| Summary : A Late Neolithic palisaded enclosure at West Kennet Farm, one of two large enclosures (see also SU 16 NW 69) located side by side and forming the dominant features in a complex of broadly contemporary palisaded structures. Excavations undertaken between 1987 and 1992 confirmed the Late Neolithic date of much of the complex and an overwhelming association with Grooved Ware pottery. The enclosure (Palisade Enclosure 2) appears as an elongated oval, defined by a single palisade, orientated northwest-southeast and up to 340 metres in maximum length and perhaps 200 metres wide. Towards its eastern end it contains 3 further circular structures, one of which features a "funnel"-like approach. In addition, two linear palisades leave the enclosure in a southeasterly direction, terminating at or near additional circular monuments over 200 metres away. Some Saxon pottery was also encountered during the excavations, but no certain features of that date were noted. |
More information : A Late Neolithic palisaded enclosure at West Kennet Farm, one of a pair recognised as cropmarks and partially excavated between 1987 and 1992. This enclosure, the more westerly of the pair, is known as Palisade Enclosure 2. The other, Palisade Enclosure 1, is recorded as SU 16 NW 69. Note that both enclosures and various associated features were all originally recorded as SU 16 NW 69. For reasons of clarity, Enclosure 2 and its associated features have now been recorded here. However, SU 16 NW 69 contains information and sources relevant to Enclosure 2.
Palisade Enclosure 2 is an elongated oval enclosure defined by a single circuit of palisade ditch. Aligned broadly northwest-southeast, it is a maximum of 340 metres long. Its width is less certain as the northern part of the enclosure lies outside arable land. The River Kennet runs east-west a little to the north, and the degree of curvature of the palisade dtich suggests that the enclosure probably does not cross the current course of the river, suggesting a maximum width of about 200 metres.
The existence of the enclosure and its full extent became clear during Alasdair Whittle's 1987-92 excavations, which began following recognition of Enclosure 1 to the east. However, the western end of Enclosure 2 was first photographed (but not recognised) as a cropmark prior to World War Two. Whittle's excavations sampled only small areas of both enclosures, but suggested that many of the features in the complex were defined by near continuous walls of substantial timbers perhaps standing as much as 6 metres above ground level. The associated pottery assemblage consisted entirely of Late Neolithic Grooved Ware, with the sole exception of a single sherd of Middle Neolithic Mortlake Ware from one of the Enclosure 2 trenches. The radiocarbon dates from the complex as a whole focused on the period circa 2500-2000 BC, and although it is clear that the complex was a multi-phase one, neither radiocarbon nor pottery allowed a reliable phasing of the site to be constructed.
The complex as a whole has been plotted from cropmark evidence by RCHME/English Heritage on 4 separate occasions: 1990, 1992 and 1999 - see SU 16 NW 69 - and 2002. The most recent utilised new cropmark evidence photographed in the summer of 2000 as well as excavation and geophysical survey evidence in order to plan the complex. Enclosure 2 is directly associated with a number of internal and external structures (the naming and numbering of which follows Whittle's (1997) excavation report), summarised below. For full details of each, see the archive report.
Structure 1 - SU 1089 1680. A double concentric feature crossed by the modern field boundary in such a way as to suggest that there may originally have been a central mound. The outer circle is circa 45 metres in diameter, the inner circa 22 metres. Excavation showed that both circles held timber palisades.
Structure 2 - SU 1084 6808. A double concentric feature less than 10 metres northwest of Structure 1. It appears to be crossed on its wester side by Outer Radial Ditch 3 (below). The outer palisade circuit is up to 30 metres in diameter, the inner circa 10 metres. The latter comprised a free-standing circle of posts rather than a continuous palisade.
Structure 3 - SU 1085 6811. A double concentric feature. The outer (palisaded) circuit is elliptical inshape and appears to back on to Outer Radial Ditch 3, and is up to 45 metres across. it also intersects on its southern side with the outer circuit of Structure 2. The inner circuit is circa 15 metres across and contains in the enclosed area a single post hole which originally held a substantial post.
Inner Radial Ditches 1 & 2 - SU 1091 6812. Structure 3 is approached from the east by a funnel-like arrangement of linear ditches, probably representing palisades, which begin at the palisade of Enclosure 2 and run for at least 75 metres towards Structure 3, the gap between them narrowing markedly in the process. The ditch of Enclosure 2 features an entrance marked by substantial post-holes mid-way between the two radial ditches. The "funnel" is also crossed by two further ditches which also feature similar entrances.
Outer Radial Ditch 2 - SU 10936808 to SU 10986811. An arc of probable palisade ditch traversing the narrow gap between Enclosures 1 and 2. It appears to terminate on Enclosure 2's ditch, but continue across the outer ditch of Enclosure 1.
Outer Radial Ditch 1 - SU 10906802 to SU 11066786. A more or less straight, linear palisade ditch that runs southeast from the outer side of Enclosure 2's ditch for some 240 metres, apparently terminating against the outer circuit of Structure 4 *SU 16 NW 70).
Outer Radial Ditch 3 - SU 10846812 to SU 10916780. A probably continous length of palisade ditch (the cropmarks and excavation evidence are incomplete) which begins within Enclosure 2, just north of Structure 3, which appears to back onto it. it continues south across the western half of Structure 2 until it reaches the palisade ditch of Enclosure 2, at which point it curves to the southeast and appears to head in a nearly straight line to the outer circuit of Structure 5 (SU 16 NW 215) circa 220 metres away, making a minimum total length of 340 metres.
Note that as well as Late Neolithic material, some Early Medieval pottery was also found during Whittle's excavations. No structures of this date were found, although extensive evidence for medieval settlement has been found during work focused on the northern half of Enclosure 1. (1, 2) |