During investigations associated with the construction of the Ramsgate Harbour Approach, road in 1997/1998, several neolithic features were identified which, though not forming structural elements of the Chalk Hill Causewayed Enclosure, may have been associated with it. These included several pits and two groups of horseshoe shapes features (possible coves)

In detail: six miscellaneous pits of various sizes lay between the Middle and Outer Arcs, with no obvious spatial patterning. Approximately 1.4m north of the north-western edge of Segment 5 of the Middle Arc was a shallow subcircular pit. Approximately 2m to the west of Segment 6 was a subcircular pit which was the focus for ‘placed’ and potentially structured deposition; its fill contained 95 flint tools. In addition, 30 early Neolithic potsherds in four different fabrics, as well as single pieces of burnt flint and heat-affected clay. Charcoal and seeds were also present in small quantities, along with traces of oyster shell. Two further oval pits were situated less than 4m to the north-west of this pit. The earliest of these produced sixteen worked flints in its fill, including and a single abraded prehistoric potsherd of unknown date; this again suggests focussed deposition of some sort. The western end of this pit was cut by another pit, approximately 1m by 0.7m in plan (on the same alignment) with a dished profile 0.16m deep. Its fill contained a further 12 worked flints along with three abraded sherds of unidentifiable prehistoric pottery. Less than 2m to the south-east of this pit a fifth small pit or post-hole was subcircular, 0.35m wide and 0.2m deep.

In addition to these pits two groups of features each appeared to delineate a three-sided or ‘horseshoe’-shaped area. These shallow cut features, presumably settings for some kind of timber superstructure, may represent analogues of the much-later three-sided megalithic ‘coves’ found at Avebury (Wiltshire), Stanton Drew (Somerset) and elsewhere. To the north was a subcircular pit, with steep sides and a flat base 0.28m deep. The silt fill of this feature was cut by an irregular ‘horseshoe’- shaped gully, 16m long with steep sides and a slightly concave base 0.3m deep, which enclosed a small area and opened to the north. The silt fill of this feature contained occasional worked flints and early Neolithic potsherds. It appeared to enclose a shallow elongated pit aligned south-west/north-east, 2.63m long and 0.88m wide with a dished profile 0.15m deep. The single deposit filling this feature contained traces of mammal bone, heat-affected clay, charcoal, oyster and mussel shell. Of course the apparent spatial relationship between the horseshoe feature and the pit may be coincidental.

A rectilinear formation broadly similar to the first horseshoe feature was recorded some 50m to the south, formed by three shallow linear cuts arranged in another rough ‘horseshoe’ shape, the widest opening being to the south-west. All the features in this group had moderately steep sides and uneven bases and were filled by uniform silt deposits. The most southerly of the group was 5m long and 0.75m wide and just 0.14m deep, aligned south-west/north-east. Crumbs of unidentifiable pottery and two worked flints were recovered from its fill, along with two fragments of burnt flint. On the same alignment but 2.85m to the north-west was a 3m long, 0.65m wide and 0.11m deep feature. Its fill again yielded very occasional worked flints. To the east of the first two features and aligned approximately north/south, the third was 2.06m long, 0.5m wide and 0.15m deep. The fill of this feature contained two abraded sherds of early Neolithic pottery.

At the southern end of the site was an isolated oval pit, 1.1m by 0.8m broad and 0.22m deep. It contained two silt fills, the uppermost of which produced 20 fresh sherds of middle Neolithic Peterborough Ware (from c 3600 BC) in a single fabric as well as two flint blades (one burnt) and nine flakes. Just under 7m to the west of this pit was a subcircular shallow feature, 0.85m in diameter with a dished profile 0.1m deep. Its fill contained five sherds of Peterborough Ware and a single flint flake. (information summarised from source (1-2)

<1> 2019, Chalk Hill - Neolithic and Bronze Age Discoveries at Ramsgate, Kent (Monograph). SKE56208.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1997, Excavations at Chalk Hill, near Ramsgate, Kent 1997-98: Integrated assessment & updated research design (Unpublished document). SKE29640.