More information : (SK 09280763 - SK 09360732) Possible Dyke to Pipe Hill. (1)
A Roman military barricades extended from Wall northwards to Pipe
Hill, "parallel to the brook, which passing east of Pipe Hill, goes
through Wall."
This fortification was composed of the whole trunks of oaktrees
standing upright close to each other, and driven 4' into the
ground. The timber above ground has long since rotted off;
but numbers of the bottoms had been dug up (in the 18th.
cent.) by Mr Bradburne in draining his estate here.
Mr. Bradburne found in digging a drain, several entire pieces of
timber, of which the barricade had been composed. "These were
about 2' below the surface, and were whole oak trunks, 12' long
and 1' diam. with a look-out slot in the top 3' long x 4" wide.
"This barricade has already been traced upwards of 500 yds. in
length, not continued in a straight line, but strengthened with
flanking bastions placed according to the nature of the ground,
so as to inclose a natural swell or bank of earth."
"The surrounding fosse, now filled with peat" was found to be
12' wide at the top, 5' deep, and 3' wide at the bottom.
Some Roman coins and a wooden mallet have been found near the
barricade, which is dated by Shaw to c.120 AD. (2)
Similar Information - "The structure was possibly of a date
later than the Roman occupation. A copper coin of Hadrian
(AD 120) was found on the site". (3)
No trace of an earthwork seen in the area indicated by auth (1). (4)
Mr Gould points out that Bradburne (mentioned in Authy 2) lived
at Pipe Place (SK 087073). (5)
|