Castle Dykes Henge

Reasons for Designation

Henges are ritual or ceremonial centres which date to the Late Neolithic period (2800-2000 BC). They were constructed as roughly circular or oval- shaped enclosures comprising a flat area over 20m in diameter enclosed by a ditch and external bank. One, two or four entrances provided access to the interior of the monument, which may have contained a variety of features including timber or stone circles, post or stone alignments, pits, burials or central mounds. Finds from the ditches and interiors of henges provide important evidence for the chronological development of the sites, the types of activity that occurred within them and the nature of the environment in which they were constructed. Henges occur throughout England with the exception of south-eastern counties and the Welsh Marches. They are generally situated on low ground, often close to springs and water-courses. Henges are rare nationally with about 80 known examples. As one of the few types of identified Neolithic structures and in view of their comparative rarity, all henges are considered to be of national importance.

Castle Dykes is a very well preserved example of this relatively rare monument type. It is reported that an excavation of the site by Canon Wylie took place in 1908, no positive trace of this survives and the site appears largely undisturbed. There is therefore potential for the survival of environmental evidence relating to the landscape in which the monument was constructed; particularly within the henge ditch which supports lush wetland vegetation suggestive of underlying peat.

Details

This very well preserved henge monument is prominently situated astride a low east to west glacial ridge. The monument includes a roughly circular enclosure defined by a well preserved bank and internal ditch. The maximum diameter is 75m across the crest of the bank from east to west and 68m from north to south. The earthwork survives to an average height of 2m from the crest of the bank to the base of the ditch. The ditch, averaging 10.5m wide, has been slightly infilled by weathering especially near the entrance which has lessened the profile of the causeway. The only original entrance is that on the eastern side; interruptions to the bank on the northern and southern sides appear to be recent and are not matched by corresponding causeways across the ditch. The eastern entrance is simple in form and rather narrow, with the ditch causeway only about 2m wide.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

24481

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Turnbull, P, Castle Dykes Henge Monument, (1993)
Turnbull, P, Castle Dykes Henge Monument, (1993)
Allcroft, A H, Earthworks of England, (1908), 577-578
Allcroft, A H, Earthworks of England, (1908), 30

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