocks and a sling shot. 8 small undiagnostic fragments of glass and 5 iron nails were also recovered.","The site lies on the eastern edge of the Folkestone Beds, bordered to the east by Gault Clays. It was sealed by sandy silt soils. The area of the watching brief lies between the existing A20 and the embankment of the Maidstone to Ashford railway line. The site slopes gently down from south-east to north-west with a stream forming the northern boundary of the site. The southern extent of the site is defined/truncated by a post-medieval sunken lane associated with the occupation bridge under the railway. Prior to work on the CTRL the area of the site had been under arable cultivation.",636,Development: CTRL,66,"The watching brief recorded a sequence of late Iron Age and Roman activity dating from the late Iron Age to c. AD 270. In summary, the following dated occupation has been established: Evidence of late Iron Age represented by the establishment of a rectilinear enclosure with two well defined entrance and subdivided by a small gully. Occupation during late Iron Age into the early Roman period included two 4-posts structure, probably associated with cereal processing and evidence for iron smelting activity. One furnace was located within the enclosure and a second focus of activity, comprising 3 furnaces and 2 associated features, was situated 150m north-west of the enclosure near the present day stream. The construction of a second rectangular enclosure, respecting the alignment of the earlier one which was therefore probably still in use. This is probably datable to the late 1st century. Dating evidence suggest the earlier ditches were deliberately backfilled shortly after. Various features containing 2nd century pottery were recorded, including a number of pits, a rectangular flint lined structure of unknown purpose and a possible 6 posts structure. The south-east corner of the new enclosure might have been the centre of industrial activity of unknown nature. The focus of iron smelting activity, north-east of the main area, might have still been in use, however the dating evidence is very slight. Evidence for continuing occupation into the 3rd century, mostly represented by discrete features. The second enclosure was possibly still in use. The nature and the foci of activity do not seem different from the previous phase. Another rectangular structure, with stone and daub lining, of unknown purpose was recorded. All activity seems to have ceased around c. 270 AD.",OAU,None 19 - Tutt Hill,Tutt Hill,Main site for publication,6,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River West Stour. ,ARC 430 83+800-84+900 99,Watching Brief,OAU,12/3/99-27/8/99,,59750,14660,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Westwell,,,Early-Middle NE; BA; IA,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,25 samples contained charred plant remains and 19 contained charcoal,"mostly pot, flints and slag recovered but also a few metal finds and CBM frags",Cretaceous Lower Greensand,382,Development: CTRL,50,NE flint working. Early-Middle BA barrow cemetery. EIA field system.,OAU,None 20 - Parsonage Farm,West of Parsonage Farm,Main site for publication,6,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River West Stour. ,ARC 430 84+900-85+100 99,Watching Brief,OAU,1999-2000,,59900,14700,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Westwell,,,,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,no samples taken,no finds recovered,Cretaceous Lower Greensand,12,Development: CTRL,0,No significant archaeology.,OAU,None 20 - Parsonage Farm,Parsonage Farm,Main site for publication,6,As above,ARC PFM 98,Part excavation,MoLAS,01/09/1998,12/03/1999,598050,146050,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Westwell CP,,Moat; Hall House; Mill Leet,?IA; MD; PM,Mechanical removal of topsoil and subsoil; recording of all features; hand excavation and recording of selected features; partial preservation in situ of masonry foundations,"A timber prehistoric and brushwood platform was found in peat deposits within a relict stream bed, associated with pottery dated provisionally as Late Iron Age/ early Roman. An anglo-saxon/ medieval mill leet or mill race was found, possibly associated with and parallel to a revetted edge of a natural stream. The possible leet or race contained pottery dated 1050–1150. A medieval moated manor house was built, at least one arm of the moat being a canalised natural stream, c 1150. Some buildings were in timber, some stone-founded, and there were several phases of construction, enlargement and repair. There was no evidence for a bridge across the moat, which may in part have been dry. The buildings were deliberately dismantled approximately 1300–1350. The site was then apparently not inhabited but used for agriculture, two causewayed crossings of the moat being for animals and carts. The site was used for agriculture in the post-medieval period. ",Sediment and botanical samples taken,"Prehistoric struck flints; medieval pottery and tiles (abundant), other finds (scarce)",Sand (Folkestone Beds) capped by superficial deposits of clay-with-flints and brickearth; subsoil; topsoil,1075,Development: CTRL,?,"A background presence of struck and burnt flint flakes shows general activity from the prehsitoric period.On the western side of the site a stream was associated with a brushwood platform containing Iron Age pottery dating from 50BC to AD50. A background presence of Roman pottery shows general activity from this period. Two phases were seen during the medieval period. The first is evidence for occupation/landuse in the form of a large ditch and pottery. Most of this level was sealed below later deposits, which were left unexcavated, preserved in situ.The second phase involved the construction of a mound/building platform, revetment of the stream and the construction of a substantial masonry hall and associated timber buildings. It is possible the area of buildings was surrounded by a moat at this time.The timber buildings were subsequently demolished and replaced with major (probably kitchen and domestic) ranges and a large hall. Documentary evidence indicates a manor farm at Westwell was probably being dismantled around 1290 and this may be a reference to Parsonage Farm, as occupation on the site appears to be limited to the 13th century. The site reverted to agricultural use and is marked as an orchard on 19th century maps.",MoLAS ,None 20 - Parsonage Farm,Parsonage Farm,Main site for publication,6,As above,ARC 430 85+100-85+350 99,Watching Brief,OAU,1999,2000,598050,146050,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Westwell,,,LNE;EBA;ME,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,no sample taken,"few finds including 50 frags of CBM, 6 sherds of pot, 6 flints and 1 glass frag",Cretaceous Lower Greensand,24,Development: CTRL,0,LNE/EBA flint working. ME moated site.,OAU,None 21 - Beechbrook Wood,Beechbrook Wood,Main site for publication,6,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River West Stour.,ARCBBW00,Watching Brief,OAU,Oct-00,Jul-01,59840,14530,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Hothfield,,,,"Prior to the commencement of fieldwork, four areas were accorded a Targeted Watching Brief status as a result of the earlier investigations. These were subsequently labelled Areas A, B, C and D. Target Areas C and B were situated within Contract 430, whilst A and D were within Contract 570. Both the discovery of significant remains and changes in the construction design necessitated modifications to the original classification. These can be summarized as follows: ? Substantial expansion of the groundworks coinciding with a high concentration of significant archaeological remains resulted in the re-classification of the entire northern plateau as one Targeted Watching Brief, Area C (this incorporated the limits of the original Target Area D). ? With the exception of limited topsoil removal, Area B was preserved in situ under the temporary earthworks of the loop embankment. ? All groundworks outside the limits of the Target Areas were also preceded by the removal of topsoil and subsoil under archaeological attendance, and therefore duplicated their specified methodology. Following the discovery of these extensive archaeological remains, the site was classified as a Significant Discovery Individual (SDI) in January 2001.",,"A total of 161 bulk samples were processed and assessed for charred plant remains and charcoal. Evidence of large-scale cereal processing is mostly absent, although two grain-rich deposits were recovered. Spelt wheat and barley appear to be the principal cereal species represented, although emmer was also present. Some evidence for the Neolithic and Bronze Age use of wild woodland resources was also recovered. The charcoal evidence suggests widespread use of oak, particularly for cremations, while a greater mix of taxa seems to have been utilised for industrial activities","Fairly large assemblages of finds were recovered, including pottery (5912 sherds), 4845kg of CBM, 4665 2264 pieces and 1500 chips) worked flints, 1449 burnt unworked flints, 4845 kg of fired clay, 10 worked pieces of stone, 1 silver decorative mount, 15 poorly preserved copper alloy objects, 292 iron objects (mostly nails), 2 lead fragments, one LIA coin and 77234kg of slag and other metalworking debris.","The solid geology of the area consists of the Lower Greensand, the Folkestone Beds of the Lower Cretaceous, near its eastern boundary with the Gault Clay. Little of it was, however, exposed during the earthworks: the majority of the deposits encountered were instead found to be consistent with a drift capping of clay-with-flints. This may be part of the Lenham Beds and is presumed to be of Pliocene date (GSoGB 1966, 204-205). It included an extensive facies of yellow ferruginous sand which was several metres deep across the northern half of the site, whilst a mottled grey clay-with-flint prevailed to the south. Patches of Head Brickearth of up to 1 m depth were found to cover these deposits across the site, but were generally more extensive and deeper to the south and west. All deposits were overlain by a modern topsoil and patches of subsoil, varying in consistency and thickness with the underlying substrates.",2026,Development: CTRL,82,"As part of an extensive programme of archaeological investigation carried out in advance of the construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), the Oxford Archaeological Unit (OAU) was commissioned by Union Railways (South) Limited (URS) to maintain a Targeted Watching Brief on the site of a proposed railhead at Beechbrook Wood within CTRL Project Area 430/570 between October 2000 and July 2001. Investigations prior to the construction programme had revealed traces of a poorly preserved prehistoric landscape of an agricultural nature, thus the site was designated a Targeted Watching Brief. During the course of the programme, more extensive remains were uncovered and a subsequent classification of the site as a Significant Discovery Individual (SDI) was made. Included in this assessment are two phases of fieldwork (ARC BBW00 and ARC BWD98). The size of the construction site totalled 37 ha. The fieldwork revealed extensive multi-period remains, ranging in date from the Mesolithic through to the early Roman period. The earliest prehistoric evidence was restricted to the north of the site and consisted of pits with occasional in situ artefact assemblages, including a concentration of flint-knapping debris from a large late Mesolithic feature. Other isolated features contained early Neolithic flint tools and Plain Bowl pottery. The nature of activity during these periods is difficult to intepret but could represent quite intensive use of the site from the late mesolithic onwards, perhaps as a favoured temporary camp site. During the Beaker period, activity is more intense, and includes evidence suggestive of settlement and burial activity, including a substantial and varied domestic Beaker assemblage, recovered from a group of features. A small ring ditch, possibly a roundhouse or barrow ditch, is dated to this period by pottery finds, as are two intercutting barrow ditches. Groups of features dated to the middle/late Bronze Age are very few in number but finds include metalwork and loomweight fragments. Although the nature of the activity in this period is difficult to interpret, some regionally important new transitional ceramic types were recovered. The main prehistoric occupation of the site commences during the Late Bronze Age. From this time the settlement focus experiences periodic shifts towards the lower lying terrains to the east and south, whilst the northern plateau lies abandoned. Land divisions may be associated with an only partly exposed settlement at the eastern boundary. The latter produced rare evidence for contemporary superstructures within an extensive assemblage of daub. Truncated cremation burials are found in repeated association with the field boundaries. A further ring ditch nearby produced a small amount of Late Bronze Age pottery and may indicate a contemporary structure. Evidence for the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age transition is limited to one securely dated ceramic assemblage from a shallow pit. A double-dithched enclosure was established during the Middle Iron Age at the south-western extreme of the site which revealed evidence of entrance remodelling and placed deposits including cremated human remains in its ditch fills. A new regional pottery fabric series was identified within the extensive ceramic assemblage from this structure. Use of the structure may have been relatively shortlived. A small group of urned cremation burials outside its limits may represent a closing deposit. During the Late Iron Age, two foci of activity are present. To the south, further enclosure activity, including the construction of at least one possible causeway, occurs around the perimeter of the earlier enclosure. The function of these earthworks remains unclear, but they may have served pastoral or agricultural purposes. To the north, artefactual evidence from two industrial plots is suggestive of metalworking and trade. The two areas appear broadly contemporary, possibly indicating occupational zoning. Ceramic evidence indicates that activity in both areas continued into the Early Roman period without noticeable changes in their nature. The site appears to have ceased to be used around AD 250; this may be due to a gradual settlement shift towards the north and south. There is some evidence for peripheral use of the site by manorial complexes to the north and south during the 13th century. After c. AD 250 there is little evidence for activity other than agricultural use of the land until the post-medieval period.",OAU,None 21 - Beechbrook Wood,Beechbrook Farm,Main site for publication,6,As above,ARC 430 85+350-85+900 99,Watching Brief,OAU,1999,2000,59840,14530,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Westwell,,,,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,no sample taken,only 2 woked and 2 burnt flints recovered,Cretaceous Lower Greensand,8,Development: CTRL,0,No significant archaeology.,OAU,None 21 - Beechbrook Wood,South of Beechbrook Wood,Main site for publication,6,As above,ARC BWD98,Part excavation,MoLAS,01/09/1998,30/09/1998,59840,14530,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Hothfield,,CL2,MBA; LIA/RO; PM,Mechanical removal of topsoil; record features; excavate selected features,Undetermined,Soil samples from selected cut features,"Middle Bronze Age pottery, perhaps from a single vessel used to hold a cremation burial; Late Iron Age/early Roman pottery, some (not examined) containing cremation burials; small iron objects of uncertain date",Sandgate Beds overlaid by drift deposits of sand and silt; subsoil; topsoil,155,Development: CTRL,,"The site comprised one area laid out across the line of the proposed CTRL on the crown and north side of a slight knoll. The archaeological area measured 1.87 hectares. The trench was at URS grid point 78400 25300, corresponding approximately to Ordnance Survey national grid reference (NGR) TQ 9850 4540.",MoLAS ,None 21 - Beechbrook Wood,South of Beechbrook Wood,Main site for publication,6,As above,ARC 430 85+900-86+200 99,Watching Brief,OAU,1999,2000,59840,14530,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Westwell,,,LIA;ERO;PM,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,2 samples. Some human bones found,"some pot and a few fragments of CBM, flint, glass (1), slag and animal bones",Cretaceous Lower Greensand,27,Development: CTRL,2,LIA/ERO activity of ouncertain type.,OAU,None 21 - Yonsea Farm,Yonsea Farm,Not assigned to Principal Site. Insufficient potential to take beyond assessment stage.,6,As above,ARC 430 86+200-86+500 99,Watching Brief,OAU,1999,2000,59850,14490,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Hothfield,,,ME;PM,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,no sample taken,"some pot (104), 2 stones, and single frags of CBM, flint, slag and fired clay",Cretaceous Lower Greensand,11,Development: CTRL,0,Activity associated with farm.,OAU,None 22 - Lodge Wood,Lodge Wood WBG,Insufficient stratigraphic potential to take beyond assessment. Artefacts to be recorded to baseline spec and incorporated in scheme-wide report summary tables.,6,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River West Stour.,ARC 430 86+500-87+300 99,Watching Brief,OAU,03/12/1998,17/06/1999,59900,14400,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Ashford (NPA),,,,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,no sample taken,none,Cretaceous Lower Greensand,0,Development: CTRL,0,No significant archaeology,OAU,None 22 - Lodge Wood,Lodge Wood,Insufficient stratigraphic potential to take beyond assessment. Artefacts to be recorded to baseline spec and incorporated in scheme-wide report summary tables.,6,As above,ARC 430 87+300_87+800 98,Watching Brief,OAU,03/12/1998,17/06/1999,59900,14400,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Ashford (NPA),,,IA;ME;UN,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,5 samples contained charred plant remains,"some pot (845) and single frag of stone, iron, flint and animal bone",Cretaceous Lower Greensand,30,Development: CTRL,8,LIA occupation site.,OAU,None 23 - Ashford and Sevington,Ashford and Sevington,Not assigned to Principal Site. Insufficient potential to take beyond assessment stage.,7,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River East Stour,ARC 430 87+800-93+250 99,Watching Brief,OAU,1999,2000,60130,14210,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Ashford (NPA);Sevington,,,,All groundwork was monitored. For areas of high potential machine stripping was directed by archaeologists.,,no sample taken,1 single frag of pot,Cretaceous Lower Greensand,15,Development: CTRL,0,No significant archaeology.,OAU,None 23 - Boys Hall Balancing Pond,Boys Hall Balancing Pond,Insufficient stratigraphic potential to take beyond assessment. Artefacts to be recorded to baseline spec and incorporated in scheme-wide report summary tables.,7,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River East Stour,ARC BHB99,Excavation,OAU,26/04/1999,14/05/1999,60300,14070,CTRL 430,Kent,Ashford,Sevington,,Gullies; Ditches; Feature,LIA;RO;MD;PM,"Strip, map and sample excavation",No phasing completed as yet,"The fills of the group of cremation features were sampled in their entirety, resulting in five samples. These have yet to be examined in detail but are clearly rich in wood charcoal and contain numerous fragments of cremated bone. Some of the samples also contain sherds of pottery, where these could not easily be separated from the soil in the field.","An assemblage of approximately four hundred sherds of pottery was recovered from the excavation, which will increase when all of the cremation samples have been processed. All of this material is late Iron Age/ early Romano-British in date (c. 100 BC – 200 AD). However, it should be noted that the comparatively large sherd count is in part due to the recovery of several smashed cremation vessels. The only other finds recovered comprised a small number of tile fragments, post-medieval glass and two iron nails.",Solid geology of Atherfield Clay at the base of the Lower Greensand sequence,26,Development: CTRL,,"An east/west aligned ditch discovered in the south-west corner of the site contained 64 sherds of late Iron Age/ early Romano-British pottery. A gully running parallel to the south, and two shallow ditches running parallel to the north, all produced contemporary material though in smaller quantities (9 sherds, 2 sherds and 10 sherds respectively). Two shallow scoops of uncertain function were cut by these linear features but contained the same type of pottery. A small cluster of shallow, charcoal-rich pits in the south east corner of the site contained the remains of at least four in situ cremation burials within late Iron Age/ early Romano-British pots, though these were much truncated by later ploughing. In addition to the cremation urn, one of these features contained several other smashed pots apparently representing grave goods. Two large north-east/south-west aligned ditches which ran continuously through the west half of the site were cut through a buried soil horizon which overlay the Iron Age/ Romano-British features. The only finds recovered from these features consisted of a few small fragments of post-medieval tile and glass. These two ditches, and a cobbled surface which appeared to be contemporary with this later phase of activity, were almost certainly associated with the adjacent former medieval manor house or later post-medieval garden (Boys Hall Moat Scheduled Ancient Monument, Kent SAM 146). A small number of further ditches and gullies located in the northern half of the site were undated, but also appeared most likely to be medieval or post-medieval in date.",OAU,None 24 - West of Blind Lane,West of Blind Lane,Insufficient stratigraphic potential to take beyond assessment. Artefacts to be recorded to baseline spec and incorporated in scheme-wide report summary tables.,7,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River East Stour,ARC BLN 98,Excavation,OAU,11/01/1999,05/03/1999,60400,14010,CTRL 440,Kent,Ashford,Sevington,,ditches; postholes; pits; gullies,MBA;LBA;LIA'RO;MD,"Machine stripped area, features dug by hand.",No phasing completed as yet.,"The evaluation results suggested that the environmental potential of the site was very poor. Nevertheless, a small number of representative samples were recovered from a range of features, for comparative purposes. Eight samples were taken from the middle – late Bronze Age ditches, one of the late Iron Age/early Romano-British ditches, a posthole, and an undated charcoal-filled pit.","A total of 426 pottery sherds was recovered during the excavation, 218 of which derive from two early Romano-British vessels (c.50 – 200 AD). Apart from these two vessels, which were found in adjacent cuts forming part of a single Romano-British boundary, there were few diagnostic sherds. The evaluation produced 127 sherds, mostly from a single Bronze Age vessel. A total of 111 pieces of struck flint and five pieces of burnt flint were recovered. The majority of the flint was found in the topsoil, on the stripped surface or within colluvial deposits and erosional features. A small assemblage of poorly preserved animal bone was recovered from the site. Two metal artefacts were recovered, including a copper alloy brooch of late Iron Age date, and a copper alloy pin, as yet undated.",Atherfield clay overlain by silts and sand of the Hythe Beds.,252,Development: CTRL,,"The Oxford Archaeological Unit (OAU) was commissioned by Union Railways (South) Limited (URS) to undertake detailed archaeological investigation at West of Blind Lane Sevington, Kent. This work formed part of an extensive programme of archaeological investigation carried out in advance of the construction of the CTRL. The excavation area exposed at least 16 ditches, five gullies, three postholes and two undated charcoal-filled pits. A Deverel-Rimbury bucket urn recovered during the evaluation from one of a pair of parallel ditches, indicates that this possible trackway is middle - late Bronze Age in date c.1750 BC – 1150 BC. One of these ditches had been recut. Pottery from the remaining ditches was sparse. A late Iron Age or early Romano-British date (c.100 BC – 200 AD) is indicated for eight of the ditches and two smashed vessels were found in adjacent cuts forming part of a single Romano-British boundary. One of the vessels was a fragmented handled jar dated to c. 50 – 200 AD. Some intercutting and recutting of the ditches suggests that there are three phases to the late Iron Age/ early Romano-British activity, but it probably represents a relatively short-lived period of activity. A large natural depression in the centre of the excavation area contained a thin deposit of waterlain sand and clay, which was overlain by colluvial deposits. The areas adjacent to the depression revealed areas of erosion, which produced late Iron Age/early Romano-British pottery as well as prehistoric struck flint. A total of 426 pottery sherds were recovered from the site (in addition to the 127 sherds of mainly Bronze Age pottery recovered during the evaluation). 218 of these represent two fragmented early Romano-British vessels. There were few diagnostic sherds apart from the two vessels. A total of 111 pieces of struck flint and five pieces of burnt flint were recovered. The majority of the flints were recovered from topsoil, colluvial deposits or erosional features. A small assemblage of poorly preserved bone was recovered from the site. Two metal artefacts were recovered, including a copper alloy late Iron Age brooch and a copper alloy pin. The site is situated c.300 m south of a dense surface concentration of pottery and flintwork, and an extensive cropmark complex of ring ditches, enclosures and field boundaries, which probably include a later prehistoric and Roman settlement focus. This suggests that later prehistoric and early Romano-British farming communities in this area may favoured the better-drained geology of the Hythe Beds for settlement sites, rather than the heavy Atherfield Clay.",OAU,None 25 - Mersham,Mersham,Main site for publication,7,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River East Stour,ARC MSH 98,Excavation,CAT,09/11/1998,13/01/1999,60520,13930,CTRL 440,Kent,Ashford,Mersham,,Ironworks,"EM, MD, PM","Soil stripped by machine. Most pits 50% excavated by hand, all ditches approximately 10% excavated by hand (trowel, shovel and mattock).","The dating of the pottery from the site indicates that there are a number of periods represented, from Mid-Saxon (AD750) to late post-medieval (AD1900). More than half of the pottery is of a Norman (AD1050-1200) origin, and in excess of three quarters dates to between AD850-1200. There appears to be residual material in the features, often pottery from more than a single period is represented in any one cut, and frequently so little pottery is present it is hard to be precise about the dating of the features. Few features (with the exception of the ditches) are intercutting, so a comparable sequence is not available. For these reasons only a very general phasing of the site can be postulated. There were a number of ditches apparently bounding and cutting across the site, these have been re-cut periodically and were probably in use for a long time (pottery from them dates to between AD1000-1825). There is a correlation in direction between the present church boundaries and those represented on site. Most of the features date to the period 1050-1225, and a majority of the cuts containing significant amounts of the slag are of a similar date. Of the slag from datable contexts more than 65% (by weight) can be attributed to the 1000-1250 date range, and almost 90% to the period 750-1250. The pottery evidence shows a distinct scarcity of activity between 1250 and 1450, no pottery at all was found to be representative of this period. The next phase of activity occurs to the east of the site, where a distinct set of oblong ""horticultural"" features appeared to date to the Post-Medieval period.","102 bulk samples were recovered from significant and random sample contexts across the site. 48 of these were wet sieved and examined for the recovery of biological material and metalworking waste. The lack of significant data obtained made the examination of the remaining samples futile. An important part of the sampling program was to recover hammerscale, thus give a indication of the types of metalworking activity occuring on the site. In the event, many of the samples contained small amounts of slag and traces of hammerscale, and a number produced moderately sized assemblages of plant and animal remains. Most of the plant remains had been preserved by charring, a few had been mineralised, they consisted in the main of cereal remains, seeds and hazelnut shell. Traces of mineralised faeces were recovered from samples from pits 200 and 38, pit 38 had already been described as a possible cess pit. Landsnail and shellfish remains were present in some of the samples, though calcareous granules of arionid slugs were very common in most. The presence of root fragments in some of the samples indicates that some of the remains may be intrusive. Apart from a few interesting and telling samples, the environmental data provides an unremarkable assemblage. ","The artefactual remains represent Iron Age to post-medieval periods; the include a significant ironworking assemblage, dating broadly to the period c.AD750-1250. The majority of the ironworking debris has been identified as tap slag (indicative of the smelting process) although dense slag, roasted ore and hammerscale have aslo been retrieved (the latter by environmental sieving). Of the 563kg of slag recovered, 65% can be attributed to the AD1000-1250 date range. In all 296 pottery sherds have been recovered; the Iron Age (11) and Roman (13) sherds are small, worn and probably residual. The 272 Post-Roman sherds comprise Mid and Late Anglo-Saxon (c.AD750-1050), Early Medieval (c.AD1050-1200), Medieval (c.AD1200-1450), Late Medieval (c.AD 1450-1550), Post-Medieval (c.AD1550-1775) and Late Post-Medieval (c.AD1775-1900). The condition of the pottery is fair to poor and is generally of local fabrics. Ceramic building material is represented by Roman brick and tile (4), Medieval roof tile (315), Post-Medieval brick (7), Post-Medieval floor tile (1) and daub (357); again, the condition was poor and material fragmentary. The remainder of the bulk finds includes smaller quantities of charcoal, glass and stone, with 1799 fragments of bone. 25 flint artefacts were also recovered, three pieces identified as Mesolithic, Neolithic and a gun flint; the other fragments have been interpreted as flint knapping waste. 97 small finds have been retrieved, 63 of which are made of iron. The ferrous artefacts include an awl and 5 knife blades. Good quality artefacts associated with the production of leather goods and textiles have been identified, and other domestic items include a fragments of quern and part of an antler comb. The non-ferrous metal artefacts are not significant, but the proportion of iron artefacts in the assemblage is certainly higher than might normally be expected, substantiating the interpretation of the site as primarily industrial rather than domestic in the Late Anglo-Saxon and Early Medieval periods. ","The field in which the site is located occupies a south-east facing slope of approximately 2o steepening to about 5o towards the southern boundary. The land has been ploughed to a depth of 25-30cm, as evidenced by a relatively homogenous topsoil horizon and the fragmentation and incorporation of the underlying solid geology towards the top of the slope, along the northern limits of the site. The solid geology comprises Lower Cretaceous Hythe Beds. These consist of of alternate layers of variable thickness (6 inches to 2 feet) of ragstone (hard, greyish blue, dense, glauconitic sandy limestone), and hassock (grey to brownish grey, glauconitic, argillaceous calcareous sand or soft sandstone). ",561,Development: CTRL,0.2,"A majority of the excavated features appear to be of Norman date (AD1050-1100/25). These consist in the main of clusters of pits and post-holes, mostly from within a rectangular area bounded by ditches and their recuts dating from between AD750-1550. No obvious structures were identified, and many of the pits were of indeterminable function, there was however a group of features which resembled cess pits, and there were at least three articulated animal burials. Most striking was the abundance of iron slag from the surface of, and within, features across the site, in all just over 560kg were recovered. This consisted of slag from both the smelting and smithing processes, though no actual furnace or hearth area was identified. There is little evidence of domestic activity on the site, relatively few pottery sherds were found, and apart from a number of knives and a fragment of quern stone, few other general household artefacts were recovered. There is some finds evidence that small scale textile activity occured on the site. A series of parallel, oblong features to the east of the site have been interpreted as being horticultural features, possibly associated with the gardens of Court Lodge, to the north of the site, these appear to date to the Post-Medieval period",CAT,None 26 -Bower Road,Bower Road,Main site for publication,7,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River East Stour,ARC 440/99,Watching Brief,OAU,07/07/1999,15/09/1999,60590,13880,CTRL 440,KENT,Ashford,Smeeth,,Settlement; cremation; ditches; pits,LIA; RO; MD,Roman building identified in haul road during watching brief. Extent of site defined by additional topsoil and subsoil stripping with 360 excavator under archaeological control. Features excavated by hand with shovel mattock and trowel.,No phasing completed as yet,Charred plant remains were well represented across the site. A total of 24 samples were processed by flotation.The range of species identified are appropriate for the Romano-British period. The result have the potential to provide economic information for the site as well as aid understanding of regional agricultural patterns. The presence of Roman mineralised remains is of regional as well as national interest.,"A fairly wide range of artefacts were recovered in fair condition, spanning the period from the foundation of the site in the late Iron Age to the 3rd or 4rth century AD. The bulk of artefacts were pottery, mainly dated from 1st to 2nd century. The CBM is mainly composed of Roman tiles. The flint assemblage contained few tools. Roman glass fragments were vessel sherds, window fragment and beads. Iron finds were mostly nails and unidentified fragments. Copper alloy finds were only coins.","Site lies on Artherfield clay which to the north, is overlain by the Hythe Beds.This geological substrate is overlain by silty clay soils.",893,Development: CTRL,55,"The main area of the site shows slight evidence for activity during the late Iron age, including a large pond fed by 2 drainage ditches. The immediate post-conquest period is represented by only 2 ditches. The main period of activity of the site has been dated from the late 1st century to the late 3rd century. This includes 5 boundary ditches and a rectangular building associated with a drainage ditch and an enclosure ditch. The complex is likely to represent a farm building with associated enclosure. This complex seems to have been in use until the late 3rd century, and may have continued into the 4th century. A second, heavily truncated posthole building towards the north-west of the site may be associated with the same phase of activity. A cremation found at the western edge of the site produced 3 vessels dating to the period AD 180-270.The northern part of the main area revealed evidence of activity datable to the period AD 270-400. The main features were a drystone wall and 4 pits. One of the pits contained a large quantity and range of finds which suggest a special or terminal deposit.2 ditches running across the site are stratigraphically later than all other features but did not produce satisfactory dating evidence; they are probably late Roman or post-Roman. Some evidence of medieval or post-medieval activity was identified following stripping south-east of the main area (96+300-96+350), in the direction of Little Stock Farm. Three walls constituting possible sheep pens were found, and may have formed part of a farm complex; a fourth wall may have been a field boundary.",OAU,None 27- Little Stock Farm,Little Stock Farm,Main site for publication,7,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River East Stour,ARC LSF99,Excavation,WA,06/04/1999,11/05/1999,60660,13850,CTRL 440,Kent,Ashford,Mersham,,Field system; settlement; ritual activity; grave pits,NE; LBA; IA; RO; EM; MD,Mechanical removal of topsoil; hand excavation and recording of archaeological features.,"Main phase of activity was dated to Late Bronze Age/Iron Age but evidence for Neolithic, Roman, Saxon and Medieval activity was also recorded",26 bulk soil samples taken; 313 fragments of Animal Bones; disarticulated and fragmentary human remains (min 2 adult females),"Moderate quantity of artefactual material, in a fairly limited range of material types was recovered: 1000g of CBM, 87 worked flints and very small quantities of various other finds. Condition ranges from fair to pooor, the ceramic assemblage (497g) in particular showing signs of moderate to heavy abrasion.","The underlying solid geology comprises the southernmost fringes of Cretaceous Lower Greensand Hythe Beds, overlying Atherfield Clay of the same geological period. More recent drift deposits in the area include alluvium mapped along the course of the East Stour River to the south (Ordnance Survey 1974).",172,Development: CTRL,26,"During the course of the fieldwork a considerable number of archaeological features and deposits were recorded, from almost all major chronological periods between the Late Neolithic and post-medieval, and particularly the Late Bronze Age, Iron Age and medieval periods. The features predominantly comprising ditches (including subrectangular enclosures, ring-ditches, field systems and drainage gullies), pits, post-holes and hearths, but also including features such as post-pits, grave-pits and a large stone quarry. With the notable exception of the grave-pits, the majority of the features appear to be intrinsically associated with settlement activity. However, some post-holes and/or pits were recorded that apparently contained placed pottery vessels (hereafter referred to as vessel-holes), suggesting activity more closely associated with ritual",WA,None 28 - Church Lane and East Station Road,Church Lane,Insufficient stratigraphic potential to take beyond assessment. Artefacts to be recorded to baseline spec and incorporated in scheme-wide report summary tables.,7,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River East Stour,ARC CHL98,Excavation,OAU,22/11/1998,21/01/1999,60790,13830,CTRL 440,Kent,Ashford,Smeeth,,ditches; flint scatter,ME;MBA;LBA;LIA;RO;PM;MO,"The area was divided into four zones (1-4), with different approaches applied to each. The method adopted for each zone reflected the percieved archaeological potential, the type of deposits expected and engineering considerations. There were substantial reductions in the area excavated (from c. 3.5 ha to c. 2.1 ha). An additional trench (Trench 2) was machine excavated on the north west side of the ridge to determine the degree of erosion of deposits, and assess the northern extent of the Mesolithic material.",No phasing completed as yet.,"No deposits with palaeo-environmental potential were seen in the excavated areas of this site, and no samples were taken.","895 struck flints of mixed date were recovered, 156 sherds of pottery, 8 fragments of ceramic building material and 10 fragments of worked stone. The condition of these finds was of low quality.", The geology of the site consists of Atherfield Clay overlain by alluvium and colluvium in the stream valley and around the foot of the hill to the west of Church Lane.,37,Development: CTRL,,"The stripped areas were 2.5 ha and 2.1 ha in extent respectively.The two sites were separated by an unnamed stream (a tributary of the East Stour River). Zone 4 at Church Lane, which was c. 0.18 ha in extent, was intended to investigate a potential Mesolithic finds scatter on the margins of the stream. Only the western part of Zone 4 contained alluvial/colluvial deposits, which yielded over 160 flint flakes from an area of c. 200 m2. A further scatter of flint flakes was revealed on the eastern side of the hill to east of the stream, although here the accumulation of colluvium was more modest and the density of finds much lower. As in the evaluation, the indications are that this material represents a mixture of Mesolithic and later prehistoric material, which has accumulated at the foot of the hill as a result of slope erosion. The topsoil stripping revealed two linear features which produced pottery of middle or late Bronze Age date (c.1150 BC – 900 BC). The ditches extended down the western side of the hill towards the stream. Towards the top of the hill the features were heavily truncated by ploughing and slope erosion. A thin scatter of unstratified Roman, medieval and post-medieval pottery, all showing signs of considerable abrasion, was recovered during the machining.",OAU,None 28 - Church Lane and East Station Road,East of Station Road,Insufficient stratigraphic potential to take beyond assessment. Artefacts to be recorded to baseline spec and incorporated in scheme-wide report summary tables.,7,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River East Stour,ARC STR99,Excavation,OAU,26/04/1999,25/06/1999,60770,13840,CTRL 440,Kent,Ashford,Smeeth,,Ditches; gullies; occupation,LIA;RO;PM;MO,"The site was specified as a detailed excavation. Partly in response to the largely negative results from Church Lane, and partly due to anticipated difficulties in stripping the site and limitations on spoil storage areas, the total excavation area was significantly reduced (from 3.62 ha to c. 2.5 ha). The reduction was achieved by excavating the site in a series of parallel, 15 m wide trenches, which were expanded as necessary to expose potentially significant archaeological features. Baulks were removed between Trenches 12 and 14 to form an open area excavation zone with the greatest density of archaeological features. In addition, a deep trench was machine-excavated in the lowest part of the site (Trench 17) in order to recover waterlogged environmental indicators.",No phasing completed as yet.,"A large number of the ditches on the East of Station Road site contained charred remains (17 samples taken). Most remains appeared to be wood charcoal, although it is possible that cereals and other crops are also represented. The deep excavation in Trench 17 revealed well-preserved organic remains. Samples were taken for macro-organic material, pollen and snails. The stump of an oak tree was also recovered. Pottery recovered from the section indicates that the upper part of the alluvial sequence is of Late Iron Age date.","The quality and quantity of artefactual material is low from both sites. 150 struck flints were recovered. These were generally in a sharp, unabraded condition, but were either unstratified or residual in later contexts. 324 sherds of pottery were collected from the excavations, including 280 late Iron Age/early Roman and 44 post-medieval sherds. The late Iron Age/ early Roman pottery was fragmentary and abraded. A single fragment from a Colchester-type brooch was also recovered, probably dating from the 1st century AD. 58 fragments of animal bone were recovered, almost all from a single context. They were poorly preserved.","The site lay at the foot of a low ridge, forming the north-western side of an unnamed stream valley. The excavated area lay on the low-lying ground along the margins of the stream. The geology of the site consists of Atherfield Clay overlain by alluvium and colluvium in the stream valley and around the foot of the hill to the west of Church Lane.",351,Development: CTRL,,"East of Station Road A light distribution of struck flint from the site suggests earlier prehistoric activity in the area, although it is unlikely that any of features, even the stratigraphically early ones, are earlier in date than the late Iron Age. A number of sparsely distributed ditches and gullies were revealed under layers of colluvium and alluvium. Finds were sparse and the pottery was mainly late Iron Age/ early Roman grog-tempered ware, suggesting that the site represents a series of field boundaries and drainage ditches dating to c. 100BC – AD100. A small concentration of pottery from the central part of the site, in association with some minor gullies and possible post-holes, suggests limited occupation of some kind here, although no structures could be identified. The baulks between trenches 12 and 14 were removed to expose an area of intercutting ditches. A deep trench was machine-excavated in the lowest part of the site (Trench 17) in order to recover waterlogged environmental indicators. Samples were taken for macro-organic material, pollen, insects and snails. The stump of an oak tree was also recovered. Pottery recovered from the section indicates that the upper part of the alluvial sequence is of Late Iron Age date. A number of post-medieval linear features were also present, principally including a large east-west aligned ditch. The other features were land-drains of several phases.",OAU,None 29- North of Westenhanger Castle,North of Westenhanger Castle,Main site for publication,7,North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - between the foot of the Downs escarpment and the River East Stour,ARC WGC 98,Excavation,CAT,29/03/1999,26/04/1999,61220,13740,CTRL 440,Kent,Shepway,Stanford,,Ditched enclosure,"EBA, EM","Top soil stripped by machine. Most pits 50% excavated by hand, all ditches approximately 20% excavation by hand (trowel, shovel and mattock).","The vast majority, over 95%, of all datable material retrieved from the archaeological remains, belongs to the Medieval period and can be placed in the eleventh, twelfth and thirteeth centuires. Preliminary dates for the features have been derived from the pottery spot dates. Most of the features were not intercutting, and their relative dating must rely on their finds content alone. The broad Neolithic/Late Bronze Age date range is represented by an assemblage of worked flints retrieved from deposits suspected to be buried soil horizons. Two sherds were possibly Iron Age and five Roman, only one small pit containing finds exclusively of this date; these sherds were most likely residual. Most of the excavated features present can be dated to the Early Medieval period (AD1050-1250). All the pottery is dated to this two-hundred year span, although most of it can be placed within the shorter period of c.AD1075-1125/50. Archaeomagnetic dating techniques were utilised on burnt material located within the rubbish pit. Of the fourteen samples taken, only five could be used to provide the following date ranges; AD450-480 at 68% confidence level and AD430-500 at 95% confidence level; AD1470-1500 at 68% confidence level and AD1450-1520 at 95% confidence level. The discrepancy between these dates and those provided by the pottery may be due to post depositional disturbance or subsidence of the area from which the samples were taken. A small amount of post-medieval roofing tile was retrieved in the main from surface clearance. Plough-marks and ceramic drains were observed traversing the site diagonally from north-east to south-west. Although undated, these features are most likely to be of a post eighteenth-century date. However a 'V' profile gully was present between two large ditches and though it appeared to be modern it contained exclusively Medieval artefacts.","The environmental remains retrieved from the excavated features consisted chiefly of charred cereal grains and other seeds. These were most abundant in the five samples taken from the rubbish pit, provisionally interpreted as a corn-drying oven, and in the short linear feature which seems to have some direct association with this pit. The assemblage is especially rich in oats (Avena), with lower numbers of rye (Secale cereale), free-threshing wheat (Triticum), and occasional grains of barley (Hordeum vulgare) are also present. Cereal chaff is present in one sample, while weed seeds, especially brome grass (Bromus subset Eubromus) are common. Other samples produced small washovers with only a few cereal grains. Charcoal was recovered from all samples, and small fragments of bone and burnt bone were recovered from the sampled fills of the rubbish pit. No snails were recovered. Very little animal bone was retrieved from the excavated fills of the features.","The quantity of artefactual remains recovered from the excavation has been very low, and the condidtion of the finds medium to poor. Of the 182 pottery sherds recovered, 2 are of Prehistoric flint-tempered fabric (probably Iron Age), 5 are Roman, 172 are Medieval and 2 are undiagnostic scraps. The remainder of bulk finds comprises daub (21 pieces, 5 of which incorporate wattle impressions), slag (6), and stone (4, 3 of which have been identified as burnt flint). Ceramic building material is extremely sparce, only 2 pieces of Medieval roof tile and one fragment of Post-Medieval roof tile being recovered. Forty-seven Prehistoric stuck flints have been identified, along with 3 hone stones. The ferrous small finds include 2 knives and 2 fragments of iron.","The underlying geology of the site comprises Pleistocene Head Brickearth (British Geological Survey Sheet 305/6). A linear band of alluvium is also noted within the area, aligned north-east to south-west. The Head Brickearth and alluvium form the drift geology for the area whilst the underlying solid geology is part of the Cretaceous Lower Greensand Folkestone and Sandgate Beds. ",198,Development: CTRL,2250.00%,"The majority of the excavated features appear to be of Norman date (AD1050-1225). The excavation revealed a series of large ditches, which appeared to form a rectangular enclosure. At least one of the ditches had been recut and had large post-holes/pits cut into its base. The concentration of features in a possible enclosure, including an ""oven"" feature, could be indicative of the segregation of work/activity areas and may be connected with a settlement. Detailed excavation of the possible corn-drying oven found no structural elements to support this interpretation, now thought to be a rubbish pit; the high volume of charred plant/cereal remains within its fills is significant. Other archaeological features within the internal area consisted of smaller ditches/gullies, post- or stake-holes, and a clay extraction pit. No features were present indicative of structures, although two circular gullies suggested the presence of an earlier paddock or coral; the pottery retrieved from these features falls within the date range of AD1050-1250. One piece of Tyler Hill Ware found in the lower fills of the ""oven"" indicates that this feature was in use between AD1175-1250. Earlier activity on the site was represented by the presence of Romano-British pottery, which was thought to be residual. A suspected Prehistoric buried soil horizon was identified in the south-eastern corner of the site, worked flints from this deposit being of a broad Neolithic/Bronze Age date.",CAT,None 30 - Saltwood Tunnel,Stone Farm Bridleway,Main site for publication,8,"North edge of Wealden Greensand landscape zone - south of the Downs escarpment - Coastal zone, Nr Hythe and Folkestone",ARC SFB99,Excavation,WA,Aug-99,Aug-00,61570,13690,CTRL 440,Kent,Shepway,Saltwood,,funerary landscape; settlement; field system,NE; BA; IA; RO; EM; MD,Mechanical removal of overburden; hand excavation and recording of archaeological features.,Multi-phase landscape with good evidence for all period with a strong emphasis on the Anglo-Saxon,410 litres of soil samples taken,"Finds assemblage comprises 1112 sherds of pottery, 337 small finds, 123 worked flint, 105 metalwork and 7 pieces of CBM","The underlying solid geology comprises Cretaceous Lower Greensand Folkestone Beds, a distinct formation of lower Cretaceous sandstones that outcrop from the base of the North Downs chalk escarpment, and across which a significant proportion of the CTRL passes in Kent",1099,Development: CTRL,410 litres,"Investigation of the site followed excavations to the east (SLT 98) and west (SLT 98C), which had revealed a multi-phase settlement and Anglo-Saxon cemetery on a Bronze Age ring ditch respectively. SLT 99 must therefore be interpreted within this wider context. Excavation has provided evidence of activity spanning the Late Iron Age (c.100BC-AD43), Roman (c.AD43-410) and Medieval periods; no physical evidence of Anglo-Saxon activity has been identified, the only Middle Saxon pottery sherd recovered as an unsratified surface find. No securely dated features have been identified as Prehistoric, although residual coarse flint tempered pottery and burnt flint was present in later features. An area of dark soil in the south eastern limit of the area investigated has been highlighted as beling of probable Prehistoric origin. A short section of a curvi-linear ditch has been identified in the south western corner of the site, the pottery from which dates to the Late Iron Age, with Belgic and Early Roman material present in later backfills; this feature has been identified as a large funerary structure. A group of nine cremation burials were also encountered, one of which included Late Iron Age sherds; it is likely the rest of the group are contemporary. Evidence of Roman activity seems limited to possible quarrying, implied by a number of scoops along the north and west areas. Backfilling of the curvi-linear ditch similarly dates to the Roman period. It is speculated that the east-west aligned inhumation, to the north-east of the cremation group, is associated with a large sub-rectangular structure to its east, also Roman in date. The other significant phase of activity belongs to the Medieval period, consisting of long stretches of drainage ditches and field boundaries. This rectilinear field suystem appears to correspond to the similar feature identified to the west, in SLT 98. Post-Medieval activity was limited to a short stretch of field drain, cutting a medieval ditch, and a small gully to the north. A number of pits, ceramic pipes and brick inspection pits are most likely to be associated with the military use of the site in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A second excavation was undertaken during March to May 2000, the principle features identified in this phase were a large barrow ditch, a much smaller barrow ditch, two crouch burials and an Anglo-Saxon cemetary consisting of 51 inhumations, and a Hollow way complex. Three further inhumation burials were excavated during the watching brief phase. ",WA,None 30 - Saltwood Tunnel,North of Saltwood Tunnel,Main site for publication,8,As above,ARC SLT 98,Excavation,CAT,00/12/98,00/3/99,61546,13694,CTRL 440,Kent,Shepway,Saltwood,,"Unenclosed settlement, Grubenhaus, Hollow way(s), a single inhumation and cremations.","MIA, LIA, RO, EM, MD","The topsoil and subsoil were removed by machine, the site thereafter being hand cleaned. Most pits were 50% excavated, and ditches were sectioned by 10% sample. An Archaeological Watching Brief was later carried during May and June 2000, on an area immediately to the west.","The earliest phase comprised limited activity in the Early/Middle Iron Age, (middle 6th - middle 4th century BC). The second phase dated to the Late Iron Age and Early Roman period (late 1st century BC - late 1st century AD), this phase continuing into the 4th century. A phase of Early Anglo-Saxon occupation, continuing from the latter, should date to the 5th - 7th century AD. The final occupation followed after an apparent gap of almost four centuries, an Early Medieval phase dating to the 11th - 12th centuries.","The major environmental data was derived from charred seeds, mostly from cereal crops, and a small series of animal bone. Soil monoliths were taken which will be assessed for pollen.","The artefactual remains fall into two broad groups; the bulk ceramics (of Late Iron Age, Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Early Medieval date), and the small finds recovered from Roman deposits. The bulk consists of pottery sherds (3277), daub (626 fragments) and stone (73, of which 35 is burnt flint). The ceramic building material (39) recovered comprises Roman brick (4) and tile (24), Medieval roof tile (1), and Post-Medieval roof tile (5) and brick (5). Smaller quantities of worked flint (39), glass and slag were also retrieved. The small finds which generally date to the Roman period include copper alloy coins, brooches, a bracelet, a set of tweezers, amongst other artefacts. The iron objects are restricted to nails, a knife, several awl-like implements and a pin. Lead weights and a silver pin are also amongst the metal finds identified. The quantity of bone recovered was sparce, as a consequence of the acidic nature of the soils. Stone artefacts were represented by part of a quern, a hone, rubbing stones and fragments of two shale bracelets, all of which typologically date to the Roman period.","The soil is a sandy huma-ferric Podzol with marked panning, which may have originated with soil changes in the Bronze Age and later periods. The soils have now been transformed into a homogenised brown soil by plough action. The underlying geology is sandy Folkestone Beds with overlying lenses of Brick earth.",945,Development: CTRL,20,"The investigation produced evidence for a complex and long lived site commencing in the Late Iron Age and continuing through to the Early or Middle Saxon period, datable finds spanning the first century BC to the sixth or seventh century AD. A discrete area of Early Medieval occupation succeeded this in the central zone. In addition, finds of struck and burnt flint and a few tools indicate some activity on the site during the Neolithic or Bronze Age. The main Roman and Early Post-Roman features consisted of two sunken and partlt metalled roads which crossed the site diagonally to meet at a junction in the northern part of the site. Within the angles of this road system to east and west were enclosures containing burials and settlement remains. The most significant group of burials consisted of nine cremations. The inhumation was that of an extended adult burial in a grave cutting the Early Roman metal-working pits; on typological grounds probably dating to the Late or Early Post-Roman period.",CAT,None 30 - Saltwood Tunnel,North of Saltwood Tunnel,Main site for publication,8,As above,ARC SLT98C,Excavation,CAT,00/5/99,00/08/99,61546,13694,CTRL 440,Kent,Shepway,Saltwood,,"Round barrow, inhumation cemetery (extended inhumations), and cremations.","BA, IA, RO?, EM, MD","The topsoil and subsoil were removed by machine. Inhumations were 100% excavated by hand. Linear and curvi-linear features were excavated 10%-100% by hand, and postholes and pits excavated 50%-100% by hand. An Archaeological Watching Brief was also undertaken between May and September 2000 in an area immediately to the south of the initial excavation.",Not determned,"Little environmenal data was recovered. The Late Bronze Age pit contained much carbonised cereal grains and chaff, peas, beans and burnt bone. The burials contained little other than grave goods.","The artefactual remains fall into two groups; the Prehistoric ceramics and lithics, and the objects recovered from the cemetery of the Early Anglo-Saxon period. The bulk consists of pottery sherds (3052) and struck flints (383), with smaller quantities of daub (124), stone (103, of which 30 were burnt flint) and glass fragments (42). Ceramic building material is relatively sparce (49) comprising Roman tile (22), Medieval roof tile (11), Post-Medieval roof tile (4) and Post-Medieval brick. Small quantities of Prehistoric ceramics from the fills of the ring ditch, dating the feature to the Bronze Age; most of the sherds being small and abraded and few diagnostic. The worked flint assemblage, also recovered from the ring ditch, includes flakes, knapping debris and a hammerstone. Along with the quantity of retouched and utilised artefacts, this suggests that flint-working was taking place in the area, and that some form of domestic activities took place on site. A total of 582 small finds have been recovered from the Anglo-Saxon cemetery, the vast majority retrieved from the graves. Many are made of iron, although there are also quantities of glass beads and objects of copper alloy. There are no items of precious metal, except for the silver sword pommel in grave 7. The weaponry includes swords, shields, spears , angons and arrowheads. Almost identical Coptic bowls were discovered in graves 5 and 7, the former also providing the only coins retrieved from the cemetery. Other artefacts identified include finger rings, buckles, chatelains, keys and several iron and copper alloy objects. Mineralised textile remains are visible on a number of the iron objects, and several small fragments of desicated textile have also been recorded. Six graves included ceramic vessels, all of which have been made in local fabrics, in a range of forms. All of the objects are of Early Anglo-Saxon date and they can be assigned to the period ca.AD550-675. The survival of human remains were generally very poor. Elements of bodies were retrieved from four burials and in seventeen further graves the remains of tooth crown were found.","Typical Argillic Brown Earth soils (Fyfield 2 soil series) above sandy Humo-Ferril Podzols (Shirrell Heath 2 soil series) developed on sandy Folkestone Beds. Recent agriculture has transformed the upper horizons into a homogenised brown plough soil. These soils are well-drained and prone to water erosion. The upper soils have slightly alkaline values (pH 7) while the underlying Shirrel Heath podzols have very cidic values (pH 3) - this accounts for the very poor bone preservation. These soils are prone to leaching with distinct panning of Fe and Al minerals. The downward leaching of humus and clay minerals is very distinct - producing thin, roughly horizontal layers (humic laminae).",1551,Development: CTRL,20,"Excavations to the North of Saltwood Tunnel, east of the settlement of Iron Age and Roman date, produced evidence for an Early Anglo-Saxon cemetery, which lay over a prehistoric ring ditch. The ring ditch was penannular in form, with an entrance at the north-east. In a later phase its causeway had been blocked by a narrow secondary ditch. Ceramics and lithics recovered from the fills of the ring ditch suggest that the monument is of Bronze Age date. The lithics suggest that knapping and domestic activity took place within the general area of the ring ditch. An Early Anglo-Saxon cemetery was located over and beyond the ring ditch. Sixty-three graves of Early Anglo-Saxon date were identified, extending in date from c.AD 550-675. The graves include two elaborate ""princely"" burials, as well as fifteen other weapon graves. Coptic bowls were found in both of the ""princely graves"". Female grave goods include beads, bracelets, finger rings, keys and chatelaines. Knives were identified in 28 of the graves. Six graves included ceramic vessels, all of which have been made in local fabrics, in a range of forms. Bone survival was generally poor and human skeletal remains were only recovered from a few of the graves. One of the burials was that of a horse, interred without any grave goods. There were single examples of cist graves, chamber graves and burial within a hollowed section of a tree, as well as traces of five coffins. From the grave goods alone, it can be suggested that seventeen of the burials included males, and eight were those of females. The relative sizes of the graves and the range of grave goods, suggests that both adults and juveniles were buried in the cemetery. A continuation of the Anglo-Saxon cemetery was excavated to south under watching brief conditions, this revealed a further 34 inhumation burials - including two more high-status ""princely graves"". Also present in this area was a large posthole complex, suggesting the pressence of at least one large structure of possible Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age date",CAT,None 30 - Saltwood Tunnel,North of Saltwood Tunnel,Main site for publication,8,As above,ARC SLT99,Excavation,CAT,23/07/1999,31/01/2000,61567,13693,CTRL 440,Kent,Shepway,Saltwood,,"Round barrow, inhumation cemetery (extended inhumations), cremations, drainage system, Grubenhaus?, Hollow way.","BA, IA, RO, EM, MD, PM",The topsoil and subsoil were removed by machine. Linear and curvilinear features were 10% excavated by hand. Pits and post holes were excavated by 50-100% and cremations 100% hand excavated. Layers and deposits were excavated by <5% sample. An Archaeological Watching Brief was also undertaken between May and September 2000.,"The earliest activity was represented by section of a possible BA barrow ditch in the SW corner of the site. ?Prehistoric cremations were in diffuse scatter, and a ?Roman inhumation also present. ?Early Roman/Belgic pits or quarrying were found in the SW corner. Ditches and field boundaries/drains date to the Early Medieval/Medieval period. The latest phase was the Post Medieval ditch and scoops/post hole in the NW corner.",Little environmental data was recovered.,"Bone 13 fragments, pottery 263 fragments, small finds; 3 Fe objects, 1 amber bead.","Typical Argillic Brown Earth soils (Fyfield 2 soil series) above sandy Humo-Ferril Podzols (Shirrell Heath 2 soil series) developed on sandy Folkestone Beds. Recent agriculture has transformed the upper horizons into a homogenised brown plough soil. These soils are well-drained and prone to water erosion. The upper soils have slightly alkaline values (pH 7) while the underlying Shirrel Heath podzols have very cidic values (pH 3) - this accounts for the very poor bone preservation. These soils are prone to leaching with distinct panning of Fe and Al minerals. The downward leaching of humus and clay minerals is very distinct - producing thin, roughly horizontal layers (humic laminae).",1100,Development: CTRL,20,"Investigation of the site followed excavations to the east (SLT 98) and west (SLT 98C), which had revealed a multi-phase settlement and Anglo-Saxon cemetery on a Bronze Age ring ditch respectively. SLT 99 must therefore be interpreted within this wider context. Excavation has provided evidence of activity spanning the Late Iron Age (c.100BC-AD43), Roman (c.AD43-410) and Medieval periods; no physical evidence of Anglo-Saxon activity has been identified, the only Middle Saxon pottery sherd recovered as an unsratified surface find. No securely dated features have been identified as Prehistoric, although residual coarse flint tempered pottery and burnt flint was present in later features. An area of dark soil in the south eastern limit of the area investigated has been highlighted as beling of probable Prehistoric origin. A short section of a curvi-linear ditch has been identified in the south western corner of the site, the pottery from which dates to the Late Iron Age, with Belgic and Early Roman material present in later backfills; this feature has been identified as a large funerary structure. A group of nine cremation burials were also encountered, one of which included Late Iron Age sherds; it is likely the rest of the group are contemporary. Evidence of Roman activity seems limited to possible quarrying, implied by a number of scoops along the north and west areas. Backfilling of the curvi-linear ditch similarly dates to the Roman period. It is speculated that the east-west aligned inhumation, to the north-east of the cremation group, is associated with a large sub-rectangular structure to its east, also Roman in date. The other significant phase of activity belongs to the Medieval period, consisting of long stretches of drainage ditches and field boundaries. This rectilinear field suystem appears to correspond to the similar feature identified to the west, in SLT 98. Post-Medieval activity was limited to a short stretch of field drain, cutting a medieval ditch, and a small gully to the north. A number of pits, ceramic pipes and brick inspection pits are most likely to be associated with the military use of the site in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A second excavation was undertaken during March to May 2000, the principle features identified in this phase were a large barrow ditch, a much smaller barrow ditch, two crouch burials and an Anglo-Saxon cemetary consisting of 51 inhumations, and a Hollow way complex. Three further inhumation burials were excavated during the watching brief phase. ",CAT,None ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,