Time Team - Highborough Hill, Eastry Court and Envrions, Eastry, Kent - Assessment of the Results from the Archaeological Evaluation

Wessex Archaeology

The geophysical survey and subsequent excavation in the village failed to find any evidence for features or deposits that might be associated with the postulated Anglo- Saxon palace or settlement. Settlement evidence of this date is difficult to locate archaeologically and it is possible that the remains of Anglo-Saxon structures may lie below extant buildings.

No further Anglo-Saxon graves were found in the village, either in the same gardens or adjacent to those in which burials have been found. This may suggest that the wealthy burials from the village locations were singletons, however, it is also possible that the evaluation trenches fortuitously fell between gaps in rows or groups of graves.

Although some residual material of prehistoric, Romano-British and Anglo-Saxon date was recovered from Highborough Hill, no in situ features or deposits related to these periods were revealed either in the geophysical survey or evaluation trenches. The reason for the recovery of so many fragments of Anglo-Saxon metalwork from across the area over the past decade is uncertain. Although no traces of Anglo-Saxon graves were found on the hill, the few artefacts of this date recovered – fragments of a glass cone beaker and cruciform brooch - could have derived originally from burial contexts, the location of which remains unknown.

The majority of features excavated at Highborough Hill appear to be medieval (13th – 14th century) in origin, probably extending into the early post-medieval period. Many of the features – hollow-way, refuse/cess pits, ditches and gullies - probably pertain to the windmill which was situated at the summit of the hill.