Reasons for Designation
The Battery Bank, of which this monument forms a part, is made up of a series
of linear earthworks which extend discontinuously over a total distance of
approximately 5.5km. The earthworks are aligned along the plateau dividing the
rivers Piddle and Frome. Although not firmly dated, the monument is likely to
be of Romano-British or Dark Age date; and given the wide gaps in its
alignment, demarcation is perhaps a more likely interpretation for the bank,
than stock control or defence. The name `Battery Bank' is likely to be a
misnomer, relating to the Napoleonic period when the bank may have had a role
in military training exercises.
As a well preserved monument representing Dark Age or earlier land division,
the Battery Bank is a comparatively unusual survival, and consequently all
surviving sections are considered to be of national importance. This section
survives particularly well, its location illustrating clearly the topographic
setting into which the monument was placed. Boggy ground at the east end of
the monument should ensure the preservation of waterlogged deposits.
Details
The monument includes a section of the linear boundary known as the Battery
Bank, situated on Stokeford Heath, a plateau overlooking the Frome Valley to
the south and the Piddle Valley to the north. The earthwork forms part of a
group of similar monuments which extend (discontinuously) for a distance of
5.5km along the natural ridge separating these valleys.
The earthwork includes a linear bank, aligned broadly east-west, composed of
earth, sand and turf, with maximum dimensions of 230m in length, 6m in width
and approximately 0.45m in height. To the north of the bank is a ditch from
which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. To the
east and at intermittent central points, the ditch is visible as an earthwork
4m-5m in width and approximately 0.3m-0.4m deep. Elsewhere, the ditch has
become infilled but will survive as a buried feature.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
28336
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
