Monument Number 386646 |
| Hob Uid: 386646 | |
Location :
Essex
Colchester
Boxted
|
| Grid Ref : TM0093032770 |
| Summary : The buried remains of a Late Neolithic henge situated some 2km south of the River Stour and to the north of dwellings at Boxted Cross. The henge is no longer visible on the ground, although its infilled ditches and central pit-like features can be seen from the air as cropmarks. First identified as a henge on morphological grounds in 1975, the monument has since been targed by aerial survey and showed up particularly well in June 1980 and August 1983 when photographed by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England and local aerial photographer Mrs Ida McMaster. The henge is defiend by a broad circular, penannular ditch, infilled and buried, with two opposing entrances to the north and south. The external diameter of the ditched enclosure is some 40 metres; the ditch itself is 5 metres wide, giving an internal diameter of some 30 metres. The henge would originally have had an external bank, and although this has long since been reduced by ploughing, a 5 metre wide margin is included in the scheduling in order to protect surviving archaeological traces. Several large pit-like features are clearly visible as cropmarks within the area delimited by the ditch and bank, and these are considered to represent features related to the ritual use of the enclosure. Scheduled. |
More information : "TM 00853270 Boxted, 30 metres. A class 11 henge with a wide somewhat ploughed out ditch. Various linear ditches are near, together with prolific varigated 'field outlines' of glacial subsoil cracking which extends into the next field southwards". (See plan).
Nothing visible on available air photographs. (1-2)
TM 00853270. In August 1983 the site at Boxted appeared more clearly, revealing an off-centre dark feature enclosed by a fainter rectangular ditch. In addition a faint trackway could be seen issuing from the south-west entrance/causeway in the substantial outer ditch, and travelling in the direction of the present road there. The linear ditches of a ploughed-out road or track of obviously different date were visible extending roughly parallel to the same existing road, and were in turn, cut at right angles by three other parallel ditches, an arrangement reminiscent of a typical Roman field layout. A discussion of the function of the site suggests it might be a windmill tump. (3)
Additional reference. (4)
Listed by Harding and Lee as a possible henge or mill related site. (5) |