Monument record 9881/4 - Possible Iron Age/Roman settlement

A cluster of accreted ditched enclosures of probable Iron Age or Roman date are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs. Located in fields about 880 metres east of Higham park, four irregularly shaped accreted ditched enclosures are aligned roughly SW-NE over 115 metres, with possible fragments of a further enclosure. Extending NW from each end of the enclosures is a sinuous linear ditch, though these are possibly associated with medieval ridge and furrow cultivation boundaries. Located some 185 metres NE is a further accreted ditched enclosure, comprising two conjoined subcircular ditched enclosures, from whose SW side a curvilinear ditch extends around the south side of the enclosures.

{1} A group of three of four irregularly shaped enclosures visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs taken in June 2011 in the course of the annual English Heritage reconnaissance programme. The main cluster comprises three small enclosures, two of which feature clear entrances, all linked by short linears. Some of the linears appear to form a fourth enclosure. Circa 100 metres or so to the north are the faint cropmark traces of another enclosure (or enclosures), while immediately to the south is a very irregular roughly east-west linear feature which appears to terminate close to the southernmost enclosure.

{1a} As described at {1} above, a cluster of accreted ditched enclosures of probable Iron Age or Roman date are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs and were mapped as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project. Located in fields about 880 metres east of Higham park and centred at SP 99049 64103, four irregularly shaped accreted ditched enclosures are aligned roughly SW-NE over 115 metres, with possible fragments of a further enclosure. Extending NW from each end of the enclosures is a sinuous linear ditch, though these are possibly associated with medieval ridge and furrow cultivation boundaries. Located some 185 metres NE and centred at SP 99210 64195 is a further accreted ditched enclosure, comprising two conjoined subcircular ditched enclosures, from whose SW side a curvilinear ditch extends around the south side of the enclosures. A further 157 metres to the NE is a curvilinear ditch that may represent a further enclosure, but this is unclear. Further to the NE are more enclosures [HER 9881/1, 9881/3 etc].

<1> Oblique Aerial Photograph, NMR 27056_027-036 29-JUN-2011 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN111738.

<1a> Oblique Aerial Photograph, NMR 27056/029 29-JUN-2011 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN111738.

<2> Bedford Borough Council HER, Undated, Bedford Borough NMP, MD003015 (Archive). SNN113023.

Record last edited

Feb 17 2025 6:43PM