Roman enclosures, road, ditches, linear features, and pits were identified at Lakesview Business Park, Hersden during a strip, map, and sample excavation in 2019. These features represent a continuation of the activity identified during several earlier excavations at the site, and appear to follow the NE-SW alignment of features established during earlier phases of activity at the site. Furthermore, the recovery of window glass may indicate the presence of a high status Roman building nearby, potentially associated with this phase of activity.

The placement of several large ditches (16-18m+ in length) at the site divided the excavation area into four quadrants, some or all of which may have been part of square or rectangular enclosures as identified during previous excavations.

Linear features at the site measured between around 0.43-1.55m in width, and 0.07-0.52m in depth. Artefacts associated with these features include pottery sherds dating to the late Iron Age and Roman period, an iron smith's chisel, a coin of Magnentius (350-353 AD), a cast iron ingot, and a silver cochlear spoon.

Two pits were also dug during this phase of activity at the site. The largest of these features was 2.45m in length, 0.8m in width, with no recorded depth, whilst the second pit measured 0.72m in length, by 0.72m in width, and 0.22m in depth. The first pit contained only pottery in its fill, whilst the second pit contained a probable votive deposit comprising pottery, four rolled lead curse tablets, two base silver coins, and one copper alloy coins. The coins were manufactured between 253-260 AD. The report (1) discusses the significance of the four curse tablets being found in situ, as most the specimens in the UK are residual, and discusses the possibility that the votive deposit may be related to a mortuary enclosure containing four cremation burials which was identified to the NE of the site during an earlier excavation.

The latest created during this phase of activity was a Roman road represented by a metalled surface with wheel ruts. This feature sealed an earlier linear feature which contained a dated coin, therefore the road itself post-dates 353 AD. A coin dating to around this period was associated with the metalled surface, suggesting that the road continued in use between 350-360 AD and potentially later.

Later Roman features established at the site contained dark grey-black clays in their fill, this, alongside the identification of the iron ingot and a chisel, is considered to be indicative of iron working at the site. (summarised from the original report, 1)

A further twelve features remained undated, comprising six linear features and six pits. These likely date to some point between the Late Iron Age and Roman periods. (1)

<1> Swale and Thames Archaeological Survey Company, 2020, The Archaeological Strip, Map & Sample Excavation At The Lakesview Business Park, Hersden, Kent. Post-excavation Report (Unpublished document). SKE56794.