In 2012 Canterbury Archaeological Trust carried out an evaluation of land at Capital House, Margate. Evidence of a Iron Age hillfort or defended settlement site was found. A number of ditches were found belonging to two phases of activity in the Middle and Late Iron Age. The first phase consisted of two parallel ditches both 1.25m deep and 1.4-2.05m wide. A bank probably existed on the north western side and may have been held up by a timber revetment. No dating material was found in these features. The second phase had a single wider slightly shallower ditch which cut the earlier features, though was on the same alignment; it was 1.06m deep and 3.75m wide. This ditch contained Middle and Late Iron Age pottery, animal bone and worked flint. Within the enclosed area there were a number of undated post holes that could relate to this period. A second group of ten post holes did date to the period but did not form any obvious arrangement, though are thought to be structural in nature. It is thought that the main focus of activity on the site probably lay to the north on the higher ground, as evidenced by a series of post holes, pits, ditches and gullies located in that area. (1)

The two ditches were observed in the northwest corner of the site and below Trinity Court. (2)

An evaluation of a nearby site recorded in its background material that two burials were identified at the Iron Age hillfort. These comprised two inhumations - one an infant burial (1 month-2yrs), and a juvenile burial (5-12yrs). Both burials are thought to have been crouched in form and one of the burials contained Late Iron Age pottery dating to (400-50 BC).
However, the burials are thought to predate the ditches at the site as they were truncated by a later ditch recut. The ditch recut was found contain the disarticulated remains of an adult dating from the Roman period. (3)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2012, Archaeological evaluation at Capital House, Northdown Road, Margate, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE17540.

<2> Villette, J., 2009, A letter from J. Villette dated 24/11/09 re: Capital House, Northdown Road, Margate (Miscellaneous Material). SKE24037.

<3> Swale & Thames Archaeological Survey Company, 2021, Archaeological Evaluation of land on the south side of Duke Street, Margate, Kent, CT9 1EW (Unpublished document). SKE57088.