Monument record TR 36 NW 1435 - Medieval enclosure and associated pits - Shottendane Road

During investigations at Shottendane road near Margate, a small rectilinear ditched enclosure (covering an area of around 20m by 20m across) was revealed in the northern part of Area C (Enclosure 7005). This was defined by a shallow ditch (with evidence of recutting on its southern side) up to 1.35m wide and 0.32m deep which produced 15 sherds (224g) of medieval pottery dating to the 12th to 13th centuries AD. Enclosed by this ditch were features dominated by a series of shallow rectangular and oval shaped flat-bottomed pits (Groups 7617 and 7404) up to 4m wide and 0.4m deep and associated with a small number of postholes. Finds from these features included a total of 216 sherds (199g) of pottery dating to the 12th to 13th centuries AD and almost 6kg of fragmentary quern stone, including sandstone and lava quern. These sub-rectangular to oval shaped pits are closely comparable to medieval features known widely from Thanet and other parts of northern Kent (e.g. Holmes et al 2023; and see Section 6.1, below) which have been interpreted as the remains of small sunken-floored buildings. Elsewhere, some examples of these structures have been found associated with ovens and have been interpreted as bakeries or brewhouses (Schuster and Stevens 2009), but others seem to have had other functions, and no trace of ovens were recorded in association with the features within Enclosure 7005.(information summarised from source) (1)

<1> Oxford Archaeology, 2026, Shottendane Road, Margate, Kent - Post Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design (Unpublished document). SKE58858.