More information : (Centred NT 91620855) Confused earthworks and hollow-tracks.
Possibly a double cross-dyke. (1)
Remains of two parallel cross-dykes are situated upon north-west
facing moorland pasture slopes, above a saddle in the north-west to
south-east ridge, along which passes Clennell Street.
The street descending the slopes towards the saddle branches out into
several hollow-ways, which have broken up and confused the original
course of the cross-dykes for some part of their length. On the
slopes to the south-west, however, they are quite distinct, with
ditches on the south, uphill, side. The lower bank is the stronger,
being 4.0-6.0m wide, with a max height of 1.0m. The higher bank is
4.0m, wide, with a max height of 0.3m, and its ditch is 3.0m wide
with a max depth of 0.3m.There are further remains of the cross dykes
to the north-east of the hollow-ways. In the saddle itself, are
numerous fragments of ditch and bank broken up and confused by the
trackways. All are very slight. (2)
The eastern bank and ditch south of Clennell Street are of peculiar
construction and may be modern. At the southern extremity of this
portion the ditch consists of a series of shallow rectangular pits
approx 2.0m x 1.0m and separated by a narrow baulk of earth. This
type of construction is a feature of modern military engineering, the
pits, each representing a one man task, being the first stage in the
construction of a continuous trench. (3)
Only one fragment of these two parallel features between NT 91450841
and NT 91510854 bears any resemblance to a
cross dyke, the remainder being insignificant and probably
modern drainage ditches and upcast. The section of bank and
accompanying ditch in question is only slightly weaker than that of
the classic md example to the south (NT 90 NW7); but whereas there
the ridge is only 250m wide, in this case a dyke of some 600m would
need to be constructed to form an effective obstruction. As
previously noted, there are no traces of any continuation to the NE
beyond the confusion of hollow ways, buthe former existence of a
complete feature cannot be entirely discounted. Sketch survey of
remains at 1:2500. (4)
A short distance from the SW end of the section noted by F3 a slight
but similar bank and ditch strikes off in a westerly direction before
petering out. This may be a later field boundary, but it could have
linked this dike with that to the NW (NT 90 NW 3) forming three
sides of an enclosure to prevent cattle from straying into the steep
valley of the Alwinton Burn. (5)
Mainly as described. Surveyed at 1:10 000 (the feature lying
between NT 91470841 and NT 91510850). (6)
NT 9149 0847. Cross dyke SE of Uplaw Knowe. Scheduled RSM No 25016.
A cross dyke running for 130m above a saddle of ground in a NW to SE
ridge. It is thought that monument was once a much longer feature
running between steep slopes on either side of the ridge. The dyke
comprises an earthen bank 4m-6m wide standing to a maximum height of
1m with a ditch 2.5m wide and 0.5m deep on the S side of the bank.
Clennell Street, a medieval drove road, passes through a gap in the
cross dyke, but its relationship with the monument is uncertain.
It is thought that the cross dyke is prehistoric in origin and marks
a territorial division which may have been reused in the medieval
period. (7)
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