Badly ploughed remains examined by trenching in advannce of development in 1990. Several shallow features including a ditch on the E side and a grouping of smaller ditches, gullies and pits were interpreted as a small farmstead or similar settlement. pottery of late 1stC BC ands early 1stC AD were removed. (1)

Evaluation of a cropmark revealed a ditch of Late Iron Age / Early Roman date. (2)

Excavations in 2010 revealed a number of NW-SE features. These ditches may represent a shift in the boundary. A ring gully was also present. 40 postholes and several small pits were located in and around the gully containg late iron age pottery. (3)

Excavations in 2015 discovered a complex comprising three adjacent ditched enclosures, interpreted as a ritual complex, possibly mortuary enlosures relating to a nearby but undiscovered burial site. Two substantial enclosures and a cremation burial were also found. Again, the ditched contained small quantities of Iron Age pottery, and isolated residual Neolithic flint flakes and Bronze Age pottery (4)

<1> KARU 1990 'Orbital Industrial Park site,Ashford: Arch. Excavation' (OS Card Reference). SKE45473.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2011, Features and sites located during Channel Tunnel related works at Ashford in 1987 (Unpublished document). SKE17070.

<3> Oxford Archaeology, 2011, Orbital Park, Ashford, Kent: post-excavation assessment report (Unpublished document). SKE29664.

<4> Oxford Archaeology East, 2016, Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated project Design: Orbital Park Phase 1, Ashford, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE51989.