Monument record 0094800000 - S & W OF MANOR FARM

Summary

Earthworks of shrunken medieval village recorded in field survey and on aerial photographs - A medieval settlement situated near the foot of the Chiltern escarpment below Chequers Knap, some 250 metres west of St Nicholas's Church. The settlement is marked by a series of rectangular enclosures. These enclosures, or tofts, vary between 15 metres and 40 metres in width, each containing visible evidence of buildings and other features in the form of low undulations, platforms and hollows. The enclosures are divided by gullies and banks which are linked to a shallow hollow way running along the southern edge of the alignment. To the south of the hollow way are traces of an incomplete furlong of medieval ridge and furrow. The eastern limit of the cultivation earthworks is marked by two parallel ditches, each with a contiguous bank. These ditches extend further to the east and although they are now dry, they are thought to have been designed to channel water down the slope from the spring line adjacent to the Aylesbury Road. Scheduled.

Protected Status/Designation

  • Archaeological Notification Area: Earthwork complex of Medieval moats, fishponds and shrunken settlement (DBC9149)
  • Scheduled Monument 1017513: MOATED SITE AND MEDIEVAL SETTLEMENT REMAINS 200M SOUTH WEST OF MANOR FARM (DBC7231)

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Type and Period (1)

  • SHRUNKEN VILLAGE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Description

SCHEDULED SAM 29406. NUMBER OF RECTANGULAR PLATFORMS BY SUNKEN TRACK PRESUMABLY MEDIEVAL VILLAGE SITE (B3).
PHOTOGRAPHED FROM THE AIR (B5).
BUILDING PLATFORMS, PROPERTY BOUNDARIES, HOLLOW WAYS AND SMALL AREA OF RIDGE & FURROW PLANNED AT 1:2500 (B6).



(SP 82400584) Earthworks (NR) (B7).
At Great Kimble, there are traces of lines of entrenchment in the form of a redan. The sections are shallow and apparently much worn. Probably 17th century (B1 nd B8).

On a gentle W-facing slope, immediately S of a stream valley, are two banks, 0.8m high, each with a contiguous ditch, 0.6m deep, to the S. They form a "dog-leg" shape on plan, about 200.0m long. It is highly unlikely that they are military entrenchments, as their position renders then unsuitable for either defence or attack. They appear as typical Md field boundary banks and ditches, and indeed, the southern most bank is on the same alignment as a later field bank (shown as a hard line feature on OS 25"). Other Md banks and a moat (SP 80 NW 15) occur in the vicinity. Published survey (25") revised (B9).
A motte, a manorial boundary bank and ditch, moats and house platforms were discovered (B10).

The "motte" mentioned by authority 4 is Dial Hill at SP 82500599 (SP 80 NW 25). It is severely mutilated by garden landscaping (See field report 2/71). The "manorial boundary bank" is as described on 29 2 71. The "moats"refer to homestead moats at SP 82220590 (SP 80 NW 15) and at SP 82050585 (SP 80 NW 14). The "house platforms" refer to three, possibly four, amorphous enclosures at SP 82250580 circa 40.0m square and probably contemporary with the nearby homestead moat (B11).

This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 4 June 2025 licensed under the Open Government Licence.

Sources (14)

  • ---SBC17337 Aerial Photograph: 15/07/86. BCM A11/3/15. SP\823057. Yes.
  • ---SBC17532 Aerial Photograph: 11/08/79. BCM A4/15/18A-19A. SP\822058. Yes.
  • <1>SBC20466 Bibliographic reference: Royal Commision on Historical Monuments. 1912. Historical Monuments in Buckinghamshire Volume 1. Volume 1. pp168-169.
  • <2>SBC10628 Unpublished document: Ordnance Survey Field Investigator. OS RECORD CARD.
  • <3>SBC14048 Scheduling record: English Heritage. 1997. SCHEDULING LISTS OF INSPECTORATE OF ANCIENT MONUMENTS.
  • <4>SBC19282 Verbal communication: Mike Farley. 1973. Farley M E (BCM) Notes from Field Visit Nov 1973.
  • <5>SBC4834 Bibliographic reference: FARLEY M E (BCM) AUG 1979 AIR PHOTO.
  • <6>SBC16494 Graphic material: WENT D (ENGLISH HERITAGE) SUMMER 1997 FIELD VISIT (1:2500 SKETCH PLAN, FILED).
  • <7>SBC27454 Map: Ordnance Survey. 1960. Ordnance Survey Map (6" /1960). Map.
  • <8>SBC29066 Aerial Photograph: J K St Joseph. AP: JK St Joseph AU60.
  • <9>SBC29067 Verbal communication: N K Blood. 1971. Field Investigators Comments - F1 NKB 29-NOV-71.
  • <10>SBC28792 Article in serial: Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society. 1971. 'Archaeological Notes from the Buckinghamshire County Museum', in Records of Buckinghamshire Vol 19, part 21, pages 92-95.
  • <11>SBC29068 Verbal communication: N K Blood. Field Investigators Comments - F2 NKB 23-AUG-74.
  • <12>SBC27441 Digital archive: Historic England. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE). Insert 1998.

Location

Grid reference Centred SP 82339 05836 (329m by 146m)
Civil Parish GREAT AND LITTLE KIMBLE, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (2)

Related Events/Activities (3)

  • Event - Survey: (EBC13830)
  • Event - Survey: (EBC14087)
  • Event - Survey: Farley M E (BCM) Field visit Nov 1973 (EBC1396)

Record last edited

Feb 11 2026 5:03PM

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