In 2005 83 trenches were excavated in area 'A' as part of a field evaluation. Most were blank but in the eastern part of the site, near the roundabout, various remains were recorded. Late Bronze Age pottery was recovered form a single post hole. A series of ditches and gullies relating to a field system were found dating to the late iron age. There was also a suggestion that an iron age settlement may have existed beyonfd the southern edge of the eastern field as features in this area contained animal bone, charcoal and pottery.(2)

Archaeological excavation carried out in advance of the new Leybourne Bypass found extensive archaeological evidence. In area 'A' a range of flint artefacts were found. These included a mesolithic tranchet adze and a microlith and 460 pieces of worked flint, mostly of neoltihic to early bronze age date.A small number of unsystematic worked flint cores and rudimentary flakes dated to the middle/late bronze age. A single probable later bronze pit was found containing post Deverel-Rimbury pottery but most of the evidence dated to the iron age. In the middle iron age a ditch system was constructed based on two parallel ditches that contained dumps of fired clay and burnt animal bone. The ditch system was later expanded into a larger and more complex system and contained numerous finds that suggested occupation in the vicinity.A third phase of the system, dated to the later iron age, contained several postholes or pits though it could not be firmly concluded that these related to the ditches.Some of the postholes may have formed part of a four post structure, possibly a granary. A single fourth phase ditch suggested that activity continued at the site into the Roman era.(1,3)

<1> Wessex Archaeology, 2005, A228 West Malling and Leybourne Bypass, West Malling Kent: Archaeological Excavation and Watching Brief Works (Unpublished document). SKE13007.

<2> Archaeology South-East, 2005, An archaeological evaluation along A228 Leybourne to West Malling Bypass, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE15652.

<3> Wessex Archaeology, 2006, A228 West Malling & Leybourne Bypass, West Malling, Kent, archaeological evaluation, excavation and watching brief works, post-excavation assessment report and proposals for analysis and final publication (Unpublished document). SKE15655.