In 2010 Museum of London Archaeology carried out an evaluation. Evidence was found of a possible enclosed settlement of Middle Bronze Age to Late Bronze Age date. Features located included ditches and post holes of two post built structures. (1)

The site was further investigated during a later archaeological excavation. This refined the data gathered from the earlier evaluation and revealed that the site was the location of a Late Bronze Age/earliest Iron Age settlement.

The settlement evidence included a small northern enclosure in the north central part of the site. Its internal width was recorded at c 25m wide with and the enclosure had a southwest facing entrance. The enclosure ditch whilst not substantial exhibited longevity of use attested by 3, potentially 4, ditch re-cuts following the same course and terminating at the same point. All phases appear to date to 800-600 BC. Within the eastern interior of the enclosure an arrangement of 8 postholes defined a probable rectangular structure Pottery recovered from the backfill of these features is dated to 800- 600 BC. South of the post structure, a possible rubbish pit produced a very large assemblage of pottery, again dating to 800–600BC. In the south-western area of the enclosure a large shallow hollow interspersed with postholes and to a lesser extent pitting was notable for the quantity of cultural material recovered. it may represent a collapsed building, though the posthole evidence for a structure is ill-defined. An un-urned cremation, dated to 650–550BC, was located nearby. A configuration of postholes could define a roughly trapezoidal structure in front of the entrance to the northern enclosure. The small quantities of pottery recovered from some of the postholes date to 800– 600BC. To the south of the enclosure contemporary activity was predominantly represented by pitting and quarrying. The most significant feature in the specific area was the large refuse pit. Its disuse dated to 800-600 BC. A curved ditch in the southeast corner of the site extended beyond the limits of excavation. The ditch was up to 2.8m wide and survived to a maximum depth of 1.34m. Its curve suggested that it was part of a ring ditch. No re-cuts were visible within the ditch and no archaeological features were identified within the very limited area of its interior that was recorded. The majority of the fills were dated to 800–600 BC. Excavation at a neighbouring site later revealed that this ditch belonged to a Bronze Age enclosure. Further land division was also evident in the south central part of the site. A ditch ran north from the southern limit of excavation and may represent one side of an enclosure. An area of intense activity in the north-western corner of the site consisted of several hundred postholes, it is likely that the postholes represent structures or successive phases of structures such as rudimentary buildings, fence lines or windbreaks. Further activity is represented by postholes in the west of the site, though this is less dense. There is a clear diminution in evidence for occupation on the site after c 600 BC. But, although features dating to this period were sparse, they did produce large quantities of anthropogenic material. A likely explanation is that the focus of settlement shifted slightly northwards. There is, for example, far more positive evidence for Middle and Late Iron Age settlement on the Minster Services site immediately to the north. (1-2) (information summarised from source)

<1> Museum of London Archaeology, 2010, Land Fronting Tothill Street, Mount Pleasant, Minster in Thanet, County of Kent: Evaluation Report (Unpublished document). SKE18228.

<2> Museum of London Archaeology, 2012, Archaeological post-excavation assessment: Land fronting Tothill Street, Minster, County of Kent (Unpublished document). SKE31188.