Monument record 0917200000 - NE OF SIMBER HILL

'Pit' shown on 1st edition OS 6-inch map (Bucks sheet 23, surveyed 1880); 'Gravel Pit' shown on 1st edition OS 25-inch map (Bucks sheet 23.9, surveyed 1880); 'Stone Pit' shown on Bryant's county map of Bucks (1825); 'Chalk Pit' shown on 6-inch OS map (surveyed 1930) (B1).
Extensive area of quarrying identified by Mike Farley during visit in July 2005. The visible quarried areas fall into at least 4 fields [see CAS 9170 for fields 3-4]. It appears that quarrying may have commenced before the present field boundaries were created but the depth of working in field 1, apparently constrained by the field boundaries, suggests that it could have continued within some of the new fields. Although it is likely that it was stone that was principally sought (cf Bryant and Sheahan), almost the whole is now grassed over. Where small exposures are visible, nothing is visible except sandy clay, possibly the Whitchurch Sand formation, nor is any stone lying on the surface; only small pieces of concrete indicating recent infilling. In the southernmost field, field 1, there is a substantial pit approx 40m across and 3-4m deep. Spoil heaps are adjacent to the north in the same field and evidence of tipping to the west. In field 2 are many smaller workings with much down-slope tipping to the west, the whole crossed by a terraced track which is roughly followed by the North Bucks Way footpath. In both fields 1 and 2 it appears that the down-slope tipping may have been over ridge and furrow, which runs up the hill from the lower slopes (B2).
NGR to surviving remains.