In 2014, Canterbury Archaeological Trust machine stripped, GIS mapped and archaeologically excavated a proposed development site at Turing College. 61 trenches were cut, 44 of which revealed archaeological evidence. Investigations revealed an extensive Iron Age settlement on the site, potentially of regional or national significance. The establishment of this settlement followed a period of a late Bronze Age activity (marked by a water hole, an enclosure, cremation burials and a series of pits) though continuity between these two broad phases is unclear.

The Iron Age settlement included broadly zoned areas of activity with textile processing in the north-east and pottery production and potential metal-working in the south-west. Loom weights and a regionally rare flint tempered clay spindle whorl attested to the textile production. An unusual wood-lined retting pit was also located at some distance from any domestic structures. Several potential roundhouses represent domestic occupation, and multiple four-posted structures possibly used for storage were located mainly to the east of the site. Small-scale charcoal burning, food preparation/smoking and metal working are attested by fire pits and charcoal pits adjacent to domestic contexts.

The south-western part of the site shows an increased density of rare evidence for pottery manufacture, including three potential kiln structures, refuse pits and several clay quarries (with additional evidence for some small scale metal working). Further structures included a number of regionally rare sunken-featured structures, three of which contained probable occupational midden material. By the later middle Iron Age domestic occupation seems reduced, but occupation is still represented by a late Iron Age Gallo-Belgic (with horse and crescent decoration) gold stater and fragmented amphorae. A small assemblage of six separate burials of eight vessels, damaged by later ploughing, to the north of the site dated to first century BC by stylistic analysis of pottery (Aylesford-Swaling type).

After the Iron Age period no archaeologically visible activity was present on the site until the construction of the Grade II listed Beverley Farmhouse in the fifteenth century on the line of the parish boundary. The farmland would have been dominated by pastoral activities and was further sub-divided by a fence line in the early nineteenth century.

Ditched enclosures across the site show three distinct phases, however the exact chronology of these is not yet established. The first phase comprises a large suboval enclosure ditch, aligned north-east to south-west, that extended around the upper plateau. It contained an area of at least 28,505m², within which the majority of activity identified on site can be seen. The enclosure ditch had an average width at the top of 0.8m and an average depth of 0.6m, and extended beyond the limit of excavation to the north-east. The backfill was homogenous redeopsited natural. An extended gap in ditch line was identified in the north-western corner, which roughly faced the site of further settlement features identified by previous excavations at the site of St. Edmund's School in 2012, about 90m to the north-west. A possible annex to the enclosure is largely obscured by later features, was aligned perpendicular to the main enclosure ditch and may have partially formed a south-eastern entrance. The ditch cut an earlier (late Bronze Age) water hole.

The second phase of ditch boundaries fundamentally re-organised the layout of the area, however it is unclear chronologically when this change took place. The ditches ran on north-west to south-east and formed rectangular enclosures, effectively creating three to four distinct zones on the upper plateau. The boundary ditches were generally narrow and steep with a U-shaped profile, though they varied in size and shape. In the south-east of the site, this second phase involved a large re-cut of the phase 1 "annex" ditch at the eastern boundary of the site. Parallel to this and 40m to the south east, a new potential track-way led up-slope to the plateau for 50m, and extended at least to the site boundary. The track-way was marked by a worn flint surface with potential wheel ruts. To the south-west, a further 2.3m wide ditch aligned south-west to north-east extended for 15m. Despite these additions much of the lower south-eastern part of the site was not segmented during this phase.

The third phase of ditch boundaries appears to date to the late Iron Age, and seemingly reflects a de-zoning of the settlement space. The irregular nature of the contemporary ditches is indicative of agricultural and pastoral activities, e.g. stock management.

Investigations at the site recorded over 774 post-holes and 92 stake-holes in total, with the majority densely located on the higher plateau to the north-west and a sparser distribution across the south-western facing slope to the south-east of the site. The density of distribution means that for the most part, further analysis is required to identify complete structures and their phasing; however, a number of structure types are clearly present on the site. The majority of the structures and features identified appeared to be aligned north-west to south-east on roughly the same orientation as the second phase ditch boundaries. The majority of smaller four-post structures are located to the east, while potential roundhouses present are distributed fairly evenly across this northern part of the site, with the exception of the steep west facing slope to the west of where no striuctures were identified.

In the northern area of the the site, the denser distribution of post-holes extended from the upper break of slope in the south-west to beyond the limit of excavation along the north-east boundary. Within this portion of the site, three areas of very dense post-hole assemblages were identified to the west, south-east, and north respectively. The first, to the west, included a group of ten post-holes that appeared to form an enclosure around refuse pits, a group of nineteen post-holes that were clustered together and may have formed part of a structure, an arc of twelve post-holes that may form a large sub-circular round-house, and a semi-circular group of six large post-holes that may form partial remains of a second round-house. Occasional four-posted structures and possible fence lines were also indicated. The second area was adjacent to the south-eastern boundary, with a very dense assemblage of post-holes that may have formed several separate structures. Next to this cluster, a sub-rectangular group of six large post-holes probably formed an extensive storage feature. Further analysis is expected to clarify the number and size of several comparable structures in this area. The third cluster, to the north (and at the highest point of the site), represented more than six four-post structures, three potential truncated round-houses with a diameter of 17m and 14m respectively, a multi-posted subcircular structure, a 14m wide sub-square enclosure (with roughly twenty-five postholes
surrounding a fire pit structure), and finally a potential fence line that traversed the area aligned north-west to south-east.

The sparser post-hole distribution to the south-east appears associated with particular features such as fire pits, charcoal pits and shallow scoops, suggesting the post-holes represent simple features such as wind breaks, shelters or structures for small scale activities. At the southern end of the site, a concentrated sub-circular group of nine post-holes and stake-holes approximately 5m across may have formed a small structure.

The excavation revealed a large number of pits, including fire pits, charcoal pits, refuse pits, quarry pits and a potential retting pit. Pits were especially concentrated in the densely occupied northern portion of the site. Most pits were small to medium in size and yielded little beyond a sterile fill, however a significant minority appeared to have deliberate deposits and further pits were linked to specialised activities. Occasional larger features included five very large pits.

Several items were identified as placed deposits, in the main representing items associated with textile production (including clay loom weights and a spindle whorl). The loomweights were placed in small pits the majority of which were located o n the north-eastern side of the site (fragments were also recovered from two sunken-featured structures). These pits had no particular relationship with other features, with the exception of a pit containing the spindle whorl which was surrounded by several post-holes.

An exceptional feature was a deep rectangular pit, 2.13m by 0.99m, with near vertical sides. Stratigraphy indicated this pit predated the second phase of enclosure ditches. The pit yielded no artefacts, with the sole exception of a pair of oak brach timbers laid in parallel at its base (one seemingly fells, and one collected after being windfelled) and preserved due to waterlogging. Samples were taken for dendrochronology and carbon 14 dating; the reason for the apparent deliberate deposition of these logs remains unclear. Truncating the "oak pit" was a series of large sub rectangular pit (7.8m by 3.54m, and 0.98m deep with rounded corners and steep, stepped sides and a flat base). These pits were intercut and appear to have been located directly above a natural spring on the south-western slope, and were waterlogged. Environmental samples were taken from the soil, and pottery and cultural material found. Though the purpose of the pits is unclear, they could possibly represent a means of washing or dipping sheep. Like the "oak pit", they appear to pre-date the second phase of ditch boundaries.

At the highest point of the site, to the north, a further exceptional pit was found. Sub-rectangular in shape, with rounded corners, and measuring 4.5m by 2.2m and 1.2m deep, it had near vertical sides and a flat base. It was aligned east-west, and was unusually lined with split-cut oak timbers, poorly preserved and surviving only due to the high water table. A tentative explanation is propsed, that the pit would have contained water, and further analysis may indicate whether any surviving organic remains are indicative of textile processing. The feature had been rapidly backfilled and contained no further artefacts.

A very large number of features that in general were too large or too ephemeral to be post-holes were classed as pits/features, all containing a similar near sterile fill with rare to occasional pottery, charcoal and burnt flint inclusions. The relatively high water table in the area limited the potential for ground storage, but it is likely that many of the pits were associated with domestic and industrial activity. [1]

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2014, Turing College, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, Archaeological Excavation Interim Report (Unpublished document). SKE32552.