Following a series of six watching briefs and excavations carried out between 1997 and 2013 an early Medieval field system was identified. A series of ditches form field division boundaries, enclosures and a droveway. Areas which appear to represent poaching from livestock trampling support the hypothesis that these were livestock related field systems.

The homogenous nature of the early Medieval pottery assemblage suggests a short but intense occupation period between c.1175-1225. The lack of regional and foreign imports, although quite typical of the area, may suggest a low class household. Combined with the lack of jugs on the site, and the abundance of cooking and utilitarian vessels, it is suggested the domestic occupation of the area near site was of a lower class household. The vast majority of pottery was recovered from ditches, with only four sherds being retrieved from surrounding pits.

The pottery assemblage is of interest as on the whole it represents a clean, uncontaminated, group of the early 12th to early 13th Century. There was a notable dominance by the sandy-shelly wares and general lack of fabric diversity represented. Only 5 different fabrics were represented. The main fabric groups were compared to the Brisley Farm finds, and this assemblage adds significant data to the Brisley Farm assemblage.

A total of 789 sherds from later 12th-early/mid 13th Centuries (13,360g) were recovered from the site. The sherds, estimated to account for 91 individual vessels, came from ditches, with only a small number being recovered from pits.

By far the most abundant type is SS1 (Medium sand with common/moderate shell inclusions). A total of 738 sherds were recovered of this type (12,935g). The fabric may represent products of Potter’s Corner from the Potter’s Kiln at Ashford. The main vessel types were cooking pots, bowls, frying pans, pitchers/jugs and roof ventilators. The most abundant vessel types were the cooking bowls.

The second most abundant fabric type was SS2 (medium sand with abundant shell inclusions). A total of 42 sherds (292g) representing two vessels, both cooking pots, were of this type.
The other three fabric types were represented by a total of 9 sherds. These were GS1, Q1 and Q2 and the notable vessels were cooking pots and green glazed jugs. All lie in the date range of 12th-13th Century.

The focus of occupation on this site is estimated at between c.1175 and c.1225, with some activity in the mid-13th century. The utilitarian objects, and lack of foreign or regional wares indicates a lower status household. (1)

Note: the above report does not accurately detail the location of finds geographically and therefore only the monuments for the ditches have been used to demonstrate the general location of pottery finds.

<1> Archaeology South-East, 2014, Final Archaeological report. Charing Quarry, Hook Lane, Charing, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE31253.