The site of what had previously been identified as a moat was investigated during evaluation trenching off Rolfe Lane in New Romney, Kent. It was concluded that it is unlikely that this feature is a Moat, more likley some kind of enclosure. It was associated with material datable to the early post medieval period.

The ditch was identified in three of the evaluation trenches (12, 15 & 20), in trench 12 it measured 17.23m wide and 2.00m deep with flat base and moderate concave sides. It was aligned north east to south west cutting through two layers of marine alluvium and a peat deposit. The fill contained occasional animal bone, oyster shell, charcoal flecks, an unworked piece of wood and 15th to 16th century brick and roof tile fragments. In trench 15 it measured 9.23m wide and 1.74m deep with a flat base and moderate stepped/concave sides. It was aligned north west to south east and cut through a storm gravel/sand deposit and marine alluvium. The lower fills represent natural silting derived from the erosion of the features sides. One of these produced several finds including marine shell, animal bone, one piece of leather, unworked but mortared stone, 15th to 16th century roof tile and one likely residual sherd of sandy micaceous ware dated from the 13th to 14th century. In trench 20 the ditch almost occupied the whole length of the trench, it presented concave base and moderate concave sides, measuring 22.90m wide (wider here than seen in previous interventions) and 2.10m deep. Several pieces of worked wood, probably fence rails, together with 15th to 16th century roof tile were found in the lower fills. The evidence suggests that after a period of disuse the feature was backfilled during the later post medieval period (17th to 18th century). (1)

The ditch was again encountered during a strip map and sample excavation undertaken across the site in 2017. Here, The ditch presented a concave base with moderate to steep stepped sides. The analysis of upper fills indicated a deliberate backfill comprised mainly by stony deposits of beach gravels (probably from nearby shingle bank) as a result of agricultural activity. Finds retrieved from the lower fills during the excavation have provided a date for the ditch as post- medieval. (2)(information summaried from source)

<1> CgMS, 2017, Land at Rolfe Lane New Romney Kent: archaeological evaluation (Unpublished document). SKE52874.

<2> CgMs, 2017, Strip, map and sample, excavation report, Land at Rolfe Lane, New Romney, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE52458.

<3> CgMs, 2017, Strip, Map and Sample Excavation, Interim Summary, Land at Rolfe Lane, New Romney, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE53049.