Monument record MDR10006 - Devil's Dike, Charlesworth and Hope Woodlands
Type and Period (1)
- BOUNDARY DITCH (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
A three mile long ditch along the edge of Crooked Clough. Thought to be an earthwork dug to protect early tribes in Glossop Dale. (1)
The OS map shows a dike in three places: SK 098942 to SK 092936, SK 076935 to SK 083931 and SK 069938 to SK 072938. It has not been possible to check this site to establish whether there was once one continuous dike. (2)
A broad ditch, known as the Devil's Dike, approximately 7 to 10 metres wide and 2 to 3 metres deep which runs along a broad watershed between two clough systems. The ditch is used as part of the Pennine Way which has presumably caused a great deal of erosion to the feature. At its north-east terminal the ditch joins with a much shallower ditch which runs off at right angles towards Crooked Clough to the north-west. The erosion has removed evidence for the type of relationship between the two ditches which may have been similar in nature. One tradition assigns the building of the dike to the monks of Basingwerk Abbey, Flintshire, in the medieval period, the Abbey having been granted lands in Charlesworth parish in the early 13th century. While the boundary between the monastic holding and the Royal Forest of the Peak is described in contemporary documents, it uses place-names that are mainly unrecognisable today. The modern boundary between the parishes of Charlesworth and Hope Woodlands has followed the Dike since at least 1627 which suggests that the dike was part of the boundary of the monastic estate. The Dike was mapped by William Senior in 1627 and called 'Shelf Dicke' suggesting it was a boundary of Shelf Moor to the west. (3)
Sources/Archives (3)
- <1> SDR19109 Bibliographic reference: Hill, R (PPJPB). 1985. Peak Park Treasures. B11, D Frith, 10-3-73.
- <2> SDR16748 Verbal communication: Storer, A. 1992. Pers Comm.. 23/6/92.
- <3> SDR19505 Unpublished document: Bevan, B (PDNPA). 1996. Alport Moor, Hope Woodlands, Derbyshire, archaeological survey, 1996. Feature 3, pp 7-8.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 09458 93830 (637m by 628m) (Approximate) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | CHARLESWORTH, HIGH PEAK, DERBYSHIRE |
| Civil Parish | HOPE WOODLANDS, HIGH PEAK, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
- EDR4016
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Jul 10 2015 10:51AM