During an archaeological strip map and sample excavation following an earlier phase of evaluation trenching on land on the site of Laleham Gap School, Margate, ahead of the redevelopment of the site for housing, evidence for Medieval occupation was revealed. This was mostly mid to late twelfth to early thirteenth century in date and comprised several ditches some forming sub-rectangular enclosures. Four sunken-featured buildings were set within the enclosures, and a few pits of indeterminate function were also identified. Two wells were associated with one of the enclosure complexes.

Area 1 revealed part of a square or rectangular enclosure (Enclosure 1) aligned near southeast/north-west delineated by a ditch on its north and west sides. The south and east sides of the enclosure were not exposed due to the presence of standing buildings and deep services, but the enclosure must have been in excess of 19.25m across. The ditch yielded two sherds of medieval pottery (1225-1325). A large sunken-featured building (SFB G110) was situated in what was probably the northeast corner of the enclosure, aligned near north-south, slightly askew to the enclosure. It the small assemblage of pottery recovered from its backfill was of similar date to the material from the enclosure ditch.. A number of pits and post-holes were close by and probably associated with the use of SFB G110. The small assemblages of pottery suggest a similar thirteenth-/early fourteenth-century date for the features.

Area 2 and 3 revealed features on similar alignments to those in Area 1. This excavation area also revealed enclosure ditches. The western side of a second enclosure (Enclosure 2) was represented by a near north-east/south-west aligned ditch in Area 2, and its south and east sides by ditch in Area 3. The enclosure extended out of the PDA limit to the north. The enclosure was about 32m wide internally. A small assemblage of medieval pottery from the ditch backfills ranged in date from AD 1175 to 1325. A sub-rectangular sunken-featured building (SFB G582) was situated towards the south-east corner of the enclosure and set at an almost exactly similar alignment. A large pit was situated 3.75m to the west of the main part of the building and was probably related. It was cut by a later ditch and yielded a few sherds of pottery dated 1125-1225. On the western side of Area 3, a shallow ditch or gully was set near parallel with and c 4.75m north of the southern side of the enclosure; it may have formed a partition within the enclosure. Its western end extended out of the area and its eastern end terminated in another sunken-featured building (SFB G331). Only two pottery sherds were recovered from it, dated to 1175-1275. A further sunken-featured building (SFB G536) may also be contemporary with these. This structure was situated immediately on the eastern side of SFB G582, was of similar dimensions and juxtaposed with such exactness that it seems most probable that the earlier [?] building was still standing when it was constructed. Of note is that all three structures are precisely aligned with the east side of Enclosure 2 suggesting that they all relate to this enclosure. Enclosure 2 may have been replaced by postulated Enclosure 3, which was displaced to the south-west in relation to the earlier feature. Dating evidence from the ditch was as sparse as that from the sunken-featured buildings, but the latest sherd was dated 1225-1325. Two wells were identified and appear to be contemporary with this later phase of the enclosure.

Area 4 contained a single ditch which formed a sharp right-angled corner, presumably of another enclosure mostly outside the southern limit of the PDA. Two sherds of medieval pottery (1125-1225) were recovered from its fill, suggesting it is likely to be of a similar date and function to the other enclosures on the site.

The four areas examined at the site appear to represent three separate and concentrated centres of activity, each entirely bounded by individual ditched enclosures of subrectangular form. In form, The closest comparison to this evidence was revealed on excavations at Thanet Earth near Monkton located about 8.5km to the south-west. There, in a much more widely revealed system, medieval ditched enclosures were established within earlier fields or to the side, nearly always extending off trackways or droveways, often with entrances onto the routes themselves. Many of these enclosures were between 20m and 40m across, of a similar dimension to the Laleham Gap examples. At Thanet Earth, isolated sunken-featured structures were scattered amongst the fields or enclosures, often in their corners, and often adjacent to trackways. Some of these buildings were probably used entirely as barns, stables, store rooms, temporary shelters for herdsman and shepherds, and other agricultural purposes, but some provided evidence for habitation, or were of a size which suggests that, if not used exclusively for sheltering animals, they may have been occupied for short periods, or for part of the year. On the present site, these enclosures therefore almost certainly represent discrete and probably contemporary peasant farmsteads primarily, if not exclusively engaged in relatively small scale agricultural production, with various attendant facilities and possibly a single structure for habitation. The medieval sunken-featured buildings appear to be only known in any number from Kent particularly the northern littoral zone. One of the main types are usually interpreted as bakeries or kitchens although it seems likely that they could also have been lived in. These are the most frequently observed form elsewhere and consist of a large subrectangular cut which contains a large oven in one corner with an adjacent compartment that also usually shows evidence for heating, though not of the same degree. It can be seen that SFB G331 and SFB G536 conform to this type, though with slight variations. At Thanet Earth (and elsewhere) there were permutations on this apparently standard design, and an equally, if not more predominant form usually consisted of a simple subrectangular sunken area, frequently featureless internally and without any obvious structural characteristics, although there was sometimes evidence for occupation of the interior. SFB G110 conforms exactly to this type. There were also other variants with no ovens that had a suite of other characteristics like well-defined entrances, benches and structural post-holes. Although these types were quite diverse, SFB G582 would appear to be of this form. (information summarised from source) (1)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2019, Land at Laleham Gap School, Northdown Road, Margate, Kent, CT9 2TP, Archaeological Assessment Report (Unpublished document). SKE53536.