During excavations at Lanthorne Court in Broadstairs, Thanet ahead of the redevelopment of the site, A sunken featured building and six pits all of a Anglo Saxon date, were uncovered. These features were found during the watching brief part of the excavation. It was located at the southern end of the site where preserved buried top-and subsoil layers were noted below modern made ground. However, the feature was found to have been truncated by modern concrete pads driven into the ground that were possibly associated with playground equipment as part of the demolished Foreland School, visible on a 1986 OS map. The SFB was not fully visible in plan, continuing beyond the southern site boundary. The visible remains measured 5.77m long x 3.54m wide x 0.35-0.45m deep. Pottery dating to c.AD 575-700 was recovered from the SFB fills. Undiagnostic iron slag, thought probably from smithing, was also recovered, although it was not certain whether this related to contemporary early medieval smithing or if it was residual/ intrusive. A parallel sided blade tool. Fragments of quern weighing 47g in total manufactured from lava imported from Germany were recovered fthe fills over the SFB. It is thought most likely that these originate from Roman examples, although it is possible they could be contemporary. Two substantial postholes were located at the eastern and western ends of the SFB SG19, measuring 0.71 and 0.76m deep respectively. The fills of the SFB and associated postholes consisted of light reddish-brown silt and yielded a moderate group of early medieval pottery dated c.AD 575–700. Six pitswere found cut into the SFB which were not clearly visible in plan. It was only when hand excavating the SFB that these became apparent. Pottery dated c.AD 575–700 was also recovered from G4, along with a residual early Roman amphora sherd. These sherds were described as ‘fresh’ in post-excavation analysis, suggesting they were recovered in their primary context. The fills of the pits generally consisted of orange-, yellowish- and reddish-brown silt. They were thought to have been deliberate backfilling events based on the pottery, shells and animal bone recovered as well as the charcoal content of a few of the fills. One of the fills was charcoal-rich and contained fired clay. It is thought to represent a refuse dump, possibly for domestic waste. Fragments of German lava quern weighing 76g were recovered and like those from the SFB these were thought to originate from Roman examples. (information summarised from source) (1)

<1> Archaeology South - East, 2023, Archaeological Excavations at Lanthorne Road, Broadstairs, Kent A post-excavation assessment and updated project design (Unpublished document). SKE57117.