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.

Medieval activity was limited to the eastern field, suggesting that Oakover Lane formed part of a medieval field boundary. All the pottery recovered dated form 900 to 1300 and three phases of field ditches have tentatively been identified. The eastern limit of the field(s) was a north to south orientated stream. Clearly the existance of a medieval farm in the immediate vicinity is implied, possibly in the area of the existing Oakover Nursery or beyond the limit of the evaluation(1).

(See TQ 94 NW 40 and TQ 94 NW 41)

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 Museum of London Archaeology Service, 1997, East of Pluckley Road An Archaeological Evaluation (Unpublished document).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

<2> Museum of London Archaeology Service, East of Pluckley Road Archaeological Evaluation Interim Report (Unpublished document). SKE6979.