Earthworks on Laleham Burway

Summary

Quadrangular enclosure on Laleham Burway Golf Course, 235m south-west of Boat House

Reasons for Designation

Despite having been reduced by ploughing in the past and partly mutilated during the laying out of the golf course, the quadrangular enclosure on Laleham Burway Golf Course, 235m south-west of Boat House survives relatively well. Enclosures are man-made works which can date from the Neolithic to the Post Medieval period. They are usually constructed as a means of protection or demarcation whether for animals or humans and are commonly denoted by banks and/or ditches. The enclosure on Laleham Burway has been identified as the possible site of a temporary Roman marching camp. Roman camps are rectangular or sub-rectangular enclosures which were constructed and used by Roman soldiers either when out on campaign or as practice camps; most campaign camps were only temporary overnight bases and few were used for longer periods. They were bounded by a single earthen rampart and outer ditch and in plan are always straight-sided with rounded corners. Normally they have between one and four entrances.

Despite some uncertainty concerning its identification, it is clear that the enclosure on Laleham Burway is unusual in form and must be considered of archaeological importance. It will contain archaeological and environmental information relating to the enclosure and the landscape in which it was built. The surrounding area has many archaeological features, which thereby enhance its significance.

History

See Details

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 17/10/14. This 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.

DESCRIPTION
The monument includes a quadrangular enclosure denoted by a bank and ditch and covering an area of about 4 acres on Laleham Burway Golf Course. It is situated on slightly elevated ground on the flood plain of the River Thames, about 250m west of the river. It has been significantly reduced by ploughing in the past and is now partly mutilated by the landscaping of the golf course. There are four straight sides and evidence of an entrance at the southern end of the west side. It has four rounded corners, two are 200m apart on a NNE to SSW axis and two are 165m apart on a WNW to ESE axis. The earthwork is the possible site of a temporary Roman marching camp, which is evident from the uniform nature of the enclosure and the rounded corners. The location next to the River Thames may have been of strategic importance. It has also been suggested that it may have been a medieval stock enclosure given the proximity to Chertsey Abbey and the Abbey Meads.

Further archaeological remains survive in the vicinity of this monument, such as crop marks of linear ditches and ring ditches, but are not included because they have not been formally assessed.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

SU 69

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

Sources

Other
Surrey HER 589. NMR TQ06NW13. PastScape 394398.

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