Monument record 0503900000 - THE PYKLE,S SIDE OF CHURCH

SOME OF EARTHWORKS PROBABLY REPRESENT COURSE OF OLD WENDOVER TO BUCKINGHAM TURNPIKE (BI2). SERIES OF DEEP FURROWS &/OR HOLLOW WAYS BUT NO COHERENT PATTERN ON THE GROUND (BI3).

Medieval and/or post medieval village shrinkage is visible on historic aerial photograph and remote sensing data as earthworks and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located in a field immediately SE of St Mary’s Church and centred at SP 80750 18824, the features extend over an area about 250 metres NNW-SSE and 170 metres WSW-ENE, with a watercourse bisecting it W-E. The site comprises about five irregularly shaped platforms with interconnecting boundary ditches. Immediately S of this is a broad linear hollow way up to 21 metres wide and 130 metres long, aligned NNW-SSE and terminating at the watercourse. To the W and E of the hollow way are terraces and a boundary bank and ditch running parallel to it. About halfway along the course of the hollow way is a circular mound about 8 metres in diameter. To the W is a further large trapezoidal platform about 25 x 31 metres at its widest, also flanked by ditches. To the S of the watercourse is a rectangular platform about 30x10.5 metres, immediately E of which the hollow way turns ESE and narrows to 7 metres in width over 60 metres. It then connects with a 36 metres long and 6 metres wide hollow way, aligned NNW-SSE. This is turns joins a probable hollow way about 12 metres wide and 180 metres long, aligned WSW-ENE. It is possible that these feature may represent post-medieval military activity from The English Civil War period given the regularity of the layout and the history of the area, though this is merely speculative. These features are still visible on aerial photographs taken in 2015 and recent remote sensing data (4-9).