Monument record 0069300000 - STEWKLEY DEAN, STEWKLEY

HOUSE PLATFORMS, HOLLOW WAYS, POSSIBLE IRREGULAR ENCLOSURES; ESPECIALLY VISIBLE IN FIELD CENTRED SP8384 2658. IN SW CORNER OF FIELD IS A CURVED DITCH, TRACEABLE IN FIELD ADJACENT TO W (B3). MAIN ENCLOSURE INFILLED, FEATURES IN W FIELD PLOUGHED & LEVELLED. EXISTING EARTHWORKS SKETCHED (B4). NGR TO CENTRE OF SITE (B3).

A probable medieval subrectangular ditched and banked enclosure, boundary ditches and platforms are visible on historic aerial photographs and remote sensing data as earthworks and was mapped as part of the North Buckinghamshire Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18304). Located across two fields about 330 metres NE of Dean Tithe Farm and centred at SP 83788 26553, a three sided subrectangular ditch varies between 3 and 5.5 metres wide. The NW facing side is slightly curvilinear and 133 metres NE-SW, the SW facing side is 61.5 metres NW-SE, and the SE facing side is 157 metres SW-NE. The NE facing side does not connect the ditches, with a ditch extending from the NE corner about 34.5 metres NW-SE. Flanking both inner and outer sides of the NW facing enclosure ditch are linear boundary banks about 4 metres wide. The SW facing side has a boundary bank only on the inside of the enclosure ditch. There is no evidence of ridge and furrow cultivation earthworks within the enclosure. In the fields immediately north of the enclosure are a number of curvilinear connected ditches that may be associated with settlement ac ivity. In the corner of one field adjacent Dean Road and centred at SP 83868 26652, three possible small subrectangular platforms are formed by a H-shaped ditch. Recent remote sensing data and aerial photographs taken in 2019 indicate that many of the earthwork features have now been plough levelled and are no longer visible or have been significantly levelled from their condition as they were mapped from aerial photographs taken in 19544 and 1946 (5-8).