A trial trenching evaluation was carried out in early 2000 at the site of the former greyhound stadium. 16 trenches were excavated ranging from 11 - 50m in length across the site. 10 of the trenches were empty of finds or features but 16 features were recovered in 4 trenches. Subsequently some of the trenches were expanded to further investigate the features.

Trench 2 in the north of the site discovered three ditches, all aligned roughly north west - south east and may represent boundary ditches. They were c. 0.5 m below ground level. Ditch F1, which contained iron age pottery, had a rounded profile, was c. 30 cm deep and c. 1 m wide. Ditch F3 was interrupted, c. 1 m wide and c.16 cm deep, sealing a small pit. Ditch F4, which contained a single struck flint, was c. 60 cm wide and c. 12 cm wide. The most striking feature was a curving ditch c. 1.5m wide and 70 cm deep. An extension to the trench, trench 2A found another section of this ditch which is interpreted as a ring-ditch c. 16m in diameter. A small ovoid pit was located just inside the southern boundary and contained a single struck flint. The ditch fill contained four fragments of animal bone and six struck flints. Near the east end of trench 2 was an area of flints, c. 2.5 m square which has been interpreted as a flint platform.

In trench 9 at the south of the site a small ditch or gully, 60 cm wide and 15 cm deep, was found running south-west - north east for at least 13 m. A possibly iron age spindle whorl was found on its surface. The ditch was at one point sealed by a layer of flints again interpreted as a flint platform.

In trench 12 there were three features. Two ditches running north-west south-east were c. 15 m apart but roughly parallel. Ditch F12 was c. 1.75 m wide and 1.6 m deep and had vertical sides. Finds comprised 6 fragments of bone and two struck flints. Ditch F15 was more shallow, only 0.95 m deep and contained two iron age pot sherds and three flints. A possible pit was also found.

Trench 15 contained two features, probably ditches but these were not excavated. One may have been a continuation of ditch F12 in trench 12 and the other may have been a continuation of ditch F15 in trench 12.

The site represents an area of prehistoric activity with a pre-iron age ring-ditch and a series of iron age land boundaries. (1)

<1> Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit, 2000, Dumpton Park Drive, Ramsgate, Kent: report on a programme of Archaeological Work (Evaluation Excavation) (Unpublished document). SKE13560.