Monument record MDR1218 - Farditch, Medieval Boundary Ditch and Bank, near Farditch Farm, Chelmorton
Type and Period (2)
- BOUNDARY DITCH (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD?)
- BANK (EARTHWORK) (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD?)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
Farditch, a medieval boundary ditch and bank, near Farditch Farm, Chelmorton.
Three parts of a ditch and bank open-field boundary were identified at Chelmorton at SK 1069, SK1169 (adjacent on the south-east) and SK 118701 (adjacent on the north), prior to 1962. (1)
Medieval ditch and bank surrounding the medieval field system. (2)
Work carried out as part of the North Derbyshire Archaeological Survey in 1981 identified a number of linear banks and parallel ditches that marked the limits of medieval village fields. Often they have survived because of continued use of the boundary into modern times, sometimes with stone walls being placed on or aligned with their banks. The banks are composed of surface stones and turves from the immediate vicinity or, where there is an outer ditch, which is the most common form, the banks appear to be made of soil from the ditch. Where the banks had been eroded by ploughing, recent replacement walls often fossilise their alignments. One such example can be observed at Chelmorton. (3)
Several parts of a massive medieval boundary bank were recorded during survey in 1989. This defines the outer limits of the Chelmorton open fields. In places it is a broad, well-defined bank; elsewhere it has been levelled by ploughing. There are traces of what may be an external ditch. (4)
Three stretches of the Chelmorton medieval field boundary earthworks known as 'Town Ditch' were examined during an archaeological survey in 1993. The feature, comprised of a large bank with an outer ditch in parts, defines the outer edge of the Chelmorton open fields to the south and east, while elsewhere the limits are largely defined topographically. The westernmost stretch is in relatively good condition with a clearly defined bank, although the ditch is ephemeral. The central stretch is also in good condition, generally having a clearly defined bank. The eastern bank has been ploughed down and has substantially spread and widened, but is still traceable. (5)
The northeastern part of the feature appears as a lynchet varying from c. 0.2m to 0.4m high, fading to the north-east. At the southern end it becomes impossible to see it in an area of quarrying. Field walls sit on top of the lynchet, while quarrying cuts into it. (6)
The stratigraphic sequence was most clearly understood by a watching brief carried out in 2016, just to the northwest of Farditch Farm. An initial 1.7m wide ditch, [15] was cut, and later after it had been infilled, a second ditch of similar size was cut in to this just to the south. This second ditch [03] was of greater depth and cut the limestone bedrock, and it was at that point that the bank was established. A dew pond first appears on the OS map of 1889, and at this time the later ditch was largely infilled and the bank somewhat levelled. To the south, a small gully was also constructed at that time. No finds were associated with the medieval ditches or their fills. (7)
Sources/Archives (8)
- --- SDR16148 Bibliographic reference: Wager, J. 1981. The Conservation of Historic Landscapes in the Peak District National Park. pp 47-54.
- <1> SDR5721 Bibliographic reference: East Midlands Committee of Field Archaeologists. 1962. East Midlands Archaeological Bulletin, 1962. No. 5. p7.
- <2> SDR9651 Index: NDAT. 0681. 0681.
- <3> SDR10777 Bibliographic reference: Hart, C (NDAT). 1981. The North Derbyshire Archaeological Survey to AD 1500. pp 131-132; Fig. 10:3.
- <4> SDR21244 Unpublished document: Barnatt, J (PDNPA). 1989. East View Farm, Chelmorton, Derbyshire, archaeological survey, 1989. p 1, features 1 & 2.
- <5> SDR20337 Unpublished document: Barnatt, J (PDNPA). 1993. Townend Farm, Chelmorton, archaeological survey, 1993. p 1, feature 1.
- <6> SDR21078 Unpublished document: Taylor, H & Robbins, G (PDNPA). 1999. Thorncliffe, Chelmorton and Taddington, Derbyshire, rapid farm survey, upland option, 1999. FCE 130. p 1, feature 5, illustr. 3.
- <7> SDR23994 Unpublished document: Halton, C (ARS). 2016. An Archaeological Watching Brief at Farditch Farm, Chelmorton, Buxton.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 1098 6990 (1885m by 1038m) (Centred on) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | CHELMORTON, DERBYSHIRE DALES, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (4)
- EDR3718
- EDR4112
- EDR3747
- EDR4460
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Feb 27 2020 10:19PM