Monument record 0768700000 - Field to N of Bragenham Side, Stoke Hammond

Cropmarks of possible prehistoric sub-rectangular enclosures, ring ditch and pits identified from aerial photographs taken by Damian Grady of English Heritage in June 2011 and features subsequently analysed and plotted using a variety of different APs and lidar surveys. Cropmarks interpretted as comprising two elongated sub-rectangular ditched mortuary enclosures, aligned roughly N-S, and possibly of Neolithic date. The northernmost enclosure measures c38m long and c15m wide, with the ditches between 0.5m and 1.4m wide and a possible entrance c3.8m wide in the centre of the western side. The southernmost enclosure measures 50m long and c12m-14m wide, with the ditches between c0.5m and c0.9m wide and a possible entrance c2.5m wide, flanked by two internal pits, in the centre of the eastern side. There are traces of four internal pits or post holes c0.8m-c1.6m in diameter within the south end of the southernmost enclosure. The ring ditch is 16m in diameter, with an approx 1m wide ditch, and interpreted as the remains of a Bronze Age barrow. A number of possible pits c2.2m to c2.9m in diameter include two pairs of pits to the SE of the southernmost enclosure which appear to form an arc. Earthworks and cropmarks of medieval to post-medieval ridge and furrow were also recorded. See report for detail (B1).

A probable Bronze Age ring ditch, two possible Neolithic subrectangular ditched mortuary enclosures and scattered pits of uncertain date and function are visible on historic aerial photographs as cropmarks and were mapped as part of the North Buckinghamshire Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18304). Located in a field NNE of Oak Farm in Stoke Hammond village and centred at SP 88750 29604, a circular cropmark ditch up to 1.2 metres wide encloses an internal area about 17 metres in diameter within an area of significant periglacial geological cropmarks. This is ring ditch possibly represents the remains of a Bronze Age barrow. Centred some 32 metres to the ESE at SP 88784 29591 is a 1 to 1.5 metres wide elongated rectangular ditch with rounded corners that encloses an internal area about 50 metres SSW-NNE and 14 metres WNW-ESE. Part of the WNW facing side is not visible, located within an area of periglacial troughs and ice wedge cropmarks. Centred some 73 metres immediately to the N of this at SP 88787 29678 is a second 1 to 1.5 metres wide elongated rectangular ditch with rounded corners that encloses an internal area about 40 metres N-S and 14 metres W-E. These features may be mortuary enclosures of Neolithic date and have also been associated with later Bronze Age funerary sites at other sites, such as at South Petherton in Somerset. To the west of east of these features is a scatter of mostly circular cropmark pits between 2 and 7 metres in diameter. These may be geological in origin. This field was formerly covered by medieval ridge and furrow cultivation earthworks, now plough-levelled and visible as cropmarks (2).