Site record MDR7691 - Cropmarks, Etwall Road, Willington
Type and Period (4)
- RING DITCH ? (Built, Bronze Age - 2350 BC? to 701 BC? (approximately))
- LINEAR FEATURE (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
- RECTILINEAR ENCLOSURE ? (Unknown date)
- HENGE ENCLOSURE (Built, Late Neolithic to Middle Bronze Age - 3000 BC? to 1001 BC? (approximately))
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
Several ring ditches, a double ring ditch, part of a possible rectilinear enclosure, and some linear features recorded on various aerial photographs. Some of these features may be geological/peri-glacial. (1-5)
Site under crop, no visual remains on the ground. (6)
The cropmarks have been plotted on a map overlay at a scale of 1:10,000. (7)
The eastern half of this area was included in an aerial photographic assessment of the Willington Power Station site. In an area of periglacial cracks, a possible linear ditch was recorded, as were two circular features. The first of these, at SK 29522876, is a single ring ditch, possibly marking a Bronze Age burial site. The second, a double-ditched feature at SK 29652881, may be another; however, its irregular-width ditches with entrance gaps suggest that it may remain from a Neolithic hengiform enclosure. (8)
In 2013 trial trenching confirmed that the two ring ditches to the south of this site were the remains of prehistoric monumens, but failed to confirm existence of the linear feature. (9)
In 2014 further trial trenching confirmed that there were no other significant archaeological monuments on the site. This was followed, in July 2014, by the open area excavation of both prehistoric ring ditches: The ring ditch to the east of the site was idenfified as a double ditched hengi-form monument, about 40m in diameter, containing a central grave. This has been severely damaged by ploughing, but had probably been created in the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age and probably fell out of use in the middle Bronze Age. The ring ditch to the west was of similar size and had also suffered extensive plough damage. Hence its function could not be firmly determined nor could it be securely dated. However, an entrance was idetified on its eastern side, and some pits excavated to its southeast appear to be late Bronze Age in date. (10)
Sources/Archives (10)
- <1> SDR18559 Index: Trent & Peak Archaeological Trust record index. 2021, 2022, 2639.
- <2> SDR18561 Photograph: AP: NMR: Pickering, J. 2928/3-9, 12.
- <3> SDR18560 Photograph: Cambridge: St Joseph AFY 28 VW 53-5.
- <4> SDR17808 Article in serial: Hughes, R. 1961. 'Archaeological sites in the Trent Valley, South Derbyshire', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 81, pp149-150.
- <5> SDR1415 Aerial Photograph: APs (NMR SK 2928/5-9 3029/13.
- <6> SDR6391 Personal Observation: F1 JB 25-JUL-66.
- <7> SDR1127 Archive: Whiteley, S. 1989. Aerial Photographic Transcripton Project.
- <8> SDR20677 Unpublished document: Palmer, R (Air Photo Services). 2004. Willington Power Station, Area Centred SK3129, Derbyshire: Aerial Photographic Assessment. p 4; Figure 2.
- <9> SDR22392 Unpublished document: Wegiel, B (Oxford Archaeology North). 2013. Land West of Dale Farm, Willington, Derbyshire evaluation report.
- <10> SDR24753 Article in serial: Ingham, D (Albion). 2016. Two Ring Ditch Excavations at Willington, Derbyshire, 2014. Vol 136.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 29288 28914 (909m by 363m) (Approximate) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | WILLINGTON, SOUTH DERBYSHIRE, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (5)
- EDR2675
- EDR3354
- EDR5203
- EDR5204
- EDR1381
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
May 18 2021 2:33PM