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Monument details

HER Number:TR 15 NE 23
Type of record:Monument
Name:Iron age ditch, Trenley Park Woods

Summary

A ditch forming three sides of a square open to the west, the fill containing Belgic pottery dated to AD 20-45, was noted in gravel pit and quarry. Ash, burnt daub, calcined flints and Belgic pottery suggest settlement destroyed by fire.

Grid Reference:TR 1870 5922
Map Sheet:TR15NE
Parish:FORDWICH, CANTERBURY, KENT

Monument Types

  • DITCH (DITCH, Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Early Iron Age to Roman - 800 BC to 43 AD)

Full description

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[Area. TR 18455815 (3)] A V-shaped ditch, 3 ft deep and 6 ft wide average, was traced for 125 ft in Robert Brett's gravel pit at Trenley Park Woods, Stodmarsh Road, Canterbury. It lay NE-SE, turned at right angles at the latter end, and is known to have extended to an adjacent quarry where a patch of ash and burnt daub about 12 ft square was found previously, associated with Belgic pottery. Both the bottom and top infilling of the ditch contained Belgic pottery dated A.D. 20-45 without an admixture of Roman pottery, and this, with many pieces of burnt daub and calcined flints, suggests settlement here which was destroyed by fire just prior to the Claudian invasion. (1-3) The ditch formed roughly three sides of a square, open to the W, centred at TR 18705922 (a) The two quarries have been partially filled in, and the ground has reverted to agricultural land. (4)

A linear feature (MWX43057) recorded from aerial photographs 40m to the west may be part of the same enclosure system.


<1> Arch. Cant. 70, 1956, 247 (F. Jenkins) (OS Card Reference). SKE36945.

<2> Arch. Cant. 72, 1958, 197-8 (F. Jenkins) (OS Card Reference). SKE36946.

<3> Corr 6" (F. Jenkins 12.05.52) (OS Card Reference). SKE39268.

<4> F1 ASP 05-FEB-65 (OS Card Reference). SKE41940.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
<1>XYOS Card Reference: Arch. Cant. 70, 1956, 247 (F. Jenkins). [Mapped feature: #43384 enclosure, ]
<2>OS Card Reference: Arch. Cant. 72, 1958, 197-8 (F. Jenkins).
<3>OS Card Reference: Corr 6" (F. Jenkins 12.05.52).
<4>OS Card Reference: F1 ASP 05-FEB-65.

Related records

MWX43057Part of: Later Prehistoric linear feature on Christ Church College playing field, Fordwich (Monument)