The Redwood Centre, Holwood Estate, Bromley: Archaeological Investigations 2003 / 2004

Abstract

This report represents the results of two phases of archaeological investigations carried out at the Holwood Estate, Bromley on behalf of Taylor Woodrow Developments Ltd. Both phases of work focused on the escarpment that surrounded a large circular office block known as the Redwood Centre that was to be replaced by the new development. Archaeological investigations carried out by the West Kent Archaeological Group during the construction of the Redwood Centre in 1979/80 had identified a series of large ditches reported to be similar in character to the earthworks of the adjacent scheduled Iron Age hillfort (SAM LO101). These ditches were reported to extend beneath the site of the Redwood although the exact location was never published. With the Redwood Centre about to be demolished new archaeological work was commissioned in the hope that the ‘lost’ ditches could be relocated and understood in the context of their wider landscape setting. The first phase of investigation focused on the cleaning and exposing the existing ‘batter’ within which the Redwood Building stood and was carried out in September 2003 prior to demolition. The second phase occurred in March 2004 after the Redwood had been demolished and concentrated on a 5m wide swathe at the top edge of the same batter slope.