Medieval and post-medieval quarries, alongside a post-medieval wall and path, and associated finds were excavated in 2021 at Cockering Farm, Canterbury.
Earlier activity at the site included Palaeolithic (TR 15 NW 2625), Mesolithic/Neolithic (TR 15 NW 2619, TR 15 NW 2620), Bronze Age (TR 15 NW 2621), Iron Age (TR 15 NW 2622), and Anglo-Saxon/medieval (TR 15 NW 2623).
The medieval quarry features were thought to be related to chalk/flint/gravel extraction. Their fills contained ceramic building material, metalwork, 13th century pottery, animal bone, and shell. One of the features is recorded as having a depth of 1.5m.
Evidence of material from the medieval and post-medieval periods associated with the features suggested that manuring had also been taking place for a number of years at the site. A medieval/post-medieval chain was also found at the site.
Post-medieval quarries and other features were excavated on land at Cockering Farm during an evaluation and subsequent strip, map, and sample excavation at the site in 2021.
The post-medieval quarry features were thought to have been associated with clay/gravel extraction.
The post-medieval wall feature comprised masonry composed of chalk, flint, and brick fragments. The wall was associated with a path which was comprised of a rammed chalk and brick surface. The path and wall were identified through geophysical survey and throught their presence on maps of the site. The features crossed the site from north to south.
Finds associated with these features included tile, ceramic building material, metalwork, and clay tobacco pipe fragments.
An iron chain dating to the medieval-post-medieval period was recovered from an undated feature and is recorded as a findspot. (1)

A strip, map, and sample excavation at the site in 2021 identified further features, including more quarry pits, a building, and agricultural features.

The building was sub-rectangular in form and measured 6.08x7.18m. The building was represented by two post-holes (diameter: 0.27-0.50m, depth: 0.38-0.40m), gravel metalling and clay flooring, a hearth (1.10x0.80x0.20m), two short amphorous features, and a post-pad (0.34x0.28x0.02m) within the structure's interior which have been interpreted as potentially relating to the building's internal fittings. The gravel metalling was concentrated to the south-central side of the building and has been suggested to represent an entrance or threshold to the house. Charcoal, burnt flint, daub, and barley grain were associated with the building. Radiocarbon dating of the barley grain suggested that the building was in use between the 12th-13th century.

The quarry pits generally measured between around 8.85-14.37m in length, 7.6-12.15m in width, and 0.99-3.60m in depth, although in different areas quarry complexes measured up to 47.96 in length and up to 12.28m in width. Finds associated with the quarry pits included early medieval - medieval pottery, medieval peg tile, charcoal, marine shell, unidentified iron objects, iron nails, an iron strip, daub, iron smithing residue, an iron blade, and a ceramic bead. 5 quarry pits and a number of larger quarry complexes were identified at the site.

Other pits at the site (of which there were around 7) measured between 0.65-8.53m in length, 0.61-3m in width, and 0.12-0.44m in depth. Finds recovered from the features included charcoal, daub, early-late medieval pottery, peg tile, iron smithing debris - including iron slag and a hearth cake, iron nails, a decorative copper alloy mount, and a fragment of quernstone formed of Folkestone Stone.

A number of ditches (around 10) were also present at the site, these included boundary ditches and an enclosure ditch. The ditches measured between 11-66.22m in observable length, 0.47-1.26m in width, and 0.09-0.50m in depth. The ditches contained within their fills pottery sherds, peg tile, iron nails, charcoal, and daub. The ditches had many different alignments.

5 post-holes were also present at the site, measuring between 0.34-1.27x0.34-0.87x0.08-0.26m. Finds associated with these features included early-late medieval pottery and an unidentified iron object.

A possible routeway was identified at the site, represented by a hollow a metalled surface, and possible wheel ruts. Artefacts associated with the routeway included early-late medieval pottery, tile, daub, an iron nail, and an unidentified iron object. The wheel ruts were parallel within the hollow and measured 2.20-7.23m in length, and 0.26-0.56m in width, and up to 0.10m in depth.

Two enclosures probably dating from the late Iron Age/early Roman period were identified at the site, measuring 23.74-28.03m in length, and 21.20-22.46m in width. Daub, charcoal, medieval pottery, tile, and brick were associated with these features.

A large number of undated features including hearths, linear features, post-holes, stake-holes, pits, and ditches were also present at the site. (2)

<1> Archaeology South-East, 2021, Archaeological and Geoarchaeological Evaluation Report Cockering Farm, Thanington, Canterbury, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE55574.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust Ltd., 2022, Land at and adjacent to Cockering Farm, Thanington, Canterbury, Kent Archaeological strip, map and sample excavation Post‐excavation assessment (Unpublished document). SKE55719.