The north-eastern churchyard wall of St Nicholas Church required repair and as part of these works an evaluation and a watching brief were carried out within the churchyard. These found graves and two charnel pits, along with a ditch or beam slot, relating to possible terracing of the area. Pottery recovered dated from 1075-1125, pre-dating the church by 50-75 years. It was suggested that this pottery, along with daub and lumps of carbon, is evidence of an earlier phase of use of the site, perhaps relating to a timber-framed building (1).

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2002, An archaeological evaluation and watching brief associated with the groundworks during the repair of the north-eastern churchyard boundary wall of St. Nicholas Church, Barfrestone, 2002 (Unpublished document). SKE15990.