More information : (SP 25153450) INTRENCHMENTS (OE) (1) "Great Wolford - This elevated village, well placed on a triangle of land above the junction of two little streams, was," formerly defended by entrenchments running all round it; they probably enclosed an area of about 30 acres. Even within the memory of people still living ramparts well nigh encircled the village. But they have now been practically levelled, except upon one side, that to the East and South East. Here too they have been considerably mutilated in places. The extant defences show formidable double ramparts with intervening fosse, all placed upon the top of a steep decline which slopes down to the valley of the Nethercote Brook; they are perhaps best preserved at the South East corner, where water still lies in a ditch which is 15' in width. The vallum at this point is 25' high above the water, and the inner bank on 20' high, the enclosed village being on level with the top of it; an inner vallum in all probability once existed here, which has apparently been demolished at some time or other for agricultural purposes. A road running from south-east to north through the village was formerly known as the Ridgeway, and in old deeds a meadow near it on the north is called the Port meadow. An old track-way runs through a gap in the ramparts directly east from the Ridgeway. There are, unfortunately, no records of antiquities having been unearthed here when the banks were demolished, to throw light upon their age or origin." (2) "Visited 16.5.56 with G. Webster. The main feature is a large ditch, now 20' - 25' at the bottom; this was evidently designed to be fed by a spring, and is still wet at the S. end and marshy in the middle. Most of upcast has been thrown on the outer side, making a bank approx. 8' high above the present bottom of the ditch: the inner bank on the W. of the ditch is very slight. The field to the E. has been ploughed with broad rig and furrow. (3) Scheduled as an Ancient Monument. (4) Great Wolford. The name is probably derived from 'wulf' (wolf) and 'weard'. The latter word must have its sense of 'watching protection' or possibly 'ambuscade'. The name would refer to a spot where a watch was kept for wolves --- In support of its use for watching purposes we note the existence of "relics of ancient entrenchments" at Great Wolford. (5) A defensive earthwork. In character the work resembles a late medieval although I do not know of a parallel. It was possibly erected either at the time of the Civil War (which was very active hereabouts) or earlier, as suggested by 5, as a wolf defence. Published survey (25") revised There are no traces of further works to complete the village encirclement. (6)
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