In 2015 an archaeological excavation on land at Hermitage Lane found evidence of late iron age to Roman period activity. The feautres represented evolving field systems, a possible droveway and another enclosure possibly suggesting settlement.

Period 2 within the report describes the Middle Iron Age to Late Iron Age/Early Roman Period - c.BC400 to AD100. It had 3 phases.

Phase 1 : "The Middle Iron Age to Late Iron Age/Early Roman period is represented
by the creation of a field system (FS1), consisting of 2 ditches, (GP3) and (GP5). Ditch (GP5) was 30 metres long and yielded no datable material during the excavation but did produce a partially complete necked jar dated from the Middle Iron Age to Late Iron Age. Its south-north alignment suggests it may be associated with east-west field boundary ditch (GP3), which is stratigraphically later than (ENC1) but earlier than ditches (GP7), (GP8) and (GP9). This ditch (GP3) produced one small assemblage of 1st
century AD pottery and two pieces of flint, most likely residual." (2)


Period 2: Phase 2 :
A new field system (FS2) seems to come into use, represented by one northwest-southeast oriented ditch, (GP4), and two north-south ditches, (GP7) and (GP8). These last two ditches run parallel to each other and are about 5 metres apart, probably forming a droveway. Towards the northern
end of this the two ditches are broader and shallower (for c 6 metres), indicating possible entrance ways into the fields on either side. Ditch (GP7) peters out after about 40 metres and is not visible in the southernmost part of the site.

4.7.2.2 In the south-western area of the site, a group of postholes (GP1) and a pit (GP2) have been identified as a possible structure (ST1). The structure would have been rectangular in shape and about 5 x 2.5 metres. The pit (GP2), immediately south-east of this structure produced a fair amount of
pottery dated to the Late Iron Age and Early Roman period; It also contained a significant burnt layer containing charcoal (and evidence of insitu burning), animal bone and fired clay, as well as a copper strap union (see Registered Find section 5.7) in its primary fill. The copper strap union is part of a horse harness and may have been deliberately deposited at the bottom of the pit. It is not certain whether the pit is directly associated with some kind of activity taking place within the structure. The structure may have been some kind of animal pen.

4.7.2.3 In the north-eastern area of the site, enclosure (ENC2), consisting of one curving ditch (GP11) approximately 50 metres long came into use. It is oriented north-south and turns west before terminating. A fairly significant pottery assemblage was recovered from the ditch which is mostly dated to the 1st Century AD. It is possible the enclosure lies close to a settlement since there was more pottery in it than in any other feature on the site and it also contained a fragmented briquetage pedestal base. Salt-processing is quite uncommon, though not unheard of, on inland located sites.

4.7.2.4 No features or structures were identified within the enclosure which might be due to the whole northern part of the site having been badly damaged by ploughing and the location of an orchard; tree throws containing modern finds were present and would have destroyed any evidence of archaeology where present.

4.7.2.5 (ENC2) is one of the most significant features on site, with a depth varying between 0.32 and 0.67m. Considering the degree of truncation in this part of the site, the ditch must originally have formed a fairly substantial barrier. The lack of features within the enclosure might also be explained by the typically ephemeral character of IA structures, such as roundhouses or other dwellings that do not have deep foundations. It has been proven that ploughing, especially, causes horizontal truncation and can obliterate shallower features such as postholes and stakeholes very easily. The other ditches excavated on site were fairly shallow (between 0.10 and 0.30m deep), as a result of probable horizontal truncation.

4.7.2.6 Several pit clusters to the south of the enclosure, (GP19), (GP14), (GP13)
and (GP16) offer very little dating evidence and are only tentatively
included to this phase. Their function remains unclear: they could be refuse
pits associated with the field system (FS2) or the enclosure (ENC2) as
most pits are situated outside the enclosure.

4.7.2.7 A few pits [1023], [1040], [1048], [1068], [1084] and [1154] contained
evidence of burning, possibly in situ. Pit [1154] contained a significant
amount of charcoal and human cremated bone belonging to the skull and
lower limbs of an unsexed adult. An excavation that took place in 2011 at
the Aylesford Reservoir (Figure 1) also revealed two pits dated to the
Middle to Late Iron Age with evidence of burning, although their function
was not identified. The presence of cremated human bone in one pit for
certain and possibly in another two is also quite interesting. The nearby
presence of a Late Iron Age cremation cemetery at Aylesford (c 4km to the
north) and the presence of cremation burials at the Old Hermitage suggest
that there might be a link between the pits and these two sites, although
this remains a hypothesis.


Phase 3:
"A roughly oriented north-south ditch (GP9) perhaps representing a new
field system (FS3) marks phase 3. It is slightly curved and is
stratigraphically later than (FS1) and (FS2). Very few finds were recovered.
There is no further evidence for occupation of the site after the 1st Century
AD and until the post-medieval period."

<2> Archaeology South-East, 2016, POST-EXCAVATION ASSESSMENT AND UPDATED PROJECT DESIGN REPORT, LAND OFF HERMITAGE LANE, MAIDSTONE, KENT (Unpublished document). SKE31679.