Monument record TQ 67 SE 260 - Middle pond (possible fishpond), Randall's Manor

A wide depression discovered during field survey works in 2002, possibly indicating further fishpond earthworks relating to Randall's Manor (TQ 67 SE 22) [1]

Fish pond, Not visible on 1st or 2nd edition Ordnance Survey map. Recorded during 2024 Kent Downs National Landscape Historic Ponds project.
Preservation:Pond on historic maps but not visible on current OS (ghost pond)
Pond shape:Irregular
Site type: Fish pond
Description: Pond can be seen on Lidar but not on mapCleared in trees
Recorded date: 09/09/2024 (2)

A hand auger survey was carried out at the site in 2024 by Archaeology South East to identify the deposit sequence and characterise the palaeoenvironment at the site. Two auger holes were drilled, one in the base of the pond and one in the bank. The auger drilled into the bank reached a depth of 0.49m below ground level due to an obstruction. This auger identified a sequence of friable sandy silt with charcoal flecks which contained some charred plant remains including cereal grains; this was capped by a modern woodland land surface. The auger drilled into the base of the pond identified a sequence of four alluvial pond fills comprising silty clays showing signs of oxidisation indicating repeated drying out events and subsequent refilling of the pond taking place. (3)

<1> Oxford Archaeology, March 2002, Randall's Wood, Shorne, Kent: Walkover Survey (Unpublished document). SWX12853.

<2> Kent Downs AONB Unit, 2025, Historic Ponds Project dataset (Digital archive). SKE58454.

<3> Archaeology South-East, 2025, A Geoarchaeological and Palaeoenvironmental Study on the Randall Manor Ponds, Shorne Woods Country Park: Final Report (Unpublished document). SKE58744.