Chapel Mill, Lenham, Kent, ARC CML 97.
Oxford Archaeology (South), 2004. (updated 2017) https://doi.org/10.5284/1044697. How to cite using this DOI
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- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1044697
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
The Oxford Archaeological Unit was commissioned by Union Railways Limited to conduct a field evaluation of 4.3 ha of land north of the M20 and south of Lenham Heath Road, Lenham, Kent (TQ 904 500). The evaluation formed part of a wider programme of archaeological investigations along the route of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. The site was c. 60m wide and extended for 700m from Bowley Lane in the west to the road leading to Hubbards Farm in the east.
Thirteen evaluation trenches were excavated and archaeological features were located in two of these trenches. A single Bronze Age pit contained a substantial amount of pottery from a simple tub-shaped vessel that has affinities with either the DeverelRimbury or post-Deverel-Rimbury (Plain Ware) pottery traditions of the mid-late Bronze Age date (1750-900 BC). A ditch produced a small quantity of mid-late Iron Age pottery as well as residual Bronze Age pottery and a second smaller ditch was aligned adjacent to and parallel to the larger ditch. This ditch produced no finds but it is also likely to be mid-late Iron Age in date.
Material of the later Bronze Age is increasingly being recorded in northern Kent, although the evidence is often fragmentary and the sites themselves difficult to assess. The presence of a high concentration of pottery from a limited number of vessels has strong parallels to other sites in Kent. It has been suggested that this type of deposition, which usually seems to be composed of partial vessels, was deliberate and compares with the complete vessels deposited in graves.
Although the amount of Iron Age pottery recovered from the evaluation was small there are other Iron Age finds nearby. Iron Age coins were discovered some 500m east of the site on Lenham Heath in 1781 and late Iron Age activity is indicated by a findspot, just 200m east of Chapel Farm Cottages of a La Tene III (late Iron Age) brooch, late Iron Age coins and five Roman coins.
An Archaeological Excavation (ARC CML 99) was also undertaken at Chapel Mill 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.
