The medieval features on Thanet Earth dated to between the mid-eleventh century to the early part of the fourteenth (possibly extending to AD 1350). The activity is primarily agricultural in nature with significant elements of domestic occupation. A site wide system of enclosures appears to be intimately related to various trackways across the site. The activity around these enclosures has been grouped into a number of Medieval ‘sites’.

Site 12 comprised the northernmost of a string of enclosures forming ribbon development along the west side of Trackway 30, now defined by Seamark Road, from Plateau 4 southward to the southern area of Plateau 6. It seems likely that such development extended all the way along this route to the medieval settlement glimpsed at Brooksend. The two enclosures of Site 12 (Enclosures 42 and 43) may have been for stock handling or storage with entrances onto Trackway 30 and were apparently contemporary with Site 11 (c.1075-1175/1225). This is not only suggested by the pottery but also by some topographical relationships that seem more than coincidence, the north and south limits of Enclosure 43 seemingly laterally adjacent to elements of Site 11. Apart from two unusual sunken buildings, one of domestic character (SFB 41) there were virtually no associated features, although there may have been additional activity closer to Seamark Road. SFB 41, with its clear entrance way, possible storage compartment and bench would seem to be domestic in function, but there was little evidence for occupation residues apart from some ash from a fire or brazier. An alternative agricultural function therefore remains a possibility, but seems unlikely with the clearly domestic accoutrements such as the bench.

One facet of Enclosure 43 (also shown by Enclosures 52 and 55 in particular to the south in this string) was their apparently open ended nature, always to the south. Enclosure 23 on Plateau 1 also exhibited this open side (there to the north) although it may have been bounded there by a much earlier alignment or a hedge. There was no evidence for such boundaries in these southern enclosures however, although the evidence may have been ploughed away. That some form of barrier existed is suggested by the position of SFB 41, contemporary with the enclosure and set parallel, just over 5m from what would likely be its southern limit. Most of the structures elsewhere were placed close to boundary or enclosure ditches, so that may have been the case originally here. There is little evidence to suggest the function of this site, perhaps, mostly associated with animal husbandry. (1) (information summarised from source)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2023, Beneath the Seamark: 6000 Years of an Islands History (Monograph). SKE55405.