Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Possible site of Four ring ditches/barrows on ridge on Sutton Hill

Monument Types

• ROUND BARROW (ROUND BARROW, Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)

Full description

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(TR 333499) Crop marks have been noted on air photographs. They consist of four ring ditches probably representing the former existance of barrow mounds. They are as follows: a. A single ring ditch about 60 feet across, with possible internal features visible. b. A prominent double ring about 110 feet across, with a single entrance in the outer ring and no visible entrance in the ditch. c. A double ring ditch about 110 feet across, with a causeway visible in the wide ditch. d. A ring ditch which appears to be a satellite to 'c' and is about 40 feet across. (1) TR 33284995. Ovoid ditched enclosure with a scatter of splodges around it: the latter may be associated with 'Poss. Barrows, Ring Ditches (16)" on OS Field Sheet. (2-3)

From the Register of Scheduled Monuments:

Site revealed by aerial photography. Four ring ditches which represent the former existence of four barrow mounds. The scheduled area is a very large corn field with a bank along its S edge.

263a: Simple ring ditch circa 60ft across. Internal features visible here.

263b: Prominent double ring with a single entrance in outer ring and no visible entrance in the ditch.

263c: Double ring ditch up to 110ft in diameter. With causeway visible in the inner ditch and this monument has a smaller (40ft diam) satellite ring ditch.

263d: Satellite to third ring ditch. Up to 40ft in diameter.(5)


List entry Description
Summary of Monument
Ring ditches 494m ENE of White Gables.



Reasons for Designation
The ring ditches are thought to be the buried remains of prehistoric round barrows. Round barrows are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to the period 2400-1500 BC. They were constructed as earthen mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as cemeteries and often acted as a focus of burials in later periods. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable variation in form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisations amongst early prehistoric communities.

History
See Details.

Details
This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 3 September 2014. The record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

The monument includes ring ditches surviving as buried remains. It is situated on the summit of Sutton Hill and overlooks Sutton to the south. The features have been recorded as crop and soil marks on aerial photographs. Two single ring ditches measure approximately 12m and 18m in diameter. The larger one includes possible internal features. There are also two double ring ditches both 33.5m in diameter. One has a single entrance in the outer ring and the other includes a possible causeway in the buried ditch. The ring ditches are thought to be the buried remains of prehistoric round barrows. The Kent Mapping Project carried out in 1986-7 by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME) also indicated the probable existence of a ovoid ditched enclosure on the site.

Further archaeological remains survive in the vicinity of this site but are not included because they have not been formally assessed. (6)

<1> AP (Hogarth 75) (OS Card Reference). SKE33512.

<2> DOE (IAM) Record Form April 1971 (OS Card Reference). SKE40754.

<3> AP (NMR TR3349/6; 3.6.76) (OS Card Reference). SKE34008.

<4> AP (NMR CUC BWY 65; 16.6.76) (OS Card Reference). SKE33523.

<5> English Heritage, Register of Scheduled Monuments (Scheduling record). SKE16191.

<6> Historic England, National Heritage List for England (Index). SKE29372.

Sources and further reading