Several ditches were excavated on land at Ashford road, New Romney ahead of the redevlopment of the site. These represent large field boundaries and suggest multiple enclosures across the area. They were periodically maintained and recut, likely as a way to mitigate deposits left by the frequent storms or flooding. The enclosures were likely for livestock, the large majority being cattle, sheep/goats and pig with evidence of fencing and a possible corral route between them. Pottery recovered from features suggests a period of time between the early 13th-14th century. The collection of the smaller features recorded were part of a wider context of medieval agricultural activity north of the channel It appears that they were all related to the north-east-south-west alignment of the principal boundary ditch and surrounding enclosures.

In detail: ditch G1 was a large boundary ditch extended on a north-east-south-west alignment and formed a land division with no breaks through the north of excavation Area A. Two fills were recorded within the majority of the feature, an upper and a lower both comprised of similar grey silty clays with animal bone recovered throughout. A third dark fill was observed in the south-east of the ditch, though not present in the north-eastern most intervention. Finds, such as French Saintonge green glazed whiteware jug sherds were found and date from between the early mid- 13th-14th century and animal bone including pigs and sheep were recovered as well, evidence of neonate pig bones suggest onsite pig breeding. This ditch was recut by Ditch G3. A second ditch: G5 which connected to G1 in the south of Area A, formed a likely square enclosure, though excavation area A did not extend to uncover this feature fully in plan. Its relationship with G1 could not be clearly ascertained and it is very likely these were contemporary, notable finds include part of cat skeleton, possibly suggesting a nearby domestic dwelling. Another ditch, internal within G5: G11 turned 90 degrees within G5’s north-east corner to create an unusual smaller enclosed space. Within the centre of Area A an unusually shaped ditch G4 was excavated and recorded. This ‘C’ shaped feature respected the boundary and enclosure ditches G1/G3/G5 and by itself does not create any clear enclosure or visible land division. Wide, with a shallow, gently sloping base, it is possible that it had suffered from some degree of truncation and is likely a truncated ditch base. The light grey fill of the feature G4 contained frequent shell fragment inclusions, marking it clearly against the natural geology, and the shell material was possibly deposited as a result of flooding or storm deposits. When this collection of ditches are looked at in plan together, several interpretations are possible. The most likely one is that these represent one phase of ditch construction starting with G1 as a large boundary ditch, that was then partitioned for livestock enclosures G5. The small internal ditch G11 may have been a pen or a way to separate or corral animals into the enclosure seen elsewhere in Kent The unusually shaped ditch G4 may represent part of a corral system for livestock, which may go some way to explain its shape, suggesting a practical reason for why G4 creates areas of restrictive access with G5. All of this suggests a working agricultural landscape where animals were herded and farmed Animal bone recovered suggests a large amount of cattle, sheep and pigs were being consumed and disposed of on site and the juvenile age range of the animal bone suggests they were bred for slaughter. Bones with butchery marks on them were found in a variety of features in this period and it is likely that the enclosures were constructed to facilitate farming of these livestock. Large quantities of oyster shell and fish bone were also present, as to be expected from the site’s coastal location. Maintenance of these enclosure ditches ceased sometime in the late 13th century or early 14th century, likely due to the severe weather and changing environmental conditions it caused. New field systems were subsequently created as the landscape changed
dramatically, and the farming of animals shifted away from cattle to pig, possibly as a response to both the plague and the change in environment. These enclosures were likely constructed to breed, rear and butcher livestock. as part of the manorial grounds of Craythorne manor. Evidence of butchery found on animal bone suggests that small-scale, possibly on site, processing of carcasses was present.(1) (information summarised from sources)

<1> RPS, 2022, Archaeological Post Excavation assessement and Updated Project Design for Land at Ashford Road, New Romney, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE55293.