Parrallel ditches of trackway seen as cropmark, transcription of features from aerial photographs. (1)

The location of these ditches were confirmed in a geophysical survey undertaken in 2016. (2)

The linear features were targeted in three of the evaluation trenches, 7, 8 and 11. Trench 7 contained linear ditch which correlated exactly with the southern geophysical anomaly. In this location the northern anomaly represented a linear band of bioturbation possibly representing a grubbed out hedgeline. The ditch was 0.8m wide and 0.42m deep, and a small assemblage of 16th – 20th century pottery (8/31g) was recovered from the single ditch fill. However, this material may be intrusive because of the heavy bioturbation in this part of the trench, possibly indicating a post-medieval field boundary in this part of Site. Trench 8 was targeted on three parallel linear geophysical anomalies; two of which seemed to be identical with the linear anomalies recorded in Trenches 7 and 11. Three ditches were identified, all correlated with the geophysical results. The southernmost ditch, which was 0.80m wide and 0.29m deep, was undated as the single fill contained no finds. The ‘middle’ ditch, which was 1.04m wide and 0.33m deep, was also undated because of the lack of finds from the single fill. The northern ditch 806 was unexcavated, but a possible tegula fragment was recovered from the surface of the latest fill. Trench 11 contained two ditches and a metalled surface in the north of the trench, which correlated partially with the linear geophysical anomalies for the area. The southern ditch was 1.32m wide and 0.40m deep, the fills contained a small assemblage of Romano-British pottery from the latest fill. The other ditch which ran parallel with and c. 5.5m to the north of the first, cut the metalled track/road surface. The ditch was 0.48m wide and 0.26m deep, with a single fill that contained Late Iron Age/Early Romano-British pottery and fired clay. The track/road metalling was composed of at least a 0.12m thick layer of angular flint fragments. The metalling had a number of parallel, 0.1 – 0.3m wide and 0.08 to 0.16m deep linear cuts which were parallel to the ditches. These undoubtedly represent cartwheel ruts from the use of the metalled road surface. This metalled road has a likely 1st – 2nd century date and may head inland from Pegwell Bay c. 4km to the south-east, or possibly from Minster villa only c. 750m to the south-east. (information summarised from source)(3)

<1> David McLeod/1986-7/RCHME Air Photo Unit Survey of Kent (OS Card Reference). SKE39678.

<2> Headland Archaeology, 2016, Land at Tothill Street, Minster in Thanet, Kent: Geophysical Survey (Unpublished document). SKE32415.