TR 199395. Flint artifacts were found near Paddlesworth, four miles to the north-west of Folkestone. The site, in an open field on the downland plateau, was discovered when the Folkestone and District Water Company were building a new reservoir. The flints werefound by Gibson in soil which had been removed by a mechanical digger to form a pit fifty yards square and seven feet deep and dumped on the western side of the excavation. There were thirty-seven flakes and five cores. Permission to search for thearchaeological evidence was granted by the manager of the company, P A D Powell. The artifacts were found in the brown loam topsoil, and were mostly local flint patinated grey, with portions of buff cortex. Common characteristics of the flakes were - bulb at opposite end of butt; bulb side plain; shallow flaking on reverse side. A few specimens hadbeen retouched. The artifacts included three steep core scrapers, one small chopper, one split core, one rejuvenation flake, fifteen scrapers, thirteen small flakes one-three centimetres in length, two blades, four small broken blades and two augers. The finds suggested a Mesolithic date, which was also supported by D BKelly and A G Woodcock. No potsherds or signs of occupation were found, but the site may have been a summer camping-ground overlooking the surrounding plateau. (1)

<1> Arch Cant 86 1971 207-208 (A H Gibson) (OS Card Reference). SKE35843.