Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Short shallow banks lying on either side of a meander of the River Stour are visible as earthworks on 1940s photographs. Both appear to continue the alignment of mapped flood banks after these latter features diverge from running parallel to the river. It seems probable that these features are former flood banks and given their location it seems likely that they represent an earlier alignment of the flood defences. Examination of recent aerial photographs does not show conclusively whether these features remain as earthworks.

Monument Types

• FLOOD DEFENCES (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

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Two short shallow banks, one on either side of a meander of the River Stour, are visible as earthworks on 1940s RAF vertical aerial photographs [1].

The bank on the north side of the river is c.3m wide and runs parallel to the riverbank for c.105m. It appears to continue the alignment of flood bank, visible on the first edition Ordnance Survey map, which generally runs parallel to the river but has been squared back from the riverside to follow a straighter course at this point [2]. The bank on the south side is c.4m wide and runs parallel to the riverbank for 210m. This feature also appears to continue the alignment of flood bank, visible on the first edition Ordnance Survey map, which diverges from running parallel to the river at this point [2].

It seems probable that these features are former flood banks. Given their location, lying between the current flood banking and the river, it seems likely that they represent an earlier alignment of the flood defences in this area. Examination of recent aerial photographs does not show conclusively whether these features remain as earthworks as the area is now affected by scrub growth [3].

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

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1858-73, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 1st Edition : 1872-1897 (Map). SWX11831.

<3> 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.

<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