Monument record 0879701000 - WEST WYCOMBE HILL
Summary
Fomer quarry visible as earthworks to east of the caves
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Map
Type and Period (1)
- QUARRY (18th Century - 1700 AD? to 1799 AD)
Description
An area of surface quarrying (presumably for chalk for foundations of houses in the village and roads) surviving as irregular scoops in the natural slope can be seen to the east of the entrance to the caves. Apparently not previously cartographically depicted this hollow in the natural slope is 25m wide and 3m deep. A similar area is shown, to the west of the caves on the 1921 Ordnance Survey map as 'Old Quarry'. That these quarries were in existence in 1748 seems likely since it was the presence of scooped depressions here that influenced Dashwood's choice of location for his excavated caves. Early open-cast quarrying is shown in this location on one of Hannan's paintings datingto the 1750s (B2-4).
Sources (3)
- <2>SBC19995 Unpublished document: English Heritage. 2001. West Wycombe Park Buckinghamshire - Part 1: Site History and Introduction. 1.
- <3>SBC19996 Unpublished document: English Heritage. 2001. West Wycombe Park Buckinghamshire - Part II: The Earthwork Surveys. 2. p88, Plate 21.
- <4>XYSBC19998 Graphic material: English Heritage. 2000. West Wycombe Park: detailed plans of Pleasure Grounds, Wider Parkland and Church Hill. 1:2500. Fig 18. [Mapped feature: #52867 ]
Location
| Grid reference | SU 82973 94803 (point) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | HIGH WYCOMBE, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Events/Activities (1)
- Event - Survey: Detailed topographic survey and background research: West Wycombe Park Survey (Ref: 1346157) (EBC16386)
Record last edited
Mar 26 2026 8:51PM
