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The West Berkshire Historic Environment Record (HER) is the primary index of the physical remains of past human activity in the unitary authority of West Berkshire Council. Limited elements of the West Berkshire HER are available online via the Heritage Gateway, therefore it is not suitable for use in desk-based studies associated with development, planning and land-use changes, and does not meet the requirements of paragraph 194 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021: 56). Please read the important guidance on the use of the West Berkshire HER data. For these purposes and all other commercial enquiries, please contact the Archaeology team and complete our online HER enquiry form.


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HER Number MWB22050
Record Type Monument
Name Linear boundary earthwork, running from south of The Dower House in Hamstead Park to the River Kennet

Grid Reference SU 429 664
Map Sheet SU46NW
Parish Enborne, West Berkshire
Hamstead Marshall, West Berkshire
Map:Show location on Streetmap

Summary

Unscheduled stretches of bank and ditch, a continuation of the scheduled park pale

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

  • Registered Park or Garden (II) 1000525: Hamstead Marshall Park

Monument Type(s):

  • BANK (EARTHWORK) (Medieval to Late 19th century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • PARK PALE (Medieval to Late 19th century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)

Full Description

Two unscheduled boundary ditches, one at each end of a Scheduled stretch of boundary ditch to the north of The Dower House, were identified in the LUC Parkland survey of Hamstead Park in 2009 <1>. They were also identified during Historic England's study of the Lambourn Downs in 2002 <3> and are visible on LiDAR <2>.

The northern unscheduled stretch of boundary ditch was described as a degraded bank with much of the external ditch, visible running down the slope of the Kennet Valley to the east of the third motte in Hamstead Park up to the riverbank <1>. It adds a further c. 160m to the scheduled earthwork park pale of the medieval deer park.

The southern unscheduled stretch of boundary ditch was described as a short, damaged section of ditch and bank c. 80m long, visible between The Dower House and the drive around the eastern boundary of Hamstead Lodge <1>. This stretch was observed to be near an agricultural area, and to have been damaged by fairly heavy machinery and vehicles.

Sources and further reading

<01>Land Use Consultants (LUC). 2009. Hamstead Park Revised Parkland Plan within the Higher Level Stewardship Scheme - Final Report. 2019 WBC Network. [Unpublished document / SWB149562]
<02>Environment Agency. 1999-2017. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) Digital Model. Digital. DTM 2m resolution, Hillshade 4. [Digital archive / SWB148907]
<03>English Heritage. 2002. The Lambourn Downs: A Report for the National Mapping Programme. On Historic England website. https://doi.org/10.5284/1052232. [Unpublished document / SWB13937]
https://www.historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/lambourn-downs-report-nmp/ (Accessed 15/09/2015)

Related Monuments

MWB3337HAMSTEAD MARSHALL DEER PARK (Monument)
MWB3338HAMSTEAD PARK PALE (Monument)
MWB22051Linear earthwork field boundary running southwest from Wise's Wood in Hamstead Park (Monument)

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

EWB1677Hamstead Park Revised Parkland Plan