An evaluation commissioned by Christ Church College to assess any archaeological remains prior to the redevelopment of the garden of Coleridge House within the north-west corner of the college grounds for the construction of a new teaching block (the Paramedical Centre) was carried out in November 1987. One trench was excavated, which located thirty-five pits and a number of post-holes. The site code was CCCV.

The earliest pit was of early-mid Neolithic date ( c.4000-3000 BC). (3 and 4)

Five other pits contained identical fills of leached, compact redeposited brickearth flecked with carbon, all cut by later features. A range of prehistoric pot sherds were found including part of a large flint-tempered pot with perforated lug handles and holes set regularly below a finger-nail decorated rim thought to date from c. 900-800 BC. A number of flint implements were also found in the trench:1 blade,1 blade-like flake, 18 flakes, 1 ?retouched flake; total flint artefacts. Overall, the most important stratified evidence for Neolithic occupation within the college grounds came from this evaluation excavation.

Bennett, P., 1989, Christ Church College: Paramedical Centre (Article in serial). SKE30481.

<3> Hicks, Martin and Houliston, Mark, 1999, Archaeological Excavations at Canterbury Christ Church College. Assessment report on excavations conducted between 1983-1996 (Unpublished document). SKE31574.

<4> Hicks, Martin, 1996, Archaeological Excavations at Canterbury Christ Church College. Assessment Report on Excavations conducted between 1983-1995 (Unpublished document). SKE31570.