Wessex Archaeology undertook an archaeological excavation of six trial trenches at land to the rear of 182 High Street, Tonbridge in advance of possible development. Part of the site is within the Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM 136) related to the town's medieval defences, known as the Fosse.
The report states:
"Within three of the six trenches, the evaluation revealed deposits associated with the construction of a bank, its later erosion/collapse and more recent redeposition as a result of modern development (trenches 2, 4 and 5). On site identification of in situ bank material as opposed to deposits that represent later erosion/collapse or more recent redeposition as a result of modern development, proved very difficult due to the similarity of colour and composition of these deposits. Two sherds of pottery dated to the late 12th to 13th century and 13th to 14th century were recovered from the bank material, however, it is concluded that the pottery could be residual rather than providing firm dating evidence. The bank deposits were underlain by a layer containing quantities of charcoal and fragments of slag. This layer also produced 12th to 13th century pottery sherds.
Site levelling and development in the mid 19th century and the more recent excavations for the car park along with the provision of services has severely truncated the bank deposits recorded in trenches 4 and 5.
There were no cut features of archaeological significance. A shallow linear feature, a small pit and walls of modern date were revealed in trenches 4 and 5 along with services trenches. Made ground was revealed in trench 6 to depth of 1.7m+ below ground level and confirmed the presence of a pond, recorded on the 1838 Tonbridge Tithe Map." The archaeological evaluation concluded that a number of layers could be associated with the construction of The Fosse medieval defences.

On the finds, the report states: " Pottery - pottery provides the primary dating evidence for ths ite. Of the 18 sherds recovered, 15 are medieval and three post-medieval or modern…Medieval sherds occur in three identifiable ware types, shelly, sandy/shelly, and sandy wares. None of the sherds are diagnostic. The shelly ware (one sherd from context 308) is potentially the earliest; shelly wares have a date range of c 1050-1225 in north and west Kent…This was recovered along with a sherd of coarse redware dated to the post-medieval period accordingly it is possible that the earlier sherd is residual. It is also possible that the later sherd is intrusive, relating to modern disturbance from the construction o modern services observed in trench 3.
Sandy/shelly wares are the most common represented here (11 sherds) these are comparable to products of the putative production centre at Ashford (Potters Corner) which have a date range of c 1175-1300…The sandy wares (three sherds) are in a range of coarseness and almost certainly represent the products of more than one source; they have a broad potential date range of late 12th to 14th century. The post-medieval/modern wares comprise two coarse redwares recovered from context 305, possibly the remnants of topsoil in trench 3 and from context 308 as detailed above. One refined whiteware was collected from context 402, the fill of the narrow linear feature.
Slag- a small quantity of slag was recovered; this all derives from ironworking and includes at least one identifable fragment of smithing hearth bottom…The slag occurred in contexts dated by pottery as both medieval and post-medieval.
Other finds include small quantities of animal bone (cattle and sheep/goat), ceramic building material (medieval and post-medieval roof tike), metal (small piece of copper alloy wire and an iron ring, both of unknown date and function), a clay pipe stem and two oyster shells." (1)

<1> Wessex Archaeology, 2010, Land to the Rear of 182 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE31439.