Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A wide ditch is visible as an earthwork running through Gallows field on 1940s aerial photography. The ditch follows a sinuous, roughly W-E course, is cut through by a field drain close to its eastern end and has a width varying between c.7-11m wide. It appears to remain as a slight earthwork and is visible on recent aerial photography.

The ditch does not appears to belong to the field system shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map and is thought to predate this system. It is possible that it may be a drainage channel or substantial boundary ditch.

Monument Types

• DITCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

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A wide ditch is visible as an earthwork running through Gallows field on 1940s RAF vertical aerial photography [1]. The ditch follows a sinuous, roughly W-E aligned course, for c.120m and is cut through by a field drain c.25m from its eastern end. The width of the ditch varies; the western half is c.11m wide, whilst the eastern half is c.7m wide. The ditch appears to remain as a slight earthwork and is visible on recent false-colour infra red aerial photography [2].

This feature is not shown on, and does not appears to belong to the field system shown in this area on the first edition Ordnance Survey map [3]. In addition to this, it is bisected by a drain belonging to this field system and appears to be rather too wide for a simple field ditch. It is possible that the feature may be a drainage channel or substantial boundary ditch that pre-dates the field system shown on the early Ordnance Survey mapping.

A transcription of the features recorded from aerial photography exists within a GIS layer held by this HER [4].

<2> Next Perspectives consortium via English Heritage, 2003, 2007, Next Perspective PGA georeferenced aerial photograph data, Tile Ref: PGA_TR3258_2007-04-22 (Graphic material). SWX15711.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1858-73, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 1st Edition : 1872-1897 (Map). SWX11831.

<4> Wessex Archaeology, 2009-10, South-East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - Aerial Photographic Transcriptions (Digital archive). SWX15705.

<4> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - (SE RCZAS) Phase 1: National Mapping Programme Report (Unpublished document). SKE25955.

<4> Cornwall Council Historic Environment Projects and Gloucestershire County Council, 2011, South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Components 1&2: Results of NMP Mapping (Unpublished document). SKE25954.

Sources and further reading