HINDWELL VALLEY NEOLITHIC SITES AND FINDS
Approx. 4000 - 2000 BC
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ROUGH CLOSE NEOLITHIC SITES
Buried Settlement. Grid ref SO 25 61. A high concerntration of flint finds ranging from Mesolithic to Bronze Age together with the features listed below suggest a settlement and/or a workplace. Neolithic or Bronze Age ?

Charcoal Pit. Grid ref SO 253 616. A buried charcoal-filled pit was excavated by CPAT following a geophysical survey. A C14 date of 5860+/-70BP was obtained (SAAN-114).

Enclosure Cropmark,Grid ref SO 252 612. Truncated single ditched enclosure, entrance not visible. Only arc of northern side visible. Possibly associated with pit alignments PRN 50186. (Gibson, A 1994e, 52). C14 date from the primary silts of the ditch 3390+/-70BP (SWAN-21). at at 0.75cm deep in ditch 2010+/-70BP (SWAN-22). Trial excavation was carried out here by CPAT as part of the Walton Basin Project. A small trench measuring 15 x 4.5m was opened over the enclosure ditch. The ditch proved to be 2m across at the top, and 1.2m wide at the base. It was flat-bottomed and measured 0.7m deep. Diagnostic finds were absent (Gibson, A, 1999, 19-20). Part of Rough Close enclosure/pit alignments (multiple) (qv). SEE ALSO UPPER NINEPENCE BARROW

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HINDWELL NEOLITHIC SITES
Possible Cursus (ditched avenue). SW end at Grid ref SO24496052 and NE end at SO24926074. Shows on a combination of aerial photographs and as a combination of cropmark features. 474m long and 54m wide. May underlie PRN 33108. No definite terminals.

The earthwork feature in the centre of the picture below was seen in a field to the rear of the Knapp farm in 2003. There is what appears to be a circular bank and ditch. I have been unable to corroborate this with a known historic site. The feature shows up on an aerial photo and may be the S end of the Hindwell Cursus, although it is a little to the S of the given GR.


Cropmark of Ditch. Grid ref SO 257 607. An arc of ditch which may be part of elliptical pit enclosure 19376.

Palisade. Cropmark of Enclosure Grid ref SO 250 607. Arc of interrupted ditch formed by long ditch segments. The arc has a chord of c250m and if circular would have a diameter of c350m. (Gibson, A 1994a; Gibson, A 1994c, 33). The site could be elliptical if the cropmark PRN 33123 is associated. Excavation showed that the portion of ditch investigated comprised a series of four intersecting post-pits, each with attendant post-ramp. On average they measured 1.7m in diameter at the top. The two which were completely excavated averaged 0.7m in diameter at the base and 1.9m deep. Remains of carbonised oak posts found in situ. C14 dates:- Posthole 1 spit 3 - 3960+/-70BP (SWAN-116) Posthole 4 spit 4 - 4070 +/-70BP (SWAN-117). The ditch encloses 30-35ha with a circumference of approximately 2.3km and with spacing of posts 1.5m. It is estimated that the posts may have stood 6m above the ground with 2m below. (Gibson, A 1996, 341-348). C14 dates from enclosure perimeter: Charcoal from post hole 2 4060+/-BP (SWAN-230) Charcoal from post hole 2 4130+/-80BP (SWAN-231). Physical and geophysical survey was carried out over the enclosure as part of the SEPAH project in 1998. It was discovered that the enclosure does not survive in any way as an earthwork. Magnetometry in the interior of the enclosure revealed some large pits. The entrance to the enclosure was also discovered in the west and it was clear that the perimeter of the enclosure was double in places (Gibson, A M & Jones, N W, 1998). CPAT excavated 2 trenches, each revealing 4 intersecting post pits with post ramps (Gibson, A, 1999, 14-18). For more detailed information about the Palisade click HERE

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WALTON + WALTON GRN. NEOLITHIC SITES
Cropmark of Cursus (ditched avenue) SW end at Grid ref SO2619 5978 and NE end at SO 2682 6001.
A cursus monument 95% in Wales, identified from cropmarks, 660m long by 30m wide with squared ends and rounded corners. A round barrow occurs at the west end in Wales and three roughly rectangular cropmarks lie on its line, also in Wales. Towards the SW end there are indications that the ditch is interupted. Excavation by Alex Gibson of Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust - August to September 1995 as part of the Walton Basin project.3 trenches were excavated through the ditches of the cursus. Two at the east terminal and the third across the north ditch. though the excavations succeeded in locating the ditches of the monument, the results were disappointing in that no dateable materials were found. The ditches were shallow and narrow in keeping with other cursus monuments excavated in Wales

Cropmark of Enclosure. Grid ref SO 267 600 Part of rectilinear cropmark enclosure. Location of site could not be found during ap mapping. Could be NE end of cursus PRN6121. Roman or Neolithic ?

Walton pit alignments Grid ref SO 253 597. TWO PARALLEL PIT ROWS SOME 15M APART AND RUNNING FOR SOME 52M WNW-ESE. AT LEAST 10 PITS VISIBLE IN EACH ROW. SITED ADJACENT TO A 'CIRCULAR' PIT ALIGMENT AND PROB ASSOCIATED WITH IT. CF MELDON BRIDGE AND PAR 4086. House ? Neolithic or Dark Age ?

Cropmark of pit enclosure Grid ref SO 253 598. CURVILINEAR PIT ALIGNMENT. POSS PART OF NW QUADRANT OF CIRCULAR PALISADED ENCLOSURE ASSOCIATED WITH DOUBLE ALIGMENT OF PITS PAR 5292. POSS CONTINUATION OF LINE TOWARDS RIDDLINGS BROOK CONJOINING AT SO2549 5970. WHOLE FEATURE APPEARS TO BE A MELDON BRIDGE TYPE ENCLOSURE!. INTERCUTS WITH ROMAN MARCHING CAMP PAR 371 AND OTHER CROPMARKS PAR 5133. SEE ALSO PAR 4086 FOR EXAMPLE OF SIMILAR CROPMARK (THOUGH SIMILARITY PROB FORTUITOUS). Excavation by CPAT in August 1998 revealed a post-pit c.4.3 x 2m, for a post 0.4m or more in diameter, with a post ramp on one side. Charcoal discovered in the pit has been retained for analysis (Dempsey, J, 1998). Geophysical survey was carried out in December 1995 on the eastern side of the road to attempt to pick up the other side of the pit circle, but no convincing evidence was found. A number of possible pits were located, but do not fit the extrapolated line of the pit circle based on the cropmarks (Stratascan, 1995b).

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UPPER NINEPENCE BARROW + NEOLITHIC HO.
Upper Ninepence barrow and Neolithic enclosure Grid ref SO 251 613 A buried feature excavated in 1994 (CPAT). The excavation revealed underlying Neolithic house beneath the barrow c5m diameter with internal central hearth (PRN 19466) and a circular enclosure (PRN 19467) c12 metres in diameter, presumably contemporary with the settlement. The latter was delimited by a close-set ring of stakeholes. (Gibson, A 1994e, 52). C14 date from pit containing Peterborough pottery and within area defined by house wall 4470+/-80BP (SWAN-23). C14 date from hearth 4240+/-70BP (SWAN-24). C14 dates from pits BM-2966 4410+/-35BP BM-2967 4400+/-50BP BM-2968 4160+/-35BP BM-2969 4050+/-35BP Charred plant remains include hazelnut fragments, cereal grain, chaff and weed seeds. C14 date from post-hole of the perimeter of the enclosure 4170+/-80BP (SWAN-25). SEE ALSO ROUGH CLOSE

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COURT FARM
Possible Gyrus. Grid ref SO 252 599 CROPMARK OF CIRCULAR ONE DITCHED ENCLOSURE SOME 100M DIA. ALLEDGELY A ROMAN GYRUS ASSOCIATED WITH NEARBY FORT, TEMP AND MARCHING CAMPS THOUGH POSS A PREHISTORIC FEATURE RELATING TO PIT ALIGNMENT PAR 4255. INTERCUTS WITH PAR 371 372 5291 THOUGH RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE SITES IS UNCLEAR. Cropmark, Gyrus ?, Ring ditch ?, Henge ? Roman, Bronze Age ?, Neolithic SMR ref 375

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DOWNTON FARM
Barrow. Grid ref SO 237 607. Possible low mound in pasture. Surveyed. Earthwork, Round barrow ?, Bronze Age or Neolithic? SMR ref 3651

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