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Designations

Grid Reference:	SP 512 258
Parish:	ARDLEY, CHERWELL, OXFORDSHIRE
	FRITWELL, CHERWELL, OXFORDSHIRE
	KIRTLINGTON, CHERWELL, OXFORDSHIRE
	LOWER HEYFORD, CHERWELL, OXFORDSHIRE
	MIDDLETON STONEY, CHERWELL, OXFORDSHIRE
	SOMERTON, CHERWELL, OXFORDSHIRE
	SOULDERN, CHERWELL, OXFORDSHIRE
	UPPER HEYFORD, CHERWELL, OXFORDSHIRE

Monument Type(s):

• BOUNDARY BANK (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
• BOUNDARY DITCH (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
• (Former Type) ROAD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Summary

Margary 161. Also known as Ashbank or Wattlebank. Now interpreted as Iron Age tribal boundary.

Associated Monuments

• None

Associated Finds:

• None

Description

5) Scored as RB road for MPP.
6) OS map depicts the present Fritwell-Souldern road from Fritwell to Inkerman Farm as an extension of the ancient linear monument known as Aves Ditch. Four sections over a distance of 100m failed to show any trace of the road beneath or beside the present road. South of Fritwell, this road appears as a ploughed down bank and W of Middleton Stoney as a bank flanked by at least one ditch. C17-18 cartographers depict this as a road from Kirtlington to Plough Hill. Sometimes it is interpreted as 4 intersecting Roman roads which might explain its changes in direction over a relatively short distance, and may also explain the apparent absence of archaeological remains N of Fritwell.
7) Detailed survey of 2 Roman roads intersecting east of Fritwell showed that Margary 161A was the earlier and had an agger up to 22m wide. 2nd road continued line of Aves Ditch, making diversions to take advantage of existing course of other road.
8) Two Roman roads associated with northern part of Aves Ditch have intersecting alignments and are good examples of Roman road building. Both are independent of field boundaries and show good rises in hedge line between them.
9) Excavated by OUAS because of its reported function as a Roman road (runs straight for 4.2kms). IA pottery found in ditch fill and ditch banks, and depth of singular ditch suggested IA date.
10) Second season of excavation confirmed conclusions above; this earthwork and 2 Grims Ditches may have formed west edge of Catuvellauni.
11) Archaeomag dates of 500-325 BC , ie LIA to early Roman. Conditions not ideal in collecting samples so discretion needed.
14) A length of the Ditch was fieldwalked in 2004 ahead of a pipeline. No significant scatters were located.
16) No new information provided in 3rd edition of Roman Roads. (see DRF for PRN 8926 for copy of relevant page).
17) Recent work on Aves Ditch has supported theory of IA tribal boundary, perhaps extending its use until Anglo Saxon period. See EOX6403-4 and report for full account of C19 and C20 excavations and interpretations.
18) Draft publication report for Oxoniensia.
19) Aves Ditch has been identified at various times as a Roman road or a Saxon boundary earthwork. The difficulty with the former is that it does not display the characteristic long-distance economy of line which would accord with any conceivable object. Investigation has now shown that the Ditch is a complex association of three Roman roads and a droveway. The southern section is part of a Roman road evidently to connect Cirencester with Towcester via Akeman Street. The mid section is the Portstraete of the Ardley Saxon charter, thought to come from Woodeaton, and a third Roman road, whose apparent objective is Blacklands, north of Kings Sutton, probably originates at Alchester.
20) See published report for details.




<1> General reference, I D Margary: 'Roman Roads in Britain', I (1957) p.152 (Bibliographic reference). SOX373.

<2> OS Record Card, SP 42 SE 1 (Index). SOX273.

<3> General reference, Rahtz & Rowley:'Middleton Stoney, Excavation and Survey, 1970-82' p.3 (Bibliographic reference). SOX373.

<4> M Gelling, Place Names of Oxfordshire, Part I, Vol XXIII, p.5 (Monograph). SOX412.

<5> MPP Documents for Oxfordshire, S Lisk, 7.7.93 (Index). SOX259.

<6> Oxford Architectural & Historical Society, Oxoniensia, Vol LVII (1992) p.51. Archaeology of M40, R A Chambers (Serial). SOX284.

<7> Britannia, Vol VI (1975) pp.256-7 (Serial). SOX282.

<8> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, CBA9 Vol 5 (1975) pp.16-17 (Serial). SOX5.

<9> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, Vol 28 (1998) pp.73-5 (Serial). SOX5.

<10> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, Vol 29 (1999) pp.65-69 (Serial). SOX5.

<11> Current Archaeology, Vol 163, pp.268-9 by E Sauer (Serial). SOX444.

<13> Additional Information in Detailed Record File, Notes and references by C J Bond and R A Chambers (Index). SOX258.

<14> Cotswold Archaeology, 2004, Angelinos Pumping Station to Ardley Reservoir Mains Reinforcement, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Fieldwalking Survey (Unpublished document). SOX1470.

<15> Lang Hall Archaeological Consultancy, 2004, LINEAR Angelinos Pumping Station to Ardley Reservoir Mains Reinforcement, Oxfordshire: An Assessment of the Archaeological Implications, Listed in DBA (Unpublished document). SOX1930.

<16> I D Margary, 1973, Roman Roads in Britain, 3rd edition, p168 -- see DRF (Monograph). SOX1977.

<17> Eberhard Sauer, 2005, Linear Earthwork, Tribal Boundary and Ritual Beheading: Aves Ditch from the Iron Age to the Early Middle Ages (Monograph). SOX1978.

<18> Cotswold Archaeology, 2009, Angelinos Pumping Station to Ardley Reservoir, Oxfordshire: Draft Publication Report (Unpublished document). SOX2330.

<19> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, CBA9 NL 4 (1974) p.10 (Serial). SOX5.

<20> Oxford Architectural & Historical Society, Oxoniensia, Vol LXXV (2010), pp 133-163 (Serial). SOX284.

Sources

<1>	General reference. I D Margary: 'Roman Roads in Britain', I (1957) p.152. [Bibliographic reference / SOX373]
<2>	OS Record Card. SP 42 SE 1. [Index / SOX273]
<3>	General reference. Rahtz & Rowley:'Middleton Stoney, Excavation and Survey, 1970-82' p.3. [Bibliographic reference / SOX373]
<4>	M Gelling. Place Names of Oxfordshire. Part I, Vol XXIII, p.5. [Monograph / SOX412]
<5>	MPP Documents for Oxfordshire. S Lisk, 7.7.93. [Index / SOX259]
<6>	Oxford Architectural & Historical Society. Oxoniensia. Vol LVII (1992) p.51. Archaeology of M40, R A Chambers. [Serial / SOX284]
<7>	Britannia. Vol VI (1975) pp.256-7. [Serial / SOX282]
<8>	CBA South Midlands Group. South Midlands Archaeology. CBA9 Vol 5 (1975) pp.16-17. [Serial / SOX5]
<9>	CBA South Midlands Group. South Midlands Archaeology. Vol 28 (1998) pp.73-5. [Serial / SOX5]
<10>	CBA South Midlands Group. South Midlands Archaeology. Vol 29 (1999) pp.65-69. [Serial / SOX5]
<11>	Current Archaeology. Vol 163, pp.268-9 by E Sauer. [Serial / SOX444]
<13>	Additional Information in Detailed Record File. Notes and references by C J Bond and R A Chambers. [Index / SOX258]
<14>	Cotswold Archaeology. 2004. Angelinos Pumping Station to Ardley Reservoir Mains Reinforcement, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Fieldwalking Survey. [Unpublished document / SOX1470]
<15>	Lang Hall Archaeological Consultancy. 2004. LINEAR Angelinos Pumping Station to Ardley Reservoir Mains Reinforcement, Oxfordshire: An Assessment of the Archaeological Implications. Listed in DBA. [Unpublished document / SOX1930]
<16>	I D Margary. 1973. Roman Roads in Britain, 3rd edition. p168 -- see DRF. [Monograph / SOX1977]
<17>	Eberhard Sauer. 2005. Linear Earthwork, Tribal Boundary and Ritual Beheading: Aves Ditch from the Iron Age to the Early Middle Ages. BAR. [Monograph / SOX1978]
<18>	Cotswold Archaeology. 2009. Angelinos Pumping Station to Ardley Reservoir, Oxfordshire: Draft Publication Report. [Unpublished document / SOX2330]
<19>	CBA South Midlands Group. South Midlands Archaeology. CBA9 NL 4 (1974) p.10. [Serial / SOX5]
<20>	Oxford Architectural & Historical Society. Oxoniensia. Vol LXXV (2010), pp 133-163. [Serial / SOX284]

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