A treasure trove of Roman and Anglo-Saxon finds has been unearthed in a Faversham pub garden.

When licensees David and Sue Potts invited a team of volunteers from the Faversham Society Archaeological Research Group into the garden of the Market Inn pub in East Street, Faversham, they had no idea of the scale of the discoveries that would be made.

David, who has a history degree and a keen interest in local history, said: “I knew that these guys had been looking for Saxon finds in Faversham for a while, in particular the so-called Kings Manor.

“I suspected there might be some evidence of human activity near the pub, but I don’t think anybody expected anything on this scale.”

Dr Pat Reid, who oversaw the dig, said: “What we have found is an early Anglo-Saxon site, which we’ve been searching for in Faversham for the last 15 years.

“We have found some amazing examples of Anglo-Saxon pottery and also a large number of animal bones, in particular deer and even wild boar.

“These things have been in the ground for around 1,500 years, so it’s quite a thrill to discover them.”

The finds are believed to be part of the elusive Kings Manor, a royal manor suspected to be located on higher ground in Faversham.

Archaeologists have been searching for evidence of it for many years.

The pub remained open for business as usual throughout the dig.

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