Ancient Monuments

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Earthwork north west of Childown Farm on Chobham Common

A Scheduled Monument in Foxhills, Surrey

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.3654 / 51°21'55"N

Longitude: -0.5737 / 0°34'25"W

OS Eastings: 499391.936077

OS Northings: 163896.593129

OS Grid: SU993638

Mapcode National: GBR F9Z.CRT

Mapcode Global: VHFTW.0YK4

Entry Name: Earthwork NW of Childown Farm on Chobham Common

Scheduled Date: 25 May 1953

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1005951

English Heritage Legacy ID: SU 71

County: Surrey

Electoral Ward/Division: Foxhills

Traditional County: Surrey

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Surrey

Church of England Parish: Chobham with Valley End

Church of England Diocese: Guildford

Summary

Triple-banked enclosure, 315m east of Honey Cottage on Chobham Common

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 17/10/14. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

DESCRIPTION
The monument includes a quadrangular earthwork enclosure, denoted by three banks and two ditches. It is situated on gently sloping heathland in a low-lying area of Chobham Common known as ‘Old Slade’. The enclosure measures about 55m NNE to SSW by 64m WNW to ESE and has slightly rounded corners. There is a causeway entrance in the centre of the NNE side and another opposite in the SSW side. The two ‘V’ shaped ditches are 1.2m deep from the top of the bank. On the ESE side the monument has been disturbed by an excavation trench of unknown date. The original use of the earthwork is uncertain although it has been suggested that it may have been a medieval pig enclosure or a defensive work of earlier origin.

Further archaeological remains survive within the vicinity of this monument but are not included because they have not been formally assessed. A possible Roman road running across Chobham Common, to the east of the earthwork, has been identified from aerial photographs.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Enclosures are man-made works which can date from the Bronze Age to the Post Medieval period. They are usually constructed as a means of protection or demarcation whether for animals or humans and are commonly denoted by banks and/or ditches.

The enclosure at Old Slade, Chobham Common survives well in an area of open heathland with little present day development. As such, the site has a high degree of potential for further archaeological investigation. Despite the uncertainty concerning its identification it is clear that this earthwork is very unusual in form and must be considered of archaeological importance. It is likely that the earthwork will contain archaeological and environmental information relating to the enclosure and the landscape in which it was built.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Surrey HER 1857. NMR SU96SE5, SU96SE12. PastScape 250959, 250978.

Source: Historic England

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