Earthwork in Milbay's Wood

Summary

Curvilinear earthworks in Milbay’s Wood, 590m ESE of Woodgate Cottages

Reasons for Designation

The curvilinear earthworks in Milbay’s Wood, 590m ESE of Woodgate Cottages survive well. They have been relatively undisturbed and are located in an area with little modern development. As such they hold potential for further archaeological investigation. They will contain archaeological and environmental information relating to their construction and function, as well as to the landscape in which they were constructed. Despite the uncertainty concerning their identification it is clear that the earthworks are unusual in form and must be considered of archaeological interest in a national context

History

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Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 19 June 2014. The record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

The monument includes curvilinear earthworks situated on low-lying, gently sloping ground west of Nettlestead Green. To the south is a substantial bank, up to 6m high and about 20m wide, with flanking ditches about 12m wide and between 1m to 2m deep. It is over 200m long. From its eastern end it runs north-east to south-west before curving in a westerly direction for some 100m then turns north-west for the remainder of its course. The flanking ditches may be quarry ditches associated with the construction of the bank. At the north-west end is another, slighter, bank marking a continuation of the earthwork towards the north-west for some 230m before curving to the north for at least a further 100m. It too is flanked by ditches. Another bank runs near parallel with it immediately to the west.

The original function of the earthworks in Milbay’s Wood is uncertain. In the early 20th century it was suggested to be part of an Iron Age hillfort or promontory camp. The bank and ditches to the south are more likely to be remains of a medieval or post-medieval pond bay associated with a mill. They run a course from high ground to high ground cutting off an area of land to the north and would adequately fulfil such a purpose. A short distance to the north in Moat Wood there is the recorded site of a moated manor, apparently belonging to Tonbridge Priory prior to the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century. A mill and pond may have been associated with the manor and utilised as part of this estate. The earthworks to the north-west are not necessarily associated with that to the south. The banking has the appearance of a ha-ha perhaps associated with past management of this area of the landscape. The earthworks are recorded on Ordnance Survey maps (1:2500) of 1885, 1897 and 1908.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

KE 114

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

Sources

Other
Kent OS Maps (1:2500): 1885, 1897, 1908 and 1938,
Kent HER TQ 65 SE 14. NMR TQ 65 SE 14, TQ 65 SE 13. PastScape 412882, 412879.,

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