Monument record TR 36 SW 1335 - Anglo Saxon Sunken Featured Building, Cottington Road

The remains of a c. 7th century Anglo-Saxon SFB, or Grubenhaus were discovered during excavations associated with the installation of a pipeline near Cottington Road. A small ditch, also dating to the Anglo-Saxon period, lay c. 46 m to the north-east of the SFB. It was represented by an approximately rectangular pit, slightly bulging to the east and west. The pit measured 3.21 x 2.34 m and was up to 0.31 m deep. Two post-holes occurred, midway along either short end, coinciding with the bulges. The post-holes were 0.22 m and 0.24 m in diameter and 0.16 m and 0.2 m deep. In the north-east corner of the base of the pit was a sub-circular dark, blackish discoloured patch, approximately 0.5 m in diameter. The initial fill of the SFB pit was only 0.1 m thick and incorporated animal bone, shell, pottery, charcoal, and an iron nail. Overlying it was a very similar deposit, 0.22 m thick, with slightly more silt content combined with dumps of domestic waste material. Deliberate disposal of domestic refuse and natural silting are indicated. Several objects of iron and three glass beads were recovered from this deposit (see below). Similar material to both these layers was also found within the post-holes, which were not observable until both deposits had been removed. The close proximity of the 7th century Cottington Road SFB to Romano-British activity is of some interest. It lay only 1.5 m from the boundary of the late Romano-British dual-rite cemetery and c. 20 m from a hollow-way, which was probably in use during the Romano-British period and potentially later.

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