Perry Court Faversham Kent

Oxford Archaeology (OA) were commissioned by Orion Heritage on behalf of Hallam
Land Management to undertake an evaluation of the site of a proposed
housing/mixed use development at Perry Court, Faversham, (centred on TR 01148
60011).
The work consisted of 47 trenches excavated between 14th September and 4th
October 2016. The features show some correlation to the geophysical survey
results, particularly in Trenches 24, 35, 46 and 47 and possibly Trench 13, but many
features were not detected prior to trenching. This may be related to the variable
underlying geological deposits and/or the ephemeral nature of some of the features.
Evidence was found for activity from two main periods, the middle to late Bronze
Age and the late Iron Age to early Roman periods.
The evaluation demonstrated the presence of archaeological remains in 26 out of
the 47 trenches excavated and investigated. The majority of features recorded were
linear features (18 and 3 probable furrows or broad ditches), along with pits (11),
four possible stony boundary features, two quarry features and a deposit spread.
Only 11 features could be provisionally dated in this investigation.
One feature in Trench 8 was dated to the middle to late Bronze Age, and a
deposit/spread in Trench 15 might be of a broad late Prehistoric date. It is difficult to
characterise any middle to late Bronze Age activity based on the single feature but it
may not exist in isolation.
A further nine features were dated to the late Iron Age to early Roman period.
Features were uncovered in Trenches 12, 33, 35, 37, 41, 46 and 47. All were linear
in form except the small pit in Trench 12. The majority of the linear features may be
small boundaries for fields of this period, which seem to be concentrated around
Trenches 33, 35 and 37. Other linear features may be of the same date but
produced no artefacts to confirm this.
In the south-western part of the site the linear features in Trenches 46 and 47
demonstrated two probable phases of activity, one ditch being re-cut. The features
correlated closely with features seen in the geophysical survey. The survey
suggests a rectilinear subdivided feature that measures 46m by 80m. Whether this
is structural or an enclosure with rubbish being discarded into open features is
unclear. The finds suggest a settlement of relatively high status possibly with a wide
range of associated activities.
The quantity of Roman remains recorded within the study area should be viewed in
the context of the locality of Watling Street, to the north, with its related settlements,
villas and a possible harbour to the north. The focus within the investigation area
appears to have been the features seen in the south-west around Trenches 46 and
47.