West of Sittingbourne Road, Boxley, Kent - Post Excavation Assessment Report

As part of an extensive programme of archaeological investigation carried out in advance of the construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), the Oxford Archaeological Unit were commissioned by Union Railways (South) Limited to undertake a watching brief on earthmoving operations between Pilgrims Way and Lenham Heath in Kent. As part of this work a medieval sub-circular ditched enclosure was investigated at West of Sittingbourne Road. Although the features were heavily truncated by archaeologically unsupervised machine stripping in the south-west quadrant of the enclosure, the investigation revealed the remnants of an entrance and three pits, two within the enclosure and one without. All contained 11th-13th century pottery and small assemblages of animal bones and oyster shells. Subsoil stripping was rapidly halted and the remainder of the enclosure fenced to prevent further damage. The undamaged part of the site will be preserved outside the permanent railway fenceline.