Reasons for Designation
Cross dykes are substantial linear earthworks, typically between 2.2km and 1km
long and comprising one or more ditches arranged beside or parallel to one or
more banks. They generally occur in upland situations, running across ridges
and spurs. They are recognised as earthworks, as cropmarks on aerial
photographs, or as combinations of both. The evidence of excavation and
analogy with associated monuments demonstrates that the period of construction
of many cross dykes spanned the millennium from the Middle Bronze Age. Others
are known to have had a function in the Middle Ages; without excavation it is
difficult to determine whether this indicates reuse of earlier dykes or the
construction of new ones during the medieval period. Current information
favours the view that they were used as boundary markers, probably demarcating
some form of land allotment, although they may also have been used as
trackways, cattle droveways or defensive earthworks. Cross dykes are one of
the few monument types which indicate how land was divided up, whether in the
prehistoric or medieval period. They are of considerable importance for the
analysis of contemporary settlement and land use patterns. Relatively few
examples have survived to the present day and hence all well preserved
examples will merit statutory protection.
Details
The monument includes the remains of a cross dyke and two adjoining
structures, situated astride the narrowest point of a high ridge between two
streams. The cross dyke, which is oriented east to west, consists of an
earthen bank 350m long and between 3m to 5m wide standing to a maximum height
of 0.8m. A ditch which runs parallel with the bank on its northern side is
2m to 3m wide and 0.2m deep. To the west of the track the cross dyke curves
noticeably to the north west; it does not extend down to the foot of the
steep slopes at either end, stopping abruptly immediately above the steepest
part of the slope. At the top of the ridge there is an off-set entrance
through the cross dyke, occupied by a trackway thought to be a branch of the
medieval road known as Clennell Street. The remains of two rectangular
enclosures, interpreted as the foundations of two buildings, are situated
against the south side of the cross dyke, either side of the opening. Both are
oriented east to west and have doorways through their southern walls. The
first and most westerly steading measures 12m by 4m while the second is 16m by
4.5m and is also subdivided into two rooms. The exact relationship between the
two buildings and the cross dyke is uncertain but it is thought that they may
have functioned as an integral part of the cross dyke system.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
28539
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals 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
