Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Several ring ditches, linear ditched features and pits are visible as cropmarks in fields immediately E of Fordwich on 1980s aerial photographs. Although undated, The features probably represent remains of later prehistoric activity.

Monument Types

• PIT (Later Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
• PIT CLUSTER (Later Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
• RING DITCH (Later Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
• LINEAR EARTHWORK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

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Several ring ditches, linear features and pits are visible as cropmarks in fields immediately east of Fordwich on 1980s RCHME oblique aerial photographs [1-2]. Interpretation of the features is hampered by the fact that most are only partially visible; cropmarks showing only in very small sections of the field with the remainder of it apparently being not conducive to cropmark production.

Features comprise a large ring ditch, two smaller ring ditches, two groups of pits and two linear ditches. Most features lie in a cluster at the westernmost end of the recorded extent. The large ring ditch is 28m in diameter and a single pit lies within its interior. One of the smaller ring ditches, 12m in diameter and visible as partial circuit, lies immediately to its east. The east side of the large ring ditch is crossed by a linear ditch, visible running for c. 70m and aligned approximately N-S. The relationship between these two features is unclear. A cluster of at least 10 pits lie 30m northwest of the large ring ditch. The other pit group is more diffuse, it lies c.15m NNE of the large ring ditch and consist of 9 pits spread out over an area measuring 20x25m. The linear ditch also crosses though this group but does not appear to intersect any pit features.

The remaining features lie at some distance from this cluster of cropmarks; a ring ditch, c. 10m in diameter and 3/4 of circuit visible, lies 115m to the southwest and a linear ditch, visible for c.30m aligned and approximately NNW-SSE, lies 170m to the east.

These have been interpreted as remains of later prehistoric activity, settlement activity within the site may also be suggested by the presence of pit clusters. The ring ditch may represent the plough-levelled remains of a round barrow. They may represent a continuation of the activity recorded from cropmarks to the south west of Fordwich (MWX43016, TR 15 NE 152). NOTE: the pits listed as MWX43016 have since been identified as features related to WWII military training.

The linear ditch that crosses the large ring ditch may be a relatively recent boundary feature as it is on a similar to alignment to the present field layout. It has however, not been mapped on any of the historic and modern Ordnance Survey mapping of the area.

A transcription of the features recorded from aerial photography exists within a GIS layer held by this HER [3].

<3> Wessex Archaeology, 2009-10, South-East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - Aerial Photographic Transcriptions (Digital archive). SWX15705.

<3> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - (SE RCZAS) Phase 1: National Mapping Programme Report (Unpublished document). SKE25955.

<3> Cornwall Council Historic Environment Projects and Gloucestershire County Council, 2011, South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Components 1&2: Results of NMP Mapping (Unpublished document). SKE25954.

Sources and further reading