Iron Age ditched enclosure, roundhouses and postholes found in 1998-1999 prior to the construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

The sub-rectangular, pre-Roman Iron Age settlement enclosure is located adjacent to Honeyhills Wood and underlying the Thurnham Roman villa complex (TQ 75 NE 374). Within it, traces of two penannular house gullies, one possible circular posthole building and two four-post structures were found. Occupation of the site was established during the 1st century BC and probably extended into the early post conquest period (c. 43 - 60AD), and seems to have been preceded by primary woodland clearance (1). The sub-rectangular ditched enclosure substantially re-cut a former sinuous ditch which is aligned SW-NE across the area. A north-south aligned ditch was located to the west of the enclosure and is thought to be contemporary. However, no stratigraphic relationship between the ditch and enclosure is known as no intersection was found, and both features continued beyond the southern limit of the excavation.

A complete penannular gully was found with a width of 12m, directly to the west of the Roman temple at Thurnham (TQ 75 NE 872). Deposits associated with the Roman temple exterior sealed the entrance terminal of this penannular gully. These deposits, along with the close proximity of the two structures, and the possible extension of the date of the Iron Age features into the early Roman period, may represent a functional continuity (2).

<1> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1999, Thurnham Roman Villa, Thurnham, Kent Detailed Archaeological Works Interim Report Final (Unpublished document). SKE7014.

<2> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 2001, Thurnham Roman villa, post-excavation assessment report, Thurnham. (Unpublished document). SKE13710.