More information : [SK 1720 8176 - SK 1829 8121] Grey Ditch [G.T.] (1)
Grey Ditch may have been the frontier of a Romano-British enclave
in the 5th or even 6th century A.D. or it may have been occasioned
by strife between later Anglian settlers.
The ditch is everywhere to the north of the bank. A previously
unrecorded portion is noted west of Mich Low.
[SK 16808182] (2)
Sections have been uncovered in a housing site at Bradwell.(3)
Scheduled. (4)
This earthwork is best preserved at its eastern extremity. Here the
bank reaches a max. height of 2.5m. with a ditch on its N.side
well defined to a depth of 1.2m. Elsewhere the height averages
1.6m. with depth of ditch 0.8m. Between SK 17338172 and SK 17148179
and at SK 17658170 the ditch is just faintly discernable as an
unsurveyable depression. The published survey of the whole feature
(25" 1921) is to be amended by the field surveyor. It appears likely
that the terminals of the earthwork at SK 18178128 and SK 17938143
are original. Between these points the ground rises steeply, thus
obviating the necessity for a barrier earthwork. The same situation
also applies where the bank ends on the east side of Mich Low.
The bank and ditch where traceable, are sited on reasonably level
ground, and in two cases are at right angles to the line of old
tracks, i.e. the Roman Road of Batham Gate, and hollow ways at
SK 18308122. It seems likely therefore that the assumption by O'Neil
that the earthwork is of a barrier type is correct. (5)
Published survey (25") revised and resurveyed. (6)
A section was cut through the best preserved sector of Grey Ditch
on the ridge to the east of Bradwell Dale. This showed that the
rampart consisted simply of upcast from the ditch. There were
possible traces of a rough stone revetment at front and rear, but
there was no berm. At the highest point on the ridge is a gap in
the rampart and ditch suggestive of an ancient gateway, but
excavation revealed no sign of timberwork or additional protection.
No dating evidence was found, but from the relationship to the
Roman road the Ditch is likely to be post-Roman. (7)
Scheduled (8)
The feature described above is visible as an earthwork on air photographs, centred at SK 1757 8159. The feature is visible in three sections, the most prominent of which is centred at SK 1775 8152 and clearly shows both the bank and ditch over approximately 400m. The west terminal of the ditch is also visible. The feature was mapped as part of the Derbyshire and Peak District Aggregates Assessment Survey and appears to be partially extant on the latest EARTH.GOOGLE.COM photography (accessed 15-OCT-2009).
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