Monument record MDR3535 - Earthwork enclosure, Combs Lane, Bakewell
Type and Period (2)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
A large wedge-shaped enclosure revealed on an aerial photograph. It has 18th century field boundaries overlying its south-east corner. There are a number of irregular internal features. The enclosure appears to be raised well above the surrounding meadows. (1).
This has been suggested to be the site of Edward the Elder's Borough [Burgh] on the basis of place name evidence, a medieval charter and field observations. The site is described as an earth bank, 6 to 7m wide with a 4m wide ditch forming a large arc, the open end towards the flood plain. (3). This tallies with the aerial photograph evidence which indicates the enclosure has relatively straight sides and is undefined towards the river. (4).
Stetka has supported Hart's suggestion that the burh site may be identified with the earthworks on the east side of the Wye. He uses documentary evidence to show that Hart's entrenchment is indeed part of the 'place surrounded by a ditch' described in the 12th century and also, from place-name evidence, shows that the entrenchment was called an old, ditched settlement in the 13th century. From observations on the ground he suggests that the entrenchment is much bigger than Hart's horseshoe-shaped enclosure and suggests a sub-rectangular work comparable in size with other Edwardian forts. From its proximity and connection to Burh-tun, Stetka proposed that the entrenchment is indeed the fort of AD 920. (5)
Work by Trent & Peak Archaeological Trust has cast doubt on Stetka's interpretations, since the supposed bank and ditch which formed the boundary of the burh on the southern and south-western side was not apparent during their excavations. They also point out that the line of the burh that Stetka posits on the south and west sides follows a boundary which first appears on the 1810 enclosure plan and is of no antiquity. (6)
Sources/Archives (7)
- <1> SDR10156 Index: NDAT. 2869. 2869.
- <2> SDR1098 Aerial Photograph: Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA). 1968. Aerial Photographs: 115,6,7.68.288.
- <3> SDR10777 Bibliographic reference: Hart, C (NDAT). 1981. The North Derbyshire Archaeological Survey to AD 1500. pp 118-121, fig 9.9.
- <4> SDR12794 Personal Observation: Barnatt, J (PDNPA). Persnal communication regarding an earthwork enclosure, Combs Lane. 26/06/1989.
- <5> SDR20288 Bibliographic reference: Stetka, J. 1997. King Edward the Elder's Burh and the Lost Medieval Village of Burton by Bakewell. Occasional Paper of the Bakewell and District Historical Society.
- <6> SDR21013 Unpublished document: Taylor, H (PDNPA). 1998. Bakewell Riverside, Bakewell, Derbyshire, archaeological survey. HER Doc. No. 431, Feature 7.
- <7> SDR18971 Photograph: Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA). Slide Collection. 853.1-7.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 2275 6820 (431m by 478m) (Approximate) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | BAKEWELL, DERBYSHIRE DALES, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
- EDR4096
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Nov 13 2017 12:43PM