Survey undertaken under the direction of C Currie of CKCA, as part of the Community Archaeology Project, for SCC and SyAS, to assess whether the study area should be designated as an ASHLV. Both documentary research and fieldwork added greatly to existing knowledge and confirmed the reports of later 19th century antiquarians who had identified extensive prehistoric and Roman activity in the area.

Evaluation by S Reynish of COT revealed a number of ditches and a possible pit or tree-throw hollow. The larger ditches were aligned parallel to existing field boundaries, which could suggest these are former field boundaries, with the smaller ditches as internal drainage gullies or enclosures. For the most part these features remained undated, and the only find recovered – a Late Iron Age or Romano-British loomweight fragment – was considered to be residual.

Magnetometer survey by A and D Graham of SyAS revealed two possible tile kilns, lying parallel, although slightly offset to each other and both measuring c 7m long. (Bulletin 450)

Watching brief by A Macintosh of CAT (Canterbury Archaeological Trust) revealed a single, broad ditch of possible Roman date. During these works, the exposed walls and sunken area within Room O of the nearby Roman villa were protected by covering with inert sand, a geotextile membrane and topsoil, to a total depth of 0.5m.

Evaluation by G Webster of ASE revealed six ditches, two pits, and an irregular deposit. One of the ditches contained medieval pottery, another Late Iron Age pottery, which was considered to be residual; all the features and the irregular deposit contained slag, which suggests the presence of a medieval metalworking site in the vicinity. A subsequent strip, map and sample identified three phases of activity on the site. The earliest evidence dates from the Late Iron Age/early Roman period, with linear features representing a field system and a potential routeway.

Watching brief by J Condliffe of WA. To the east of Whitehill Lane, a series of eleven postholes on an east–west alignment associated with a large quantity of ceramic building material was identified. This north-west corner of the field is shown on OS maps up to 1897 as being a brick quarry and the posthole alignment probably indicates the line of the boundary fence that surrounded it. To the west of Whitehill Lane, a pit cut by a large posthole was revealed. Each feature contained two sherds of highly abraded Iron Age pottery.

Evaluation by J Pine of TVAS revealed two ditches, one undated and the other tentatively dated to the Roman period. A number of trenches were targeted over cropmarks, but no features that correlated with the cropmarks were revealed.

Evaluation and excavation by C Ellis of COT followed initial evaluation of the site by AOC in 2006 (SyAC 94, 368). The work revealed that large parts of the site had been subject to extensive modern disturbance but excavation in two areas revealed evidence of activity from the Mesolithic, Neolithic/Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman, medieval and post-medieval periods. The Mesolithic was represented by residual worked flint artefacts from later features.

Watching brief by I Howell of MOLA, following previous work in 2010 and 2011 (SyAC 97, 206–7; 98, 248–9), revealed evidence for Roman occupation including a group of Roman pottery containing large unabraded sherds and a fragment of a stamped mortarium.