During an archaeological evaluation carried out at Manston business Park, features were discovered in many of the evaluation trenches. These features almost exclusively comprised linear ditches, and are presumably representative of a co-axial field system. Where prehistoric flintwork has been recovered from a feature without other datable finds, their presence has been taken to identify the feature as being of potential prehistoric date, perhaps pre-dating the Bronze Age in instances. Two ditches of potential prehistoric date were curvilinear (recorded in Trenches 4 and 16) and interpreted on Site to define a possible large enclosure within the centre, western side of the Site. This curvilinear feature is believed to have clipped the northern end of Trench 19. Post-holes were associated with the curvilinear recorded in Trench 4. Comparable perhaps is the large prehistoric circular enclosure that was discovered during an evaluation on the site of Kent International Business Park, to the immediate north of the Site.

Having produced ten pottery sherds, the only definite Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age feature was a north-west/south-east aligned ditch in Trench 24, located within the south-east quadrant of the Site. It was not identified in Trenches 21 and 23 to the north-west and south-east respectively. The remaining Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery sherds either derived from an open context (the subsoil in Trenches 3 and 38) or were considered residual having been found with later Roman pottery in a large pit in Trench 18, to the immediate south-west of Trench 24. The Loop, Manston site produced no features of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron date, or ofLate Iron Age/Romano-British or Roman date.

The Late Iron Age/Romano-British pottery sherds were all recovered from Trenches 1 and 2 within the south-west corner of the Site, with six having been recovered from a west-northwest/east-south-east aligned ditch in Trench 1 and a pit that cut it. This ditch was not identified in Trench 7 to the immediate south-east. The other four sherds of Late Iron Age/Romano-British came from a pit in Trench 2 to the immediate north of Trench 1.

The remaining linear features, all undated, had a varied alignment, with a south-west/north-east axis predominating. A distinctly curvilinear gully was present in Trench 33 within the south-east corner of the Site, possibly suggestive of the drip gully of a prehistoric roundhouse.

No clear continuation of archaeological features can be observed between the Site and The Loop, Manston. The west side of this neighbouring site is relatively devoid of features, with the nearest linear feature located within the north-west corner, curving northwards at its north-west end and thus away from the Site itself, whilst the broken alignment of parallel north-west/south-east ditches stops at Linear L and does not extend to the edge of The Loop site. If it continued, it may only have clipped the very extreme north-east corner of the Site. A north-west/south-east linear of potential prehistoric date was recorded here in Trench 30.

The ditches and pits recorded at The Loop were interpreted as Middle Bronze Age droveways, paddocks/corrals, watering holes and small enclosures, with no settlement remains having been evident. It is highly probable that some of the ditches and pits encountered at the Site are an extension of this landscape, although no parallel ditches indicative of a droveway were observed. (information summarised from source) (1)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2023, Plots 1 & 2 Manston Business Park, Manston, Thanet, Kent Ct12 5gd Archaeological Evaluation And Interim Strip, Map And Sample Excavation Report (Unpublished document). SKE56921.