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Summary - not yet available

Monument Type(s):

• DITCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• ENCLOSURE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• EARTHWORK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• POND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• GARDEN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• WATER CHANNEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• CAUSEWAY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• SUBRECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds:

• WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Events:

• Aerial photographic survey at Gravel Diggers Farm, March in 1999
• Aerial Investigation Mapping Project, East Cambridgeshire (Ref: P7767)

Protected Status:

• Scheduled Monument () 1012770: Denny Abbey

Full description

April 1982. Isolated in a fen by a stream.
See also RN 05394 - Medieval abbey.
Classification:
Status: monastic
Building: C12 ruin
Occupied: no
Water supply: surface and stream
Associated mill
Surface finds
Aerial photos
Enclosure plan concentric
Enclosure type rectangular
Enclosure banks without Larger ditches are wet. Smaller are dry
Size: width: 10 - 20m depth: 1 - 1,5m
Appendages numerous ponds
Ridge and furrow:

October 1982. The site is surrounded by a complicated series of double ditches, which enclosed the precinct on all sides. The earthworks stand to 1 1/2 meters in places, but are being eroded, flattened, filled-in and damaged by several factors. These include tree felling and planting, and operations in connection with the use of the land by the Pye Gun Club, this is in the field to S of the abbey buildings. Two substantial wooden scaffold towers have been erected on the earthworks, with considerable disturbance being caused. In addition a low shelter housing the clay pigeon projector on a concrete base has been constructed. Cattle erosion around these structures and especially on the apparent site of a previous shelter is bad. Many trees have been felled and several roots appear to have been removed with subsequent distortion of earthworks. Various areas have been replanted with as many as 50 - 60 trees in different blocks. Near the shelter are several flat paving stones (see maplet).

1. Denny Abbey is surrounded by 15 acres of earthworks, including the remains of fishponds and some unusual rectangular ditched plots which were probably once individual gardens. The First Edition Ordnance Survey Map shows an extensive moat edged with trees.

2. Around Denny can be seen a series of earthworks including a causeway to the south-east, now truncated, but once connecting the religious settlement with the village of Waterbeach. There is a hollow way to the north of the precinct and banks representing field and stock enclosures to the south and west. In the field to the west of the current approach road are two rectangular fishponds.

5-11. Linear features, enclosures, causeway, ponds and a moated site of Medieval date are visible on historic aerial photographs and remote sensing data as earthworks and were mapped as part of the East Cambridgeshire Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (ECB6189). Located at Denny Abbey, Waterbeach, and centred at TL 549248 268429. These earthworks are boundaries, water channels, ponds, garden features and part of a causeway (see 05394) from the north east and moated sites. This area is Scheduled (1012770).

Palmer, R., 1999, Gravel Diggers Farm Area, TL487702, TL487698, TL489690, Cambridgeshire: appraisal of previous mapping and recent aerial photographs (Unpublished report). SCB62233.

Wilson, S., 2010, Aerial photograph of Denny Abbey earthworks (Aerial Photograph). SCB21832.

<1> Cambridgeshire Garden Trust, 2000, The Gardens of Cambridgeshire: A Gazetteer, 65 (Bibliographic reference). SCB21348.

<2> English Heritage, 1995, Schedule of Ancient Monuments - 1995 (Scheduling record). SCB16660.

<5> East Cambridgeshire AIM, 2020, RAF-CPE-UK-1952 FP 1105 25-MAR-1947 (Geospatial data). SCB68966.

<6> East Cambridgeshire AIM, 2020, RAF-CPE-UK-2021 RP 3011 21-Apr-1947 (Geospatial data). SCB68915.

<7> East Cambridgeshire AIM, 2020, RAF-CPE-UK-2021 RP 3014 21-Apr-1947 (Geospatial data). SCB68636.

<8> East Cambridgeshire AIM, 2020, RAF-CPE-UK-2405 RS 4157 24-Nov-1947 (Geospatial data). SCB68786.

<9> East Cambridgeshire AIM, 2020, TL4868 LiDAR Environment Agency 1m DTM 2004-2017 (Geospatial data). SCB68918.

<10> East Cambridgeshire AIM, 2020, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery TL4868 24-JAN-2019 (Geospatial data). SCB68967.

<11> East Cambridgeshire AIM, 2020, LiDAR TL4968 Environment Agency 2004-2017 (Geospatial data). SCB68968.

Sources and further reading

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