Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Soilmark and earthwork traces of a large sub-circular bivallate enclosure likely to be an Iron Age promontory fort can be seen on aerial photographs. Iron Age potsherds found in 1973 prompting speculation that a promontory fort may have existed. This is now confirmed by the aerial photographs.

Monument Types

• PROMONTORY FORT? (PROMONTORY FORT, Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Early Iron Age - 800 BC to 401 BC)

Full description

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Early Iron Age pottery was recently found stratified in the topsoil overlying the quarry face at TR 18923812 and it was suggested by Bradshaw that the site may be that of a promontory fort isolated on the NE by bank and ditch. Examination of AP's however, failed to reveal any such fortifications in the heavily ploughed area suggested. (1) TR 18923812. Coarse flint-gritted sherds were discovered at the top centre of the large chalk quarry visible on the left side of the A28 trunk road approaching Folkestone from London. These were found by Mr R Cross in the "overlay" which had been pushed down by bulldozing from the top and a search of the summit showed the same types stratified "in situ". The owner of the quarry and the farmer whose land adjoins the site, have given permission for any work needed in establishing the nature of the site, to be carried out. The Ordnance Survey and the National Monuments Record are unable to find evidence of a ditch or ditches on their aerial photographs to indicate the remains of a promontory camp. However, the pottery is similar in forms and texture to that found on other Early Iron Age sites. (2)

More recent aerial photos (2003, 2005/6 and 2008) plus Google Earth images of 2007 clearly show ditches to the northeast encircling the promontory, describing an arc c.280m for the outermost and c.240m for the inner.(3-4)

RPS Clouston, 1994, Folkestone & Dover Water services: Bluehouse to Cherry Garden Trunk Main (Unpublished document). SKe6910.

<1> Letter (J Bradshaw 22.5.73) (OS Card Reference). SKE46039.

<2> Arch Cant 88 1973 216 (J Bradshaw) (OS Card Reference). SKE35942.

<3> RPS Clouston, 1994, Folkestone & Dover Water services: Bluehouse to Cherry Garden Trunk Main (Unpublished document). SKE6910.

<4> Oblique aerial photograph reference number (Photograph). SKE54531.

Sources and further reading