Down House, Downe, Bromley

On 11th May 2009, Oxford Archaeology carried out an archaeological watching brief at Down House, Downe, Bromley, Kent (TQ 431 611) during the reordering of the
outside seating area, specifically the excavation of a foundation pit for a parasol.
The watching brief revealed remains associated with the garden or yard to the rear of the house. These comprise a sequence of levelling layers and a gravel surface,
most likely a yard surface. A drain pipe beneath the surface is likely to be contemporary with it. The area had subsequently been used as a garden, with a garden soil being deposited over the gravel surface, before the modern paved surface was laid down. Unfortunately, no artefacts were recovered that might help to date the deposits and enable this sequence to be directly correlated with phases in the development of the house and its grounds.