During a watching brief at St John the Baptist, Penshurst, between 7th March and 28th July 2014, Thames Valley Archaeology Services observed groundworks prior to an extension to the church and associated drainage.

Observed at the north west corner of the church was a 0.50m layer of mid grey brown clayey gravel silt containing ceramic building material and disarticulated human bones. Below this
was 0.40m of silty gravel with more disarticulated bone. A single 1580- 1630 copper Jeton, marked 1580- 1630, was recovered and a possible grave orientated east-west was left undisturbed and in situ. The disarticulated bone was likely the result of Victorian disturbance of the graveyard during construction of drainage around the church, with the jeton being residually deposited at this time.

A pit measuring 0.70m square was excavated to the north-west of the reduced area. This measured 0.70m deep and comprised the same stratigraphy as the north west corner. Two residual sherds of medieval pottery were recovered from the bottom silty gravel layer along with disarticulated human bone.

North of the church a trench was excavated across the Victorian drainage and the current graveyard. A half penny Jeton, date stamped 1569, was recovered and one adult skeleton in good condition was identified lying in a supine position orientated east-west. No grave cut could be discerned and there was no headstone. Large amounts of disarticulated human bone were also recovered in the northern trench with very little seen in the trench to the east of the church. The disarticulated bone was likely disturbed during Victorian construction and the jeton residual. (1)

<(1)> Thames Valley Archaeological Services, 2014, St John the Baptist Church, Penshurst, Kent: Archaeological watching brief (Unpublished document). SKE30897.