In February 2006 Kent Archaeological Projects carried out an archaeological evaluation in advance of re-development of a site at Ladysmith Grove, Seasalter.

The archaeological evaluation consisted of the mechanical cutting of six trenches which were excavated to 15m long. A total of seven archaeological features were exposed in Trenches 1-3, the features consisted of three ditches and four pits.

Three archaeological features were exposed in Trench 1, part of a shallow pit and two linear features. The fill of the shallow pit consisted of occasional chalk flecks and a single sherd from the base of a Tyler Hill ware cooking pot (c.1225-c.1376) were recovered. In the first linear feature there were occasional inclusions of small angualr flints, cockleshell fragments and lumps of natural ironstone. Two worn and iron-stained/coated sherd of Tyler hill were dated to c.1225-c.1375 also. The second linear feature no inclusions, including potsherds were observed.

Three archaeological features were also recovered in Trench 2. A pit was cut by a linear feature, the pit only contained rare inclusions of burnt flint and fragments of cockle, mussel and oyster shell. No ceramic materials were observed, however in the linear feature, it included an almost identical fill to the pit along with two potsherds, one of Tyler Hill ware dated to c.1225-c.1375 and a grog-tempered piece with organic inclusions of probable Iron Age or Early Roman-period date. Trench 2 also had a second linear feature in which rare inclusions of cockleshell fragments and eight potsherds of apparently very mixed type and date. Those that could be dated consisted of: an abraded flint-tempered sherd of probable Iron Age, a piece from an early medieval sand-tempered cooking pot with a beaded club rim (c.1157-c.1225), a piece of shelly-sandy ware with the same date range and a piece of late medieval Tyler Hill ware (c.1375-1525). A scrap of medieval roof tile post-dating c.1175 was also recovered. Due to these findings the probably date of the feature is c.1375-1525.

Two archaeological features were found in Trench 3, both pits but the report states the identification as lobate ditch terminals are not implausible. In the first pit finds consisted of shells and in the second pit it included a flint flake of Neolithic or Bronze Age date along with five potsherds, two grog-tempered and two flint-tempered (all probably dating to the Late Iron Age). Report states that there was also a more problematic piece that could date to the Late Iron Age/Early Roman-period or to the Middle-Late Anglo-Saxon period.

A piece of medieval roof tile and a piece of Roman-period brick were recovered from the surface of the subsoil in Trench 5. Given the evidence the report states that it is possible the shallow pit in Trench 3 is an example of the peripheral remains of the extensive prehistoric settlement site centred on what was the Sunset Caravan Park. Finds also suggest there was a medieval settlement lying in close proximity, if not in the area of, Ladysmith Grove. (1)

Kent Archaeological Projects, 2006, The Results of an Archaeological Evaluation on land adjacent to Grove House, Ladysmith grove, Seasalter, Whitstable in Kent (Unpublished document). SKE51917.