Monument record 0411500000 - DECOY WOOD, UPPER WINCHENDON

Plan Form - OCTAGONAL
DECOY BELONGING TO WHARTONS WAS IN WOOD NEAR PRESENT FARM (B1).
VERY LITTLE OPEN WATER WHEN VISITED END OF MARCH 1923. GENERAL SHAPE OF PONDS & PIPES CLEAR (B2).
FIELD VISIT: WOOD NOW VERY OVERGROWN THOUGH FEW SMALL LAKES & CHANNELS STILL VISIBLE (B3).

A post medieval duck decoy is visible on remote sensing data within woodland as earthworks and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). The decoy pond is centred at SP 73375 14129 and located entirely within an octagonal woodland called Decoy Wood, which is itself bounded by a ditch and about 230 metres SW of Decoy Farm. Extending from each corner of a 68 x 68 metre square pond is a curving ditch, the SW and NW corner ditches being about 22 metres in length and the SE and NE being about 40 metres long. A linear ditch up to 3 metres wide extends SW from the SW facing side for about 60 metres, terminating at the woodland edge. Bounding the decoy pond sides are sections of earthwork bank, presumably upcast from its construction. Adjacent the SW and NE facing sides of the decoy pond are six rectangular and subrectangular earthwork platforms of various sizes, from 17 x 5 metres to 25 x 27 metres. Also visible are several ditch sections and a mound. Their association with the decoy or it function is uncertain. Within the wood and abutting the NW facing side is a small block of ridge and furrow cultivation earthworks, which may have been truncated in the construction of the decoy pond (4).