Crop Marks of five Ring Ditches west of Station Road, Ashwell

Summary

The site comprises five ring ditches, probably the visible remnants of a number of Bronze Age barrows.

Reasons for Designation

The five ring ditches visible as crop marks, which stand to the side and rear of Walkdens, Station Road, Ashwell are scheduled for the following principal reasons:

Archaeological interest:

* Archaeological potential 1: for their considerable potential for Neolithic, Bronze Age and early medieval archaeological deposits;
* Archaeological potential 2: for their potential as a focus for later early medieval activity;
* Group value 1: as a coherent group of prehistoric funerary monuments;
* Group value 2: a major component of a multi-period ritual landscape, which incorporates a henge and a long barrow.

History

Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them, contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

The five ring ditches at Ashwell are dispersed across a number of fields, and are centred on the site of a henge. The henge was initially identified through aerial photography, and was identified as a round barrow. Subsequent survey by magnetometer, and investigation by trial trenching also interpreted the site as a round barrow. However, the site was identified as a henge following a full excavation. Two ring ditches to the east of the henge have been destroyed or truncated by recent development. A further five remain to the south west and south east of the site of the henge. The ring ditches probably represent the remains of a dispersed barrow cemetery.

Details

Crop marks of ring ditches, probably representing a barrow cemetery.

PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS: The site comprises five ring ditches visible as crop marks on the summit and south facing slope of a ridge of land south of the source of the River Rhee. The ring ditches are probably the visible remnants of a number of Bronze Age barrows.

DESCRIPTION: This collection of ring ditches are situated in farmland to the south of Ashwell. The individual ring ditches can be described as follows:

(TL 2729 3961) The ring ditch survives as a 24m diameter circular cropmark of an enclosure with a single continuous ditch. Recent aerial imagery suggests there may be an entrance at the north.

(TL 2744 3958) The ring ditch survives as an 18m diameter circular cropmark of an enclosure with a single continuous ditch.

(TL 2757 3955) The ring ditch survives as a 25m diameter circular cropmark of an enclosure with a single continuous ditch.

(TL 2768 3942) The ring ditch survives as a 22m diameter circular cropmark of an enclosure with a single continuous ditch. A gap in the ditch could be a north facing entrance.

(TL 2774 3947) The ring ditch survives as a 20m diameter circular cropmark of an enclosure with a single continuous ditch.

The area within and around the crop marks may contain flat graves, cremation burials and traces of early occupation.

Sources

Books and journals
Lawson, A J, Martin, E A, Priddy, D, The Barrows of East Anglia, (1981), 21-25, 30
Wymer, J, Barrow Excavations in Norfolk 1984-88, (1996)

Websites
Thompson I (2005) Extensive Urban Survey - Hertfordshire [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor], accessed 17 October 2017 from https://doi.org/10.5284/1000193
CUCAP Aerial photograph reference BFC93, accessed 17 October 2017 from https://www.cambridgeairphotos.com/location/bfc93/
CUCAP Aerial photograph reference BIZ41, accessed 17 October 2017 from https://www.cambridgeairphotos.com/location/biz41/

Other
Clover, K 2013 Desk Based Assessment Land to the Rear of the Walkdens, Ashwell, Herts, SG7 5RU Unpublished OA East Report No 1517
Phillips, T 2013 The Walkdens, Ashwell, Hertfordshire Archaeological Evaluation. Unpublished OA East Report No 1538
Greef, A 2015 A Late Neolithic Henge at Ashwell Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design. Unpublished OA East Report No 1780
Hertfordshire Historic Environment Record data. Record numbers 2424, 2468, 2469, 4717, 7911
Ordnance Survey 1966 Aerial photograph ref OS/66/139 Hertfordshire Historic Environment Record Ref PNO8189
HCC (Highways Dept). 1976. Cropmarks of ring ditches, south of Ashwell Street, Ashwell Hertfordshire Historic Environment Record Ref PNO3813
HCC Planning Dept. Cropmarks of ring ditches, south of Ashwell Street, Ashwell Hertfordshire Historic Environment Record Ref PNO3378
Slatter, R Unpublished aerial photograph of land rear of Station Road, Ashwell

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