Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A network of banks and ditches are visible as earthworks on 1940s RAF vertical aerial photographs. The earthworks lie to both sides of the railway and appear to be missing elements of the field system shown on historic Ordnance Survey mapping. The field system is likely to be of medieval or post-medieval date. Examination of recent aerial photography indicates that these features appear to have since been plough-levelled.

Monument Types

• BANK (EARTHWORK) (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• DITCH (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• FIELD SYSTEM (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

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A network of banks and ditches are visible as earthworks on 1940s RAF vertical aerial photographs [1]. The earthworks lie to both sides of the railway, with some appearing to have been cut through and truncated by building of the railway, and cover an area measuring c.300m E-W by c.200 N-S. The features are not shown on historic Ordnance Survey mapping [2] but appear to be missing elements of the field system shown on this map as they fill in "gaps" within this network. The field system is likely to be of medieval or post-medieval date. It is possible that these boundaries fell out of use following the construction of the railway as this truncated the fields that they describe, possibly making them to small or inconvenient to farm.

Examination of recent aerial photography indicates that these features appear to have since been plough-levelled [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_TR3447_2007-04-22.jpg (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2011, South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - (SE RCZAS) Phase 1: National Mapping Programme Report (Unpublished document).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