As part of a wider programme of archaeological investigation along the route of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Union Railways (South) Ltd (URS) commissioned the Museum of London Archaeology Service (MoLAS) to evaluate a strip of land situated to the north of the M20, approximately 7.5km to the west of Ashford, Kent. The site was split into two fields (west and east) by Oakover Lane. Thirty-seven trenches were laid out to sample the evaluation area where earlier fieldwalking had identified surface concentrations of prehistoric worked flint and medieval pottery.

The evaluation revealed three periods of activity. Prehistoric (possibly Iron Age) features were recorded and interpreted as quarrying, perhaps to extract Iron Pan. The quarrying did not appear to have been very intense. Occupation on site was implied by the possible use of a partially backfilled quarry pit as a shelter, and a pit. Limited amounts of pottery and undiagnostic flints were recovered(1).

(See TQ 94 NW 41 and TQ 94 NW 42)

<1> Museum of London Archaeology Service, 1997, East of Pluckley Road An Archaeological Evaluation (Unpublished document). SKE6978.