Monument record TR 36 NE 2683 - Late Iron Age/Roman field system discovered during pipeline trenching near Coldswood Road

During excavations associated with the installation of a pipeline between Margate and Broadstairs, In the southern part of Area 9 was a rectilinear field system, aligned east - west and including access routes. A number of elements were dated by pottery to the Late Iron Age to Early Romano-British periods, suggesting a similar date for the undated ones. The widths of the ditches were between 0.60m and 1.15m and varied in depth between 0.10 and 0.25m. They were filled with naturally formed deposits derived from the erosion of the surrounding area. There were a number of field boundary ditches that crossed the easement, but were not necessarily part of the field systems already described. The alignments of these ditches varied from north west – south east through to north east – south west. Several were dated by pottery, including Late Iron Age to Early Romano-British and medieval. (1-3)

<1> Wessex Archaeology, 2005, Margate to Weatherlees Hill Wastewater Treatment Works Twin Pipeline: Interim Statement (Unpublished document). SKE13017.

<2> Wessex Archaeology, 2008, Thanet's Longest Excavation: Archaeological Investigations Along the Route of the Weatherless - Margate - Broadstairs Wastewater Pipeline (Monograph). SKE53449.

<3> Wessex Archaeology, 2006, Margate and Broadstairs Urban Wastewater Treatment Scheme (Unpublished document). SKE29263.