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 17, mostly dates to the later (fourth) phase of medieval activity which was encountered during the investigations at Thanet earth, but with an earlier, uncertainly dated enclosure probably of Phase 3. The primary enclosure (Enclosure 57) that was almost completely removed by a later circuit on the same line (also potentially of Phase 3 but probably very late if so), held an unusual underground facility of two subrectangular domed chambers (Structure 55) that was probably used for the storage of perishable foodstuffs, and an apparently associated two-phase sunken-featured building (SFB 64/67), possibly of domestic nature. Few, if any contemporary features were isolated. SFB 64/67 was quite deep in its first phase, but its cellared part was infilled and the structure re-floored. There was no evidence for any ovens in this building although heating may have been provided by a brazier in both phases of use. The function of this enclosure is difficult to gauge at this time, but some form of food or crop processing seems likely.

An intermediary stage probably dating to early late Phase 3/early Phase 4 saw a large and featureless sunken building of Type 3 cut into the enclosure ditch on the north side, before it in turn was backfilled and the whole enclosure restructured (Enclosure 58). The cellar and SFB 64/67 may have continued in use, at least for a while, before both were purposely backfilled, the cellar with considerable amounts of domestic waste and a large quantity of oyster shell. A later phase again is reflected by a number of features that cut the probably semi-backfilled ditch of Enclosure 58, some of which may have been Type 3 sunken-featured structures. However, this was not reflected in the pottery dating, suggesting that developments in this complex across both Phase 3 and 4 were fairly rapid. The quantities of domestic waste evident in features in this complex suggest that it was occupied for at least some of the period, but again there were no wells or cess-pits and few pits that could be clearly interpreted as for rubbish disposal. Its use as an entirely agricultural complex can therefore be considered likely, even though only a relatively small part of the site was examined. It can however be stated with some confidence that the southern side of the site was again not enclosed by any substantial ditch. (1) (information summarised from source)

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