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.

Excavation by A Margetts of ASE, following on from contiguous work in 2012, revealed continuing evidence of Middle/Late Iron Age and Late Iron Age/Romano-British activity. Further medieval and post-medieval evidence was recorded, mainly comprising field systems. Results from the site show that prehistoric, Romano-British and medieval settlement in the area developed and extended in close proximity to arterial waterways such as the Burstow stream where fertile land, with both riverine and forest habitat resources, clearly presented an attractive proposition to ancient settlers.

Evaluation and subsequent excavation by W Weller of SCAU produced residual Mesolithic and Neolithic flintwork and a potential Bronze Age ditch terminal. An intensive period of activity began in the Middle Iron Age and extended into the early 2nd century AD, with a series of boundary or enclosure ditches and pits dominating the excavated area. The ditches may have formed a rectangular enclosure or field boundaries associated with a central domestic enclosure of a previously, partially recorded farmstead.

Evaluation by A Taylor of TVAS identified a single ditch at the western end of the site dating to the Late Iron Age/Early Roman period, which could possibly be related to the first phase of the Scheduled villa complex to the west of the site (a ‘pre-villa phase’).