Monument record TR 24 NW 265 - Roman occupation features, Lydden Hill Race Circuit, Wootton

Roman ditches and pits were excavated during an evaluation carried out at Lydden Hill Race Circuit, Wootton in 2020. These features are located along the projected route of the Watling Street Roman road; although no evidence for the road was identified during the evaluation, the features may represent roadside ditches, and could have formed part of a Roman roadside settlement. A cremation burial was also identified during the evaluation.

Artefacts recovered from the fills of the features including a large pottery assemblage, a small assemblage of animal bone, two possible blades, nails, fired clay (some fragments with wattle impressions), and fragment of quernstone, indicated that occupation-related activity probably took place at the site during the 1st-3rd centuries AD. This interpretation was reinforced by the discovery of half a joiner's dog and several large nails which may have been associated with the construction of a wooden building at the site. A small assemblage of slag probably related to small-scale smithing activity was also recovered during excavations.

Earlier features comprising a gully and two pits (TR 24 NW 266) were identified to the north west which could represent prehistoric activity pre-dating Roman occupation at the site. (1)

<1> TVAS South, 2021, Lydden Hill Race Circuit, Wootton, Kent, Archaeological Evaluation (Unpublished document). SKE57392.