Monument record MDR12621 - Earthworks to the west of Bradbourne churchyard, Bradbourne
Type and Period (3)
- BOUNDARY BANK (Saxon to Medieval - 1000 AD to 1200 AD)
- BOUNDARY DITCH (Saxon to Medieval - 1000 AD to 1200 AD)
- BUILDING (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1400 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
Earthworks in the field immediately to the west of the church were first mapped as part of a programme of topographical survey in Bradbourne parish. Two trenches were then excavated - one in the middle of the earthworks, the other at the break of slope where the (now degraded) ridge and furrow of the surrounding fields began. Trench 1 revealed that, in the post-medieval period, collapsed building material had been re-arranged to form ephemeral structures of unknown function. This material had clearly once been part of a substantial stone building or buildings, dated by associated pottery to the 13th and 14th centuries. There was no evidence for earlier structures underlying this building (or buildings), although only a small area was excavated. Unfortunately the west field was deep-ploughed shortly after the excavations ceased. Within Trench 2 there was evidence for a bank and ditch. The ditch was cut into the natural subsoil and, although some residual Roman pottery was found, the pottery associated with the ditch dates to the 11th/12th century. In the late 18th century, Hayman Rooke recorded a 'ditch and vallum' to the north, west and east of the church - 'this inclosure takes in a hill, near the summit of which the church was built'. It now seems likely that he was looking at an early medieval earthwork running round at least part of the village. It is possible that settlement at Bradbourne in the late Saxon/early Norman period was defined and separated from the surrounding landscape by a bank and ditch earthwork. Evidence of a similarly dated bank and ditch was also found during excavations on the south side of Mill Lane [SMR 2011].
Sources/Archives (1)
- <1> SDR20136 Unpublished document: Moreland, J (University of Sheffield). 2005. 'Bradbourne - closing the gaps in the history of a Peakland landscape' Paper presented at the Centre for English Local History, University of Leicester, January 20th 2005. pp 9-10, 15-16.
Map
No mapped location recorded.
Location
| Grid reference | Not recorded |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | BRADBOURNE, DERBYSHIRE DALES, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (3)
- EDR3699
- EDR2879
- EDR3701
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Feb 20 2015 2:56PM