There were a number of stages to the archaeological work. After the initial desk based assessment (KCC 2003/215), an archaeological field walking and geophysical survey (KCC 2003/216) was carried out. The field walking revealed five areas of late post medieval and early modern manuring activity, consisting of mainly pottery, glass and ceramic building material, with smaller assemblages of burnt flint, flint (?identified as being prehistoric on the distribution maps?), clay tobacco pipe, manufacturing waste and metal. These finds were all either undated or of late post medieval-modern date and were not analysed in any detail in the report and will not be created as separate finds categories here. The distribution of the artefacts also suggested at least one concentration of archaeological significance relating to a former building identified by the Desk Based Assessment.
The geophysical survey recorded a number of areas of magnetic activity/disturbance, which may indicate the sites of various former buildings. A number of ditch and pit-like anomalies were also noted. These were investigated in the later archaeological works [1].

The main archaeological works consisted of trial trenching and test pitting, a watching brief and a metal detector survey. They revealed a series of late Post-Medieval and modern drainage and land management systems, in addition to a late 19th century building foundation.
Various field boundaries, historic hedgerows (with associated ditches) and drainage ditches were recorded and the majority dated either through artefact association or stratigraphically to the late post medieval or modern periods. A number of irregular possible archaeological features (?) and an area of refuse disposal were also dated to the post medieval period or later.
A building at TQ 5776 1733, was present on the 1870 OS Map. Evaluation trenching on the site revealed the corner of a brick built building of post medieval date.
The test pits revealed further ditches of post medieval or modern date.
An assemblage of post medieval pottery was recorded from the trial trenching and test pitting. Other finds included nails and some evidence of industrial waste, that were not given separate finds records in the main monument tree.
The results suggested the area was of low archaeological potential.
The metal detector survey revealed a spread of unstratified post medieval/modern pottery and metalwork finds. Some of the objects were interpreted as being either lost or dropped items, others as having been deliberately spread on arable fields to improve their fertility. Separate finds records have not been created for them, but they included, musket balls, dress accessories, harness fittings, a range of small miscellaneous fittings and coins (George IV and V, a Syrian 10 plastres!) and tokens. The finds even included a manure bag seal!
The archaeological works also identified Roman metalwork finds (TQ 77 SE 166), and some evidence of Medieval activity (TQ 77 SE 167).
The perimeter of the archaeological works along the 3.5km dual carriageway project is given below in the grid refs of the main monument form, with a centre point [2].

<1> Network Archaeology Ltd, 2001, A228 Improvements. Hoo, Isle of Grain. Archaeological Field Walking and Geophysical Survey (Stage 3). (Unpublished document). SKE12372.

<2> Foundations Archaeology, 2004, A228, Improvements, Roper's Lane, Hoo, Isle of Grain, Kent. Archaeological Evaluation, Watching Brief and Metal Detecting Survey (Unpublished document). SKE12315.