Linear boundary on Whitmoor Common

Reasons for Designation

Prehistoric linear boundaries are man-made features comprising single or multiple ditches and banks which continue far distances varying between less than 1km to over 10km. Examples vary in date ranging from the Middle Bronze Age through to the end of the Iron Age. Although not uncommon nationally, linear boundaries are rare in many areas of the country and appear clustered in others, concentrations for example occurring in Wessex, Bedfordshire, north-east Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Wolds and Cumbria. They are rarely found in isolation and often occur as part of a wider system covering large areas of the countryside. Prehistoric linear boundaries are thought to represent territorial divisions used by societies practising pastoralism and agriculture. The linear boundary on Whitmoor Common survives well as an isolated example and contains archaeological and environmental remains relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. Some of the monument is situated in a waterlogged area where organic remains may survive. Such evidence would be unusual and may provide a valuable insight into the economy and environmental conditions in the area during the Bronze Age period. The association of the linear earthwork with two Bronze Age burial mounds provides information about land division and its relationship to burial in this area during later prehistory.

Details

The monument includes a 400m long linear boundary, comprising a ditch and two banks, aligned NNW-SSE and situated in an area of heathland on Bagshot sands and gravels. The ditch, which is 6m wide, has become partially infilled over the years and survives to its deepest at the southern end where it is 0.7m deep. The larger of the two banks runs along the western edge of the ditch and survives up to 0.4m high and 5m wide. On the east is a slighter bank which survives to 0.2m high and 3m 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:

20200

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Surrey Archaeological Collections in Surrey Archaeological Collections, Vol. 35, (), 2,27

End of official list entry

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