Monument record TR 13 NW 64 - East Stour Diversion

An archaeological field evaluation of land at the East Stour diversion, Barrowhill, near Sellindge, Kent was undertaken by the Canterbury Archaeological Trust (CAT), between 12th and 20th Febuary 1999. This formed part of a programme of archaeological investigations commissioned by Union Railways (South) Limited (URS) along the route of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL).

The area under investigation was located to the north of the existing London to Folkestone railway, and south of the M20 motorway. It was bounded to the east by open farmland and to the west by woodland.

A total of six trenches was excavated and no archaeological features were identified.

A feature located in the most easterly of the trenches was identified as part of the old course of the East Stour river which had been filled in during the construction of the present motorway. Further instruction of this feature revealed the remains of at least three more archaic stages to this river course, dating from the late post-medieval period.

A sequence of alluvium was identified in one trench. These deposits remain undated but are thought to represent flood-plain materials associated with a previous course of the East Stour(1). Further work in this trench was conducted by Wessex Archaeology and suggested that this archaic river course may be prehistoric(2).

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1999, Archaeological Evaluation Report. East Stour Diversion, Barrowhill, Sellindge. (Unpublished document). SKE6892.

<2> Wessex Archaeology, 1999, Channel Tunnel Rail Link: East Stour Diversion (Unpublished document). SKE6893.