During works associated with the installation of a pipeline near Broadley Road, Northdown (part of a wider scheme running between Margate, Broadstairs and Weatherlees) rectilinear enclosure was partially exposed in a narrow section of easement. with the observable components consisting of three enclosing ditches, two internal post-holes, and internal linear features (ditches/ beamslots and a gully). The enclosure’s northern corner was obscured by the ring-ditch, whilst the south-western section extended outside the easement for probably c. 20–50 m

The enclosed area was trapezoidal, narrowing towards the south-west and measured more than 20 m (northeast to south-west) by 10 m (north-west to southeast). The southern flanking ditch comprised three intercutting ditch segments (0.52–0.76 m wide by 0.14m–0.29 m deep, with U-shaped profiles) with rounded termini, the central segment (7452) of which was potentially inserted to close a former entrance. The eastern side of the enclosure (7436) was less substantial and comprised at least two stages of construction to different depths (0.13 m and 0.65m), indicating that this section was also excavated in segments. The northern flanking ditch (7433) was not obviously created in segments though the termini appeared to have been constructed in two phases. The fills of the flanking ditches were very dark, indicative of in situ decomposed organic material such as wood; if so, the fairly shallow depths would not have supported posts or fencing, suggesting that there has probably been a moderate degree of truncation and/or disturbance across the area, probably beginning in the Bronze Age with the building of the round barrow. The eastern side of the northern ditch may have shown evidence for a low bank to the north, ie, outside the enclosure, perhaps representing the remnants of a long barrow mound or revetment.

The northern flanking ditch was constructed in two sections, with distinct opposing terminals. The earliest phase of the eastern terminal was only 0.05 m deep, while the second ditch was up to 0.31 m deep and commenced c. 0.5 m from the western terminal end of the earlier cut. The western end also had a small, narrow projection at the terminal somewhat symmetrical with the eastern terminal. The terminals probably represent a c. 2 m wide north-north-west entrance, with the shallow terminals representing sites of posts or markers. Again, the dark colour and the texture of the fills suggest the presence of organic material such as wood, rotted in situ. Set back into the
enclosure by c. 2 m and parallel to the terminals were two distinct post-holes, also c. 2 m apart. Essentially this combination of features suggests an entrance structure approximately 2 m square, interpreted as an antechamber. At the wider ‘façade’ end of the mortuary enclosure was an axially aligned mortuary chamber. This consisted of two parallel linear features (7439 and 7447), c. 7.10 m long and on average 1.00 m wide, enclosing an area c. 0.86 m wide. A gully-type feature (7107), at 90˚ to the probably truncated eastern end of linear feature 7447, may represent an internal division or ‘end’; perhaps creating an enclosed area c. 3.40 m long; however, the eastern end of the enclosure was only partially observable. The linear features were 0.60 m to 0.71 m deep, with distinct backfills indicating the insertion of large wooden beams against the internal sides, packed tightly on the external sides with chalk rubble. Evidence for material banked on the external sides was also noted during excavation. The wooden beams were evidenced by a rich dark deposit, c. 0.45 m wide,
indicative of decomposed in situ beams running along the length of the ditches/beamslots. The fills of 7439 and 7447 also contained fired clay and a few pieces of disarticulated human bone (possibly charred). However, radiocarbon dating of the bone from 7439 provided an unexpected Middle/Late Bronze Age date (1260–900 cal BC) for the bone and, therefore, the assumption has to be made that it is intrusive. Remodelling and later use of the subsequent monument would have resulted in a certain degree of disturbance, followed by damaging agricultural practices in more recent times. Certainly, the truncation and the complete absence of a mound indicate that there has been substantial, potentially deliberate clearance of the monument that could well have penetrated into the soft fills of the negative features
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It is likely that the internal features represent a focal point such as a timber lined mortuary structure or chamber, c. 3.40 m x 1.00 m wide (1.60 m outside edges), of moderate height (indicated by truncated beamslot depth) and supported by external banks/revetments of chalk. The function of this chamber may be inferred by comparison with similar monuments unfortunately, the human bone recovered appears to be of much later date and therefore cannot be used as a support for this interpretation or for the possible practice of excarnation that is often assumed to have taken place at such sites. The environmental samples from the enclosure ditches/beamslots contained only a few, potentially intrusive grain fragments There was no convincing evidence for a substantial long mound and no trace of flanking ditches that would be expected if a long barrow had been constructed. This suggests that the mortuary structure had only existed as a free-standing structure. It can be noted that not all mortuary structures are covered by long mounds some were never transformed in this way, while others such as Aldwincle, Northamptonshire, Whiteleaf, Buckinghamshire, and Loftus Road, Cleveland had round or oval barrows constructed over them.

The Broadley Road enclosure has characteristics common with the mortuary structures found beneath earthen long barrows and some round barrows these include the crest of slope positioning, the east/north-east orientation, the timber and earthen construction, the trapezoidallayout, the axially aligned linear mortuary zone, the post/fenced palisade and the wooden mortuary chamber. The placing of a round barrow over the façade finds parallels in other regions. However, there is no direct evidence that this monument was covered by a later mound and this would not be unusual either. It has been concluded from previous studies that although the layout of mortuary structures was quite formalised, very few, if any examples had an identical parallel. If the Broadley Road enclosure was covered by a long barrow mound, then the apparent transformation of a long barrow into a round barrow may reflect a change in focus from the group to the individual, which becomes more distinct in the Bronze Age (information summarised from source)(1)

<1> Wessex Archaeology, 2008, Thanet's Longest Excavation: Archaeological Investigations Along the Route of the Weatherless - Margate - Broadstairs Wastewater Pipeline (Monograph). SKE53449.