A Bronze Age ring ditch was uncovered during excavations associated with the construction of the East Kent Access route in Thanet (at the western end of Zone 21). Only the northern two thirds was exposed with the remainder outside the area under investigation. It was approximately 22.5m in diameter, 2.7m in width and 1.4m in depth with a broadly similar fill sequence. A concentration of eroded chalk infers the presence of a bank or mound on the interior. The pottery was not useful for dating as it appears to have gradually accumulated and dates from the middle Bronze Age through to the Medieval period.

Four graves were revealed in the central area and three of them appeared to lie in a row. The first was situated centrally and comprised a crouched and unaccompanied burial of a 20-25 year old female radiocarbon dated to 1930-1740 cal BC. The second (southern side of the first) contained another crouched female, 16-19 years of age which was radiocarbon dated 1930-1740 cal BC. This burial was accompanied by a copper alloy pin, an amber button, a miniature triple food vessel. The third grave (on the north side of the first) was again crouched and contained a female 40-45 years of age and was dated 1960-1750 cal BC. The fourth grave was located to the south east and contained an infant. This was not securely dated. (information summarised from source) (1)

A ring ditch forming part of a round barrow of Bronze Age date was visible as a cropmark in NMR 1671/84 06-AUG-1979. This feature was mapped as part of the Historic England Isle of Thanet project in 2024. Although there is a slight misalignment between the spatial location of the excavation mapping (authority 1) and the cropmark mapping, both have been retained in this record because the cropmark includes the southern arc of the ring ditch that was not exposed, being outside the excavated area. (2)

<1> Oxford Wessex Archaeology Joint Venture, 2011, East Kent Access (Phase II), Thanet, Kent: Post-Excavation Assessment Volume 1 (Unpublished document). SKE29279.

<2> Historic England Archive, 1920-2024, Historic England Archive Specialist oblique aerial photographs, NMR 1671/84 06-AUG-1979 (Archive). SKE57106.