Monument record MBC47776 - MEDIEVAL DITCHES AND HOLLOW WAY, BIERTON

Medieval parallel linear boundary ditches, a hollow way and a platform are visible on historic aerial photographs and remote sensing data as earthworks and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located in a field about 200 metres SE of St James Church and centred at SP 83710 15081, three parallel ditches are aligned NW-SE along with a hollow way on the same alignment. About 6 metres wide, the linear hollow way extends about 160 metres, with an apparent right angled junction at the SE end, with a short 7 metres wide hollow way that extends 26 metres SW. Between the parallel ditches is a rectangular earthwork platform about 31.5 metres by 24.5 metres. A network of linear ditches and banks and a probable fishpond can be seen as earthworks between areas of ridge and furrow earthworks on the south side of a moat, the church of St James and Uptown Well. The pond is clear as an almost subrectangular earthwork measuring 47x18m at its largest, on the north side of a watercourse which could have been part of its water supply. The ditches are parallel to existing and historic field boundaries and they seem to connect the moat and watercourse. A linear bank and ditch along the line of a former road continues in to ridge and furrow field systems to the south. These ditches join in to another ditch forming a road towards the moated site (see MBC47775). On aerial photographs taken in 2023 and recent remote sensing data, much of the features remain visible (1-7)