| Description | The henge, whose bank partly survives as a low earthwork on the west/ southwest side, is slightly oval in plan (mean E W diam. 600 ft.), with two opposed entrances to northeast and southwest. The NE part of the henge has been destroyed by a road re alignment and school playing fields now cover a small part of the SE side of the monument. A field track runs almost through centre of henge, respecting the W entrance. The site lies in fields used predominantly for market gardening and the west/southwest sides in particular, where the bank is still visible as an earthwork, are being badly eroded by ploughing (see soilmarks of limestone on APs). Although classified as an 'Atkinson class IIA' in the past, Riley (1980) suggested Class II on the basis of his AP results which provided no evidence for an external ditch. DoE observations however (1965) and reputedly an MoD AP of c.1945 both suggest evidence of an external ditch. All APs now examined (listed above) show that whilst the possibility of an external ditch cannot be entirely dismissed, there is no good evidence for one needs ascertaining by geophys. survey? (mag.survey on SE side shows no external ditch). Site has not received the attention it demands in view of its uniqueness in the area. No proper survey exists although it forms part of a project proposed to HBMC in 1986 for investign. by survey and excavn. of a large area of this prehist. landscape (see PRN 1296). Of immediate relevance to the henge is the relationship of a ring ditch (PRN 1303) which lies adjacent to the inner ditch and under or over the projected line of the henge bank which is now levelled at this point if it was ever constructed here. Some APs show the henge to be covered by rectilin. system of narrow cropmarks query if of recent origin not easily interpreted as drainage. |