In 1998 the Oxford Archaeological Unit carried out an evaluation of the site prior to works associated with the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. The site was characterised by a scatter of burnt, shallow pits. Very few artefacts were recovered from these features, but on present evidence, an Iron Age, Roman, or later date seems most likely. The function of the pits is unknown, but their proximity to Hurst Wood seems to suggest that they may be linked to charcoal burning or woodland clearance activity. A small assemblage of finds was recovered, including burnt and worked flints, a small number of Bronze Age and Iron Age sherds and a single Romano-British sherd. The finds have yet to be examined in detail but the fragments are generally very small and badly abraided. The very small number of prehistoric artefacts from the burnt pits could very well be intrusive and do not neccessarily provide a reliable date for the burnt features, although they produced no securely stratified later material. (1-2)

Excavation carried out in 1998. More pits with evidence of burning found. (3-4)

Additional bibliography. (5-6)

<1> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1999, Hurst Wood, Charing Heath, Kent Strip, Map and Sample Archaeological Works Interim Report Final (Unpublished document). SKE6985.

<2> Wessex Archaeology, 1997, Archaeological Evaluation at Hurst Wood, Charing Heath, Kent. Channel Tunnel Rail Link (Unpublished document). SKE6986.

<3> wessex Archaeology, 1997, Archaeological Evaluation at Hurst Wood, Charing Heath, Kent. CTRL Interim Report (Unpublished document). SKE6987.

<4> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 2001, Hurst Wood, Charing Heath, Kent: Detailed Archaeological Works Assessment Report (Unpublished document). SKE16471.

<5> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2006, Radiocarbon dates from Section 1 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE16490.

<6> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2006, The Later Prehistoric Pottery from Excavations Along Section 1 of the CTRL (Unpublished document). SKE16486.