Monument record 0014012000 - GRIM'S DITCH, BETWEEN TIMBERLEY LANE AND MERCER'S WOOD

Summary

Possible Iron Age linear earthwork between Timberley Lane and Mercer's Wood recorded in topographic and geophysical survey

Protected Status/Designation

Ancient Monument 1021199: BUCKINGHAMSHIRE GRIM'S DITCH: 1500M LONG SECTION FROM GREAT WIDMOOR WOOD TO OAKEN GROVE (DBC7222)
Planning Notification Area: Earthworks of Prehistoric linear boundary of Grims Ditch (DBC9601)
Planning Notification Area: Earthworks of Prehistoric linear boundary of Grims Ditch (DBC9593)

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Type and Period (2)

BANK (EARTHWORK) (Early Iron Age to Late Iron Age - 700 BC? to 42 AD?)
DITCH (Early Iron Age to Late Iron Age - 700 BC? to 42 AD?)

Description

Dimensions - Length 0570 m
Plan Form - V SHAPED
BETWEEN SP89400662 & SP89300651, VISIBLE AS SLIGHT RIDGE PLANTED WITH TREES & TRACES OF DITCH ON SE FROM SP89290649 TO SP89230612, WITH DOG-LEG AT SP89220642, SUBSTANTIAL REMNANTS ?DUE TO REUSE AS MEDIEVAL WOODLAND BANK. DITCH ON SE/E SIDE. S OF GT WIDMOOR WOOD RIDGE E OF HEDGE MAY BE CONTINUATION (B1-4). Detailed topographic survey carried out by Network Archaeology in 1998 in Widmoor Wood and Mercer's Wood (between SP89240612 and SP89410663). 6 profiles across the earthwork were also recorded (B17). Magnetometer survey carried out along the possible line of Grim's Ditch to the south of Great Widmoor Wood (between SP89230610 and SP89230594) identified a sinuous N-S anomaly, possibly the bank. Other anomalies possibly represent pits and an earlier ditch. It is suggested that Grim's Ditch continues for at least 230m to the south of Great Widmoor Wood (B18).
The Phase 1 Report notes that athough the woodlands is dense at SP 8922 0643 it appears that there is a dog leg junction which is reflected in the field boundary rather than the course of the ditch itself.This maybe another example of 'gang' construction as seen in a cropmark near Pitstone Hill (B16).
Scheduled. SAM no. 35341 (B5).

Sources (20)

<1>SBC12709 Bibliographic reference: RCHM BUCKS 1 P313.
<1>SBC14166 Bibliographic reference: SHEAHAN P26.
<2>SBC265 Bibliographic reference: ALLCROFT A H 1908 EARTHWORK OF ENGLAND PP511-514.
<2>SBC3240 Bibliographic reference: CRAWFORD O C S 1931 THE CHILTERN GRIM'S DITCHES IN ANTIQUITY 5 PP167FF.
<3>SBC15445 Bibliographic reference: VCH BUCKS 2 PP34-35.
<3>SBC4482 Bibliographic reference: EATON CAPT. H B OCT 1980 ARTICLE ON GRIM'S DITCH (FILED) (38 SPARROW CLOSE, BRAMPTON, HUNTINGDON).
<4>SBC12139 Verbal communication: Andrew Pike (BCM). 1983. PERS COMM, JULY 1983, FOLLOWING FIELD VISIT.
<4>SBC3241 Article in serial: O G S Crawford. 1931. 'CHILTERN GRIM'S DITCH', IN ANTIQUITY 5 PP161-171. Vol 5.
<5>SBC13988 Scheduling record: English Heritage. 2004. SCHEDULING LISTS OF INSPECTORATE OF ANCIENT MONUMENTS: SAM NO. 35341.
<5>SBC6477 Article in serial: M W Hughes. 1931. 'GRIMS DITCH & CUTHWULF'S EXPEDITION TO THE CHILTERNS IN AD 571', IN ANTIQUITY 5 PP291-314. Vol 5.
<6>SBC16526 Article in serial: Mortimer Wheeler. 1934. WHEELER R E M 1934 'LONDON & THE GRIM'S DITCHES', IN ANTIQUARIES JOURNAL 14 PP254-263. Vol 14.
<7>SBC4461 Article in serial: James Dyer. 1963. 'THE CHILTERNS GRIMS DITCH', IN ANTIQUITY 37 PP46-49. Vol 37.
<8>SBC6307 Bibliographic reference: J F Head. 1955. 'EARLY MAN IN SOUTH BUCKS' PP65-66,77,89,103-104,111-112.
<9>SBC1800 Article in serial: Richard Bradley. 1968. 'SOUTH OXON GRIM'S DITCH & ITS SIGNIFICANCE', IN OXONIENSIA 33 PP1-13. Vol 33.
<10>SBC6418 Article in serial: J Hinchliffe. 1975. 'EXCAVATIONS AT GRIM'S DITCH, MONGEWELL,1974', IN OXONIENSIA 40 PP122-135. Vol 40.
<11>SBC16525 Unpublished document: Mortimer Wheeler. 1930. PHOTOCOPY OF WHEELER'S NOTES SUPPLIED BY C SAUNDERS, VERULAMIUM MUSEUM, FEB 1980.
<12>SBC4487 Unpublished document: H B Eaton. 1986. 'GRIM'S DITCH'.
<16>SBC19564 Unpublished document: Buckinghamshire County Museum Archaeological Service. 1997. An Archaeological and Management Survey of Grim's Ditch, Buckinghamshire. pp89.
<17>SBC19565 Unpublished document: Network Archaeology. 1998. Grim's Ditch Archaeological and Management Survey Phase II. pp3,9-11, Figs 7,16,18,19.
<18>SBC19566 Unpublished document: Network Archaeology. 1999. Grim's Ditch Archaeological and Management Survey Phase III. pp4-5,16-17, Figs 7,37,48.

Location

Grid reference	Centred SP 8931 0637 (200m by 500m) (Centred on)
Civil Parish	THE LEE, Chiltern, Buckinghamshire
Civil Parish	WENDOVER, Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Part of: GRIM'S DITCH (Monument) (0014000000)

Related Events/Activities (2)

Event - Survey: Magnetometry (and resistivity) survey (EBC16003)
Event - Survey: Topographic survey (EBC16002)

Record last edited

Aug 1 2011 2:08PM