A settlement enclosure ditch was identified during an investigation on land to the south of Laundry Road, Minster. The feature had been located during a previous archaeological evaluation of the site and in the site adjacent where it was interpreted as a possible ring ditch. The enclosure was positioned within the southern half of the site forming a curvilinear shape and contained within the enclosure ditch were a number of rubbish pits and postholes of the same date. These features were dated by their associated finds to the Late Bronze Age.

The enclosure ditch had steep convex sides which ended in a narrow U-shaped base, measuring 31.84m+ in length, 4.2m in width and 1.44m in depth. The ditch had eight slots excavated into it, all of which identified a varying number of fills, with the most containing 10 fills. A small number of objects were also recovered from the ditch, which comprised of a chalk loom weight, a flint piercer, a flint scraper and a clay weight. Located within the northeast corner of the enclosure ditch was a deposit of disarticulated human remains, located close the northern edge of the ditch. The disarticulated remains were spread over a small area, located at a depth of approximately 0.5m below ground level at the base of the secondary fill close to the horizon with the next fill below. Located 0.3m to the east-south-east were five bronze objects at approximately the same level as the human remains nearby. These are believed to represent grave goods from a possibly disturbed burial.

A total of 14 pits and 10 postholes were located within settlement enclosure ditch, two
of which were undated. A further three pits were also located in the area outside of the enclosure. The archaeological evidence suggests features related to a settlement, as the pits, postholes and enclosure ditch contained a moderate amount of domestic waste such as pottery sherds, animal bone, worked flint and fired clay fragments. (1-2)

Parts of the ditch of likely Bronze Age date were also revealed during evaluation trenching at this site. It was discovered in two of the evaluation trenches, in trench 4 and trench 6. In trench 4 it ran east/west across the trench in a slightly curvilinear alignment. It measured 3.30m wide and 0.84m deep, with straight moderately sloping sides. It contained two fills, an upper fill of light brown sandy silt which contained finds of Later Bronze Age – Early Iron Age pottery, animal bone, later prehistoric flint, fired clay with wattle impressions and slag. The basal fill was formed of mid orange brown sandy silt, and was very similar to the upper fill, though included more chalk inclusions and no finds. In trench 6 it crossed the trench towards the middle, running on a NNW/ SSE slightly curvilinear alignment. The ditch was 2.48m wide and had a steep straight edge on its western side and a more moderately sloping straight edge on its east. Its basal fill was formed of grey brown clay silt with moderate chalk inclusions but no finds. This was overlain by grey brown clay silt fill measuring 0.76m deep and contained 4 sherds of Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age pottery as well as 3 later prehistoric worked flint flakes. The upper fill of mid brown clay silt measured 2.05m wide and 0.60m deep and contained no finds. (information summarised from source) (3)

A enclosure of Bronze Age date was visible as a cropmark in RAF/541/508 RS 4064 22-APR-1950. Slightly more of this feature was visible as a cropmark than was revealed during the investigations described above. Accordingly, the cropmark mapping has been added to the spatial data on record for this feature. This feature was mapped as part of the Historic England Isle of Thanet project in 2024. (4)

<1> Wessex Archaeology, 2021, Land south of Laundry Road Minster, Kent Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample Excavation (Unpublished document). SKE54821.

<2> Wessex Archaeology, 2022, Land south of Laundry Road Minster, Kent Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample Excavation (Unpublished document). SKE55183.

<3> Archaeology South - East, 2020, Archaeological evaluation report, land adjacent to Premier Inn, Laundry Road, Minster, Thanet (Unpublished document). SKE55738.

<4> Historic England Archive, 1941-1960, Historic England Archive RAF vertical aerial photographs, RAF/541/508 RS 4064 22-APR-1950 (Archive). SKE57101.