Please read Important information about Oxfordshire’s Historic Environment Record data on Heritage Gateway

Monument Type(s):

• TOWN DEFENCES? (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 1065 AD)

Summary

Reputed Saxon rampart round Witney; decribed by C19th historians. C20th housing estate and service trenching revealed no evidence.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds:

Description

3) New housing estate at SP 351-3, 094-6, revealed no signs of rampart or ditch. If there was ever a rampart, Sturdy suggests it is most likely Belgic, although only coins of this period are known from the town
4) Housing estate and survey of rest of supposed line revealed no evidence except for low mound along S edge of churchyard.
5) No trace of bank or ditch observed when cable trench cut across supposed line in 1959.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 6" map, 1919-38 (Map). SOX7.

<2> Local History Publications, Giles: History of Witney (1852) pp.19/20 (Bibliographic reference). SOX291.

<2a> Local History Publications, Monk: History of Witney (1894) p.6 (Bibliographic reference). SOX291.

<3> OS Record Card, SP 30 NE 4 (Index). SOX273.

<4> Medieval Archaeology, Vol 3 (1959) p.299 (Serial). SOX318.

<5> General reference, Rodwell: Hist Towns in Oxon, p.179 (Bibliographic reference). SOX373.

<6> Oxford Architectural & Historical Society, Oxoniensia, Vol XXIV (1959) p.102 (Serial). SOX284.

Sources

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.