Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Excavations in 1911 recorded the remains of a ploughed out barrow. Associated with this were nine crouched prehistoric inhumations and nine Anglo-Saxon inhumations (see TR 36 NE 12). Further work in 1970-74, suggested there were in fact three Bronze Age barrows, including one with double concentric ditches and 11 prehistoric burials in total. A fourth barrow to the west was found in 2009.

In 2015 part of the two concentric ring ditches of the multi-phase Bronze Age round barrow were exposed and sampled.

Monument Types

• BARROW (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• BURIAL (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• CROUCHED INHUMATION (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)

Associated Finds

• HUMAN REMAINS (Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2350 BC to 42 AD)
• VESSEL (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• (Early Bronze Age to Middle Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 1501 BC)
• (Early Bronze Age to Middle Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 1501 BC)
• COLLARED URN (Early Bronze Age to Middle Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 1501 BC)
• FLAKE (Early Bronze Age to Middle Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 1501 BC)

Full description

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[TR 39456710]. In October 1911 at Valetta House, Broadstairs, 9 Late Bronze Age crouched burials were discovered around the inner of two concentric circular trenches, the larger about 82 ft. in diameter. Some questionable flint implements and a broken cinerary urn were also found. (1) Valetta House is now a school and there is no record of any subsequent discoveries. The present whereabouts of the cinerary urn and the flint implements was not ascertained. (2) Aerial photography has revealed the distinct ring ditch of a tumulus, within the ground of Bradstow School. (3). Field Monument report (4). Further excavation work took place on the site between 1970-1974. See TR 36 NE 12. The work revealed a large Anglo saxon cemetery, sited around three Bronze Age barrows. It is also of note that the initial discovery of the Anglo-saxon cemetery in 1910, revealed two crouched burials of possible Bronze Age date (see 5). Evaluation work in 2003 at the school revealed the possible edge to a barrow ditch. As the feature was not dated during the evaluation, it is also possible that it may be the edge of a late chalk quarry. The feature recorded in the 2003 evaluation could be part of the eastern barrow. A total of eleven prehistoric burials have been associated with the three barrows as a result of the work in 1910, 1911 and 1970-74. In a post medieval linear recorded during the evaluation two possible worked flints were also recorded (5). See also cropmark evidence from the area (TR 36 NE 226). A watching brief in 2004 re-observed the edge of the barrow or chalk quarry recorded during the evaluation. No new dating evidence was recovered, although the report does point out that if the feature is a chalk quarry pit, it is likely to have truncated away any the rest of the eastern barrow (6).

In 2009 an evaluation was carried out on the proposed swimming pool site, to the west of the earlier discoveries. A ring ditch was found of a barrow c.19m in diameter. This brings the number of known Bronze Age barrows to four. (7)

In 2009 the southern half of the fourth barrow was excavated by the Trust for Thanet Archaeology. The ring ditch was c.19m in diameter. The ditch had naturally silted over a long period. A layer of flints was found and disarticulated human remains were found within this. This deposit could indicate a clearance of the ditch, though not to its full original depth. The upper deposits of the ditch were filled with material derived from the ploughing down of the barrow, perhaps occurring from as early as the Iron Age. Two prehistoric graves were located, one within the area enclosed by the ditch and the other outside of it. The grave outside of the ring ditch was a crouched inhumation and poorly preserved. A vessel had been placed by the head of one. It is possible that one of the graves originally had some form of structure within it, that later decayed and collapsed. The second grave contained no surviving human remains but was of similar form to the first grave, and so was probably also a crouched inhumation. (8-9)

In 2015 part of the two concentric ring ditches of the multi-phase Bronze Age round barrow were exposed and sampled during excavations by the Trust for Thanet Archaeology for a service trench. A platform between the outer and inner ring ditches was also exposed, suggesting deliberate emphaisis of the outer perimeter of the inner ditch. Evidence for a platform is currently limited to the exposed section within the service trench and easement. No evidence from previous excavation confirm whether the platform is present around the full perimeter of the ring ditch. It is noted that existing publications may present mis-plotted data as attemptems to reconcile existing drawn plans from previous work with the present georefereced survey demonstrate some major anomolies. (10)

The Trust for Thanet Archaeology published an interim report in August 2015 on the excavations along the service trench at Bradstow School. The report states for this section of ground:
"The Bronze Age ring ditches, some graves and also some of the Anglo-Saxon graves encountered by
Howard Hurd in 1910 and the British Museum excavations in the 1980’s were re-exposed. In the
area to the east of the ring ditches a single backfilled grave cut, previously explored by the British
Museum excavation was encountered. As the grave was to be partly destroyed by cutting the
pipe trench, the eastern end was sampled and profiles were drawn. The fill deposit was
entirely composed of modern backfill material. The area of investigation crossed the eastern
limit of the outer ring ditch, where the deposits filling the ring ditch had not previously been
sampled, although a feature filled with modern backfill had penetrated the deposits.

A section was excavated through the ring ditch and an adjacent pit, which had previously featured
on the plan produced by the BM but had not been sampled.

It was possible to demonstrate that the pit on the eastern edge of the ring ditch was stratigraphically
later than the ring ditch and had in turn been cut by the feature backfilled with modern debris.
Later analysis of the published plans showed that this backfilled feature was a grave previously
emptied in the BM excavation phase. On the western side of the outer ditch a flat platform had been
cut into the chalk geology, following the circuit of the narrower inner ditch. It is not yet clear
whether the inner platform is a historic feature of the product of later intrusion into the site,
however it does appear to follow the circuit of the ring ditch. One possibility is that the platform is a
remnant of a the circuit of another ring ditch from a different phase in the evolution of the
monument, a phenomenon observed in excavations at North Foreland, Broadstairs and Lord of the
Manor Ramsgate, as well as in previous excavations at Bradstow School.

Two segments were excavated through the eastern and western sides inner ring ditch of the feature
that Hurd investigated in 1910 where the trench had exposed parts of the circuit. The segments
demonstrated that the inner ditch had an unusual steep V shaped profile with a very narrow base,
quite unlike the broad, flat bottomed ditches that have previously been encountered in ring ditch
circuits.
This profile had previously been recorded by Howard Hurd and his observation has been confirmed
by the present excavation. It is possible that the inner ditch represents another evolutionary stage of
the monument, perhaps representing a ditch for a palisade of timber posts creating an inner
enclosure.
A further segment was excavated through the western side of the outer ring ditch, which had also
been truncated on the western edge by a later feature, probably a grave of the Anglo-Saxon
cemetery phase.
Further along the trench toward the junction with the hard standing of the car park, small elements
of cut features intruded into the edge of the trench. No further excavation was carried out on these
as they were not threatened by the excavation of the 0.6m service trench.

Preliminary conclusions
1. The excavation of the service trench did provide a sample of some previously unrecognised
features which will contribute to understanding the way that the land on the chalk
downland hill top was used by prehistoric and Anglo-Saxon people.

2. No further burials were encountered within the area of the excavations, however the
archaeological work carried out may be able to provide better information for the future
about areas where there is some potential still for unexplored burials to remain in place.

3. Preliminary attempts to reconcile existing drawn plans of previous archaeological work with
the present georeferenced survey data show some major anomalies. A working plan of the
site which has been published using existing data can not be reconciled to the modern
survey. Preliminary manipulation of the survey and plans suggest there is a substantial
rotation error in the plan and that elements of Hurd’s original plan have been mis-plotted.
The reconciliation of the existing survey data and plans will make a substantial contribution
to understanding the excavations that have been carried out at Bradstow School over the
last century.

4. Synthesising the data gathered in the current excavation with the previous investigation will
demonstrate that the archaeological investigations at Bradstow School and on surrounding
sites demonstrate that the site is of regional and even national significance. The conclusions
should prompt a re-examination of previous excavations and the conclusions of earlier
research to produce a new analysis of the development of the archaeology of the site." (11)

<1> Some notes on recent archaeological discoveries at Broadstairs (1913) 18-21 (plan) (H. Hurd) (OS Card Reference). SKE49509.

<2> F1 CFW 27-NOV-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42786.

<3> Arch. Cant. 79, 1964, lx (D.G. Scurrell) (OS Card Reference). SKE37062.

<4> Field report for monument TR 36 NE 13 - November, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6156.

<5> Canterbury Archaeological trust, 2003, Archaeological Evaluation Report: Bradstow School, Broadstairs (Unpublished document). SKE12812.

<6> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2004, An Archaeological watching brief at Bradstow School, Dumpton Park Drive, Broadstairs, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE12568.

<7> Trust for Thanet Archaeology, 2009, Bradstow School, 34 Dumpton Park drive, Broadstairs, Kent: Archaeological Evaluation Report (Unpublished document). SKE17926.

<8> Trust for Thanet Archaeology, 2009, Bradstow School, 34 Dumpton Park Drive, Broadstairs, Kent: Interim Archaeological Report (Unpublished document). SKE17932.

<9> Trust for Thanet Archaeology, 2009, Bradstow School, 34 Dumpton Park Drive, Broadstairs, Kent: Archaeological Assessment Report (Unpublished document). SKE24842.

<10> Trust for Thanet Archaeology, 2015, Archaeological Excavation Report: Service Trench, Bradstow School, 34 Dumpton Park Drive, Broadstairs, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE31557.

<11> Trust for Thanet Archaeology, 2015, Interim update on Archaeological investigation on route of service trench at Bradstow School Broadstairs (Unpublished document). SKE31581.

Sources and further reading