Monument record 0596800000 - WEST WYCOMBE HILL
Summary
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Map
Type and Period (5)
- CULTIVATION TERRACE (Post-Medieval - 1540 AD? to 1798 AD?)
- HOLLOW WAY (Medieval to Post-Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1798 AD?)
- RIDGE AND FURROW (Medieval to Post-Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1798 AD?)
- CELTIC FIELD SYSTEM? (Early Iron Age to 5th Century Roman - 700 BC? to 409 AD?)
- GARDEN (18th Century - 1700 AD? to 1799 AD?)
Description
Plan Form - LINEAR
REMAINS OF ANCIENT TERRACE CULTIVATION ON HILL, THE LINCES STRETCHING ACROSS THE FRONT. THE UPPER BALK IS USED AS A FOOTPATH TO PORTOBELLO GARDENS; BELOW ARE REMAINS OF 2 OTHER BALKS (B1). 3-4 PARALLEL SCARPS 10M APART, 0.4M HIGH, WITH NO TERRACES BETWEEN ARE PROBABLY ORNAMENTAL (B2).
Background research and detailed topographic survey carried out by English Heritage between April 2000 and June 2001. Cultivation terraces surviving to south, northwest and east of hillfort possibly of Iron Age or Romano-British date, and possibly reused in the 18th century as ornamental terraces for tree-planting. Medieval hollow way and traces of ridge and furrow also survive. See report for detail (B3-B5).
Cultivation terraces can be seen on the front of West Wycombe Hill. The upper balk is now used as a footpath to Portobello gardens; there are the remains of two other balks below this. (SU 827948) (B1).
Visible on air photographs (B2).
Three, possibly four parallel scarps about 10 metres apart and each about 0.4 metres high, across the lower pastured south slopes of West Wycombe Hill. There are no terraces between them, the natural slope being only slightly arrested. A variety of trees, including yew and Juniper, suggest the south face had been formerly landscaped, and that these scarps are probably ornamental (B6).
A series of parallel scarps up to 1metre high originated as earlier field lynchets (SU 89 SW 73) but appear to have been landscaped to form ornamental features - probably in the eighteenth century in association with West Wycombe Park and gardens. The scarps would have been clearly visible from the possible prospect mound (SU 89 SW 8) to the north-west of the Pleasure Grounds.
West Wycombe Park and Church Hill were surveyed by English Heritage to RCHME level 3 standards in 2000-2001. Plans and the full survey report are available in the NMR archive. (B5)
[Linked with HOB 134830]
NRHE Insert 2001, Update 2004 (B7).
Sources (8)
- ---SBC18944 Aerial Photograph: 10/04/47. RAF 85.3137-3138. SU\828944. Yes.
- <1>SBC6104 Bibliographic reference: HARMAN H 1934 NOTES ON WEST WYCOMBE PP52-54..
- <2>SBC9871 Bibliographic reference: NAR SU89 SW7,AUGUST 1974..
- <3>SBC19995 Unpublished document: English Heritage. 2001. West Wycombe Park Buckinghamshire - Part 1: Site History and Introduction. 1.
- <4>SBC19996 Unpublished document: English Heritage. 2001. West Wycombe Park Buckinghamshire - Part II: The Earthwork Surveys. 2. pp42,71,85, 87-88,89,91-92 Fig 21.
- <5>SBC19998 Graphic material: English Heritage. 2000. West Wycombe Park: detailed plans of Pleasure Grounds, Wider Parkland and Church Hill. 1:2500. Fig 18, plus comments from HE staff.
- <6>SBC27603 Verbal communication: J R Linge. 1974. Field Investigators Comments - F1 JRL 01-AUG-74.
- <7>SBC27441 Digital archive: Historic England. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE).
Location
| Grid reference | SU 82700 94800 (point) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | HIGH WYCOMBE, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
- Event - Survey: Detailed topographic survey and background research: West Wycombe Park Survey (EBC16386)
- Event - Survey: Site visit (EBC14187)
Record last edited
Sep 5 2025 11:57AM
