Archaeological Watching Brief. 3 Bubblestone Road, Otford, Kent

The watching brief comprised the archaeological observation of the groundwork contractor's site clearance and excavation of foundation trenches for the building extension to the rear of the house. The trenches measured 10m x 3.5m long and 1.0-1.5m deep. The site was located within the Scheduled curtilage of Otford Medieval Palace and specifically over the infilled western arm of its moat. A sequence of made-ground deposits of varying nature was encountered within the monitored trenches, to a construction depth of 1.0-1.5m. These deposits were all of probable later post-medieval to modern date. The full extents of these deposits were not established and they evidently continued beyond the extents of the extension footprint. It is highly probable that the recorded deposits constituted infill and consolidation of the upper part of the former palace moat. It is presumed that the moat edges lay outside the extension footprint, to the east and west. It is possible that more significant moat fills of earlier date (medieval and Tudor) were present at greater depth than was possible to investigate as part of these works