Three Bronze Age ring ditches were uncovered during excavations associated with the construction of the East Kent Access route in Thanet, in Zone 23. These appeared to form part of a small group with three or four others lying outside of the investigated area to the north. They were all around 40-50m apart and lay on a ENE-WSW alignment towards the western end of a chalk ridge formed by Thorne Hill and Telegraph Hill which at 55m is the highest point in Thanet.

The central barrow (Barrow 195005) consisted of three elements - a large outer ring-ditch, a small inner ring-ditch and a central burial. All had been truncated by ploughing. 50% of the ditches were excavated initially and then another 10%. The remaining deposits were preserved in situ beneath the new access road. The outer penannular ditch had a north east facing entrance. The ditch was 25m in diameter, up to 4m wide at the top and 2m wide at the base, between 1 and 1.3m deep, with a symmetrical profile. This had well defined terminals that formed an entrance 10m wide. The fills showed little evidence for an internal mound. The finds varied in date and were not useful for dating the feature. The inner ring ditch was 14m in diameter, up to 1.54m wide and 0.6m deep. The upper fill of this ditch provided most of the finds at the site including the remains of an iron age cup. In the centre of the ring ditch was a small grave containing the cremation burial of a sub-adult which was dated to 1750-1520 cal BC. The phasing of this monument is not clear. It is possible that the initial phase was the inner ditch which may have been neolithic date though this is not certain. (information summarised from source) (1)

Two concentric ring ditches forming part of a round barrow of Bronze Age date were visible as cropmarks in Next Perspectives APGB Imagery 21-APR-2007. This feature was mapped as part of the Historic England Isle of Thanet project in 2024. The spatial mapping derived from authority (1) and the cropmark mapping have both been retained because the strong cropmark clearly shows a continuous outer ring ditch, with no suggestion of an entrance in its north-eastern arc. (2)

<1> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2011, East Kent Access (Phase II), Thanet, Kent: Post-Excavation Assessment Volume 1 (Unpublished document). SKE29279.

<2> Next Perspectives, 2003-2021, Next Perspectives APGB orthophotography, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery 21-APR-2007 (Archive). SKE57110.