Monument record TR 03 NW 166 - Late Iron Age / Romano-British enclosures and features, Area 11

During a strip, map and sample excavation in 2015, a dense concentration of enclosures, pits, post holes and other features was recorded. The features were mostly dated to the late iron age / early Romano-British period though there were some from earlier and later phases. A lack of diagnostic pottery made phasing of the site difficult though.

A large field/enclosure system was discovered on roughly the same orientation as in area 6 to the north-east. This suggested that the landscape was arranged with a ladder arrangement (though the orientation was not identiical in the two areas). Some ditches in Area 11 were of a slightly different orientation to those that could be definiely dated to the late iron age / Romano-British period, and it may be that they come from the later prehstoric period (bronze age to middle iron age) from which land divisions have been seen across the Cheeseman's Green area.

In the centre of the sites was a circular ditched monument and a pennanular monument. The purpose of the features is unknown but both contained numerous internal and external features in the form of pits and post holes. Both were dated to the late iron age / early Roman periods.

The enclosures and field system were accompanied by numerous pits, gullies etc. None suggested particular structures although the excavators suggested that some curved gullies might perhaps represent round houses.

Some of the ditch fills suggested periodic waterlogging and produced good environmental evidence.

In addition to the pottery, finds included a single instance of glass waste, a possible mortarium, slag, fired clay, animal bone and cremated human bone. An object interpreted as a possible hammerstone or ballista ball was also found. (1)

<1> CgMs, 2017, Post excavation interim assessment, The Grove, Bilham Farm, Area 10 South and Plots B1-B3, Area 11, Ashford, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE52976.