Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Several features are visible as earthworks and cropmarks in this area on 1940s aerial photographs. The features comprise boundary earthworks, an area of ridge and furrow and a small subcircular enclosure. They appear to have been largely plough-levelled by the 1960s as they are visible only as cropmarks on aerial photographs of this date.

Monument Types

• BANK (EARTHWORK) (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• DITCH (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• ENCLOSURE (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• RIDGE AND FURROW (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

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Several features are visible as earthworks and cropmarks in this area on 1940s RAF vertical aerial photographs [1]. The features comprise boundary earthworks, an area of ridge and furrow and a small subcircular enclosure. They appear to have been largely plough-levelled by the 1960s as they are visible only as cropmarks on Ordnance Survey vertical aerial photographs of this date [2].

The ridge and furrow covers the eastern part of the recorded area. It is interpreted as late in date as the ridges and furrows are narrow and straight and also appear to overlie the boundary earthworks.

The boundary earthworks consist of two main features. A sinuous bank, flanked by a ditch to the south, is visible at the northern edge of the area running for 75m aligned approximately WNW-ESE. Its alignment is partially continued to the east and west by extant boundary features. A sinuous ditch, flanked by a bank for much of its length, is visible in the southern half of the area. It runs for about 250m aligned approximately ESE-WNW then makes a sharp turn south-eastwards and runs for a further 160m aligned approximately NW-SE. The flanking bank appears to have been removed by the current field drain for the last 100m of the NW-SE aligned section. These features are likely to predate the current field layout, itself of probable late post-medieval date, as they are on a slightly different alignment. The boundary features appear to be derived from field systems created from land reclaimed from marsh in the Wantsum Channel between the 11th and 18th centuries.

A small sub-circular enclosure lies close to the eastern edge of the area, it is defined by a continuous bank enclosing an area c.12m in diameter. The date of the enclosure is unclear as, due to the scale of photography, it is not clear whether its overlain by the ridge and furrow or not. Its function is also unclear. This feature may be the same enclosure recorded as TR 26 SE 30, 300m to the east, see Related Monuments.

A transcription of the features recorded from aerial photography exists within a GIS layer held by this HER [3].

Related records