Monument record 0195600000 - 550M ENE OF BIDDLESDEN HOUSE

Summary

Ring-ditch seen on aerial photograph and marked on historic map, possibly a prehistoric burial mound or a post-medieval windmill mound

Protected Status/Designation

  • Planning Notification Area: Ring ditch cropmark (DBC8573)

Map

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Type and Period (3)

  • WINDMILL MOUND? (Post-Medieval - 1540 AD? to 1798 AD?)
  • RING DITCH (Unknown date)
  • ANTI AIRCRAFT GUN POST (20th Century - 1900 AD to 1999 AD)

Description

Plan Form - CIRCULAR
PROBABLE RING DITCH WITH CENTRAL PIT VISIBLE ON AERIAL PHOTO C.550M.ENE OF BIDDLESDEN HOUSE (B1).
MOUND SHOWN ON 1885 OS MAPS (B2).
POSSIBLE MILL MOUND OR REUSED BARROW. SEE CAS 4268 (UNLOCATED WINDMILL).

A Second World War anti-aircraft gun emplacement constructed in the earthworks of a possible prehistoric burial mound or a post-medieval windmill mound is visible on historic aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the North Buckinghamshire Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18304). Located in a field about 575 metres ENE of Biddlesden House and centred at SP 463786 240064, this C-shaped earthwork bank and ditch as a centred circular pit used as the emplacement and is part of an adjacent much larger searchlight battery that was operational in 1942, but which was abandoned by 1946 (HER MBC44899). It appears that the battery crew exploited the existing earthwork mound recorded on 1st edition OS maps as the basis for their anti-aircraft gun post, presumably saving much time and effort. The earthwork emplacement has been mostly levelled by 1973 but is still just visible at that time. However, by 2017 the feature has been plough-levelled and visible as a cropmark (3-7).

Sources (7)

  • <1>SBC12464 Bibliographic reference: R.J.WILLIAMS (MKDC),19 JUNE 1984 (SEE HIS COLOUR TRANSPARENCY A/P IN CAS FILE 1956)..
  • <2>SBC10321 Map: OS 1885 FIRST ED 6 INCH MAP. / FIRST ED 25 INCH MAP..
  • <3>SBC26163 Aerial Photograph: Historic England. 2023. RAF-HLA-544 RV 6083 20-MAY-1942.
  • <4>SBC26164 Aerial Photograph: Historic England. 2023. US-7PH-GP-LOC201 PORT 13050 06-MAR-1944.
  • <5>SBC26167 Aerial Photograph: Historic England. 2023. RAF-106G-UK-1380 RP 3067 09-APR-1946.
  • <6>SBC26166 Aerial Photograph: Historic England. 2023. OS-73336 V 465 24-JUN-1973.
  • <7>SBC25593 Aerial Photograph: Google Earth. Google Earth Pro. Dated 08-APR-2017 Date Accessed 30-NOV-2022.

Location

Grid reference SP 63780 40070 (point)
Civil Parish BIDDLESDEN, Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (2)

  • Event - Survey: (EBC11900)
  • Event - Survey: Aerial investigation and mapping project (Ref: 7768) (EBC18304)

Record last edited

Jun 28 2023 3:28PM

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