Cobham Park Golf Course, ARC CGC 97
Oxford Archaeology (South), 2004. (updated 2017) https://doi.org/10.5284/1044692. How to cite using this DOI
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Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 1745
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1044692
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
As part of a larger programme of archaeological investigation along the route of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Union Railways Limited commissioned the Oxford Archaeological Unit to undertake a field evaluation on 4.9 ha of land at Cobham Park Golf Course (TQ 692695 approx.). The site was located on the dip slope of the North Downs and included a small dry valley with a spur of higher land to the west. The Upper Chalk solid geology was overlain by Pleistocene drift deposits and more recent colluvium.
Seventeen evaluation trenches were excavated. A scatter of shallow archaeological features were identified on the spur of higher land, some of which contained pottery dated to the middle and late Bronze Age. It is unclear whether there were two or more discrete occupations or whether there was a single occupation spanning the middle to late Bronze Age transition. Most of the pottery (c. 90%) came from a single middle Bronze Age deposit in the top of a ditch. This assemblage of 168 sherds (3.3 kg) represented a small number of vessels most of which were probably Deverel-Rimbury Bucket Urns of sub-biconical form. Elsewhere pottery was more widely scattered. Burnt and struck flint were also present. The struck flint mostly represents a background scatter from earlier prehistoric activity, although the burnt flint is more likely to be associated with the Bronze Age occupation. There were no other finds and environmental remains were poorly preserved. The site appears to represent a light domestic occupation of a somewhat ill-defined nature and without an identified focus.
The evaluation clarifies the findings from an evaluation trench excavated on the site in 1995, which located an apparently isolated assemblage of late Bronze Age pottery. This assemblage included a ‘substantially complete’ coarse ware vessel, together with a spindle whorl, a perforated pottery slab and some daub. The combined results from these two evaluations suggest that the site is characterised by a generally sparse distribution of features and finds but with sporadic substantial deposits of domestic cultural material which are uncommon in this part of Kent.
An Archaeological Excavation (ARC CGC 98) was also undertaken at Cobham Golf Course as part of CTRL phase 1.
N.B. Much of this work here has been superseeded by works associated with the Phase Two and Schemewide programmes, but are included here for completeness. Those wishing to use the most current data are urged to view the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Section 1 Project pages.
