Monument record MBC43500 - Remains of probable medieval village shrinkage

Remains of probable medieval village shrinkage is 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 in fields between Leighton Road and Bragenham Side, east of Tyrells Manor in Stoke Hammond village and centred at SP 88363 29435, the main features is a subrectangular earthwork platform about 48 metres SW-NE and 47 metres NW-SE at its widest point. On its NW and SW facing sides is a connected boundary ditch that varies between 4 and 8 metres wide. The SE facing sides is bounded by a medieval field boundary. The platform and associated boundary ditches were still extant in 2007 but aerial photographs taken in 2017 shows that the location is being covered by the foundations of new residential housing in Manor Close and Meadow Brook. Extending NNE from this is a curving ditch that was likely a medieval or pre-inclosure post medieval field boundary, with evidence of it suggested by a curvilinear scatter of trees on the 1st Edition OS map, though the boundary itself is not recorded. To the west of this are two linear ditches that may have been trackways. Aerial photographs taken in 2017 indicate that these features remained extant at that time. Running parallel to Leighton Road at The Green are three sections of linear ditch between 4 and 8 metres wide, aligned NW-SE, that may have been medieval boundaries. The ditch section immediately south of Tyrells Manor is 75 metres long and up to 8 metres wide and had two connected arms at each end aligned SW-NE. By 1973 these features would appear to have been filled in and levelled (1-9).