An evaluation on land directly north of Holy Trinity Church, Dartford recorded Iron Age/ Roman artefacts in two deposits at the base of the evaluation trench (at 1.80m+ below the current ground surface). Both of these contexts could only be interpreted as occupation layers as individual features were not visible. The layers where recorded in all 4 sections of the 3m by 2m lower extension to the evaluation trench [1].

During the later excavation phase, only the lower deposit had survived and then only as a discontinuous layer, due to truncation from overmachining. This overmachining had affected the whole area that the excavation had planned to examine. It was concluded however, that the two layers containing Iron Age/Romano British artefacts were possibly buried soils, perhaps a comteporary topsoil/subsoil division lying over a naturally lain body of alluvial sands and gravels.
The main feature recorded during the excavation phase was a 1m wide ditch. Heavily truncated, it ran from north to south across the trench, in excess of 10m in length. It had one fill which contained 1st to early 2nd century AD pottery. No relationship between the ditch and the occupation layers had survived due to the overmachining. The ditch was probably used for drainage and perhaps also served as a field boundary. It ran at right angles towards Watling Street, which passed the site to the south and so may also have aided road drainage as the road ran west to its fording point at the Darent. Alternatively, the ditch has also been interpreted as the possible western side of an enclosure. The nature of the wider finds assemblage reinforces the position of the site on the edge of Watling Street, which was an important trading route. Finds included imported samian pottery and briquetage fragments.
The density of pottery recovered from the occupation/ relic Roman soil layers has been interpreted as being indicative of nearby settlement activity and of possible manuring of arable land or a result of secondary rubbish disposal onto the site, which was within the floodplain of the river Darent.

The Pottery assemblage included a wide range of coarseware and fineware fabrics. Most are of Kentish origin, but with Verulanium and Colchester fabrics as well. Samian ware was additionally present. The range dates between 70 - 150?AD. No mention is made of the possible iron age sherds identified during the evaluation, although their identification was from undiagnostic sherds and only 'probable'.

Roman tile fragments recovered may hint at the presence of a Roman building nearby.

No metalwork was recorded from the Romano-British period.

A soil sample from the ditch contained seeds from bread wheat, hulled barley, corn cockle and vetch. Animal bone was also found. No butchery marks were found on the very fragmented bones which were from a minimum of two cattle and one sheep/goat (2).

Residual prehistoric flints (TQ 57 SW 253) and a later post medieval cemetery north of Holy Trinity Church (TQ 57 SW 36), were also recorded on the site.

<1> South East Archaeological Services (now ASE), 1995, An Archaeological Assessment on land to the East of Holy Trinity Church, Dartford, Kent (Unpublished document). SWX7019.

<2> Archaeology South-East, 1996, An Archaeological Excavation at Holy Trinity Church, Dartford, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE11948.