From the report:

"Between 20 Spetember and 30 November the Canterbury Archaeological Trust undertook an archaeological watching brief and palaeoenvironmental assessment of the site of a new water treatment works on land to the west of Reading Street, near Tenterden in Kent (NGR 592248 130362 centred). The watching brief was conducted in two phases; the first was concerned with the monitoring of geotechnical test-pits, the second was an intensive watching brief conducted on deep groundworks excavated during the construction of the water treatment works.

The first phase of monitoring revealed that an intact sequence of 'alluvial' silts was present on the site to a depth in excess of 3.5m.. The alluvial sequence was formed of a number of discrete stratigraphic units which are considered to indicate changes in the deposition environments throughout the history of the deposited sequence. In addition significant organic remains including waterlogged timbers were recovered from deposits towards the base of sequence in both trenches. At a depth of some 3.2m a large number of flint clasts were encountered in association with waterlogged deposits. These deposits were thought to be significant but the nature of the geotechnical test pits was not suited to detailed archaeological study.

The excavation of two 5 meter square square trenches during the construction of the water treatment works were monitored as a second intensive phase of archaeological watching brief work. This allowed the oppurtunity for the sequence exposed in the geotechnical test pits to be studied in greater detail over a wider area. The alluvial sequence encountered within the two trenches was consistent with being channel and channel edge deposits. (i.e. wet/dry ground). In addition a number of worked timbers (along with substantial numbers of un-worked in-wash pieces) were observed at a depth within the trenches. In Trench 2 a number of post-holes were recorded including three at a horizon some 3.5m below the existing ground level. Associated with these post-holes was a large timber (SF1). The special arrangement of the post-holes and the size of the timber suggested a waterside structure projecting into the channel from the channel edge.

Whilst the number of finds recorded during the course of the watching brief was low, datable cultural material was recovered from the throughout the stratigraphic sequence. The material recorded was of late post-medieval date with no earlier material being recovered during the course of the watching brief. If the post-medieval date is indeed correct for the entire sequence this would suggest a rapid accumulation of deposits and silting of the channel. The lowermost deposits may correspond with the late sixteenth and early seventeenth-century silting of the River Rother with rapid accumulation of material occuring after this date following the re-diversion of the Rother to follow a course to the south of the Isle of Oxney."

(1)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological trust, 2006, Watching brief on the new proposed waterworks, west of Reading Street, near Tenterden, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE13397.