Monument record 0209900000 - NORTH OF DORNEY REACH

Summary

Cropmarks north of Dorney Reach showed a probable late prehistoric landscape, partly destroyed during building of M40. A possible prehistoric or Roman settlement, consisting of hut circles, enclosures, a trackway and pits, is visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs. The settlement extends over an area measuring 200m by 230m. Ditched boundaries form rectilinear enclosures within two of which are two hut circles. A trackway, defined by double ditches measuring 180m, extends along the east side of the settlement. Twelve pits are scattered through the settlement. The site has been largely destroyed by the construction of the M4 motorway.

Protected Status/Designation

Archaeological Notification Area: Late Prehistoric cropmark complex (DBC9621)

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Type and Period (5)

SETTLEMENT (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC? to 42 AD?)
TRACKWAY (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC? to 42 AD?)
PIT? (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC? to 42 AD?)
HUT CIRCLE (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC? to 42 AD?)
ENCLOSURE (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC? to 42 AD?)

Description

COMPLEX OF CROP MARKS IN FIELD INCLUDES FIELD SYSTEM, SETTLEMENT & TRACKWAYS, ?IRON AGE, & LONG BARROW & ?PIT ALIGNMENT. LARGE PART OF AREA DESTROYED BY M4 CONSTRUCTION IN 1970, WITH NO EXAMINATION. NO FINDS MADE IN PLAYING FIELD SOUTH OF M4 OR WASTELAND TO NORTH (B1-5).
CROPMARKS PLOTTED AT 1:2500 (B3-4).
RCHME CROPMARK PLOT (B6).

(SU 916 796) Cropmarks 1.75 miles south of Taplow. Circular and linear (B9).

No trace of these cropmarks was found in a former level area, now bisected by the M4 motorway which largely destroyed them. No finds were made in a playing field on the South side of the motorway or on wasteland to the North.

Examination of St Joseph AP shows one circular ditched feature about 15.0 m in diameter at about SU 9154 7960, with a series of irregular enclosures with straight sides and sharp angles, bounded by a possible `trackway' on the E side. A possible settlement is indicated (B10).

9179 SU 97 NW Area centred SU 915796 TAPLOW Settlement complex with rectilinear enclosures, linear features and scattered pits. 2 trackways, one with junction. Single circle in centre of complex. To SE oval enclosure with entrance and internal pits. Isolated linear features to W and S. ST JOSEPH 57 VF 58, VP 12, 14, 20, 23, 24. Site largely destroyed by construction of M4 in 1970 without prior examination (B2).

The features described by the previous authorites are visible as cropmarks and have been mapped from aerial photographs. A possible prehistoric or Roman settlement, consisting of hut circles, enclosures, a trackway and pits has been identified. The settlement extends over an area measuring 200m by 230m centred at SU 9152 7962. Ditched boundaries form rectilinear enclosures within two of which are two hut circles. These are centred at SU 9152 7961 and SU 9154 7954. A trackway, defined by double ditches measuring 180m, extends along the east side of the settlement. It is centred at SU 9156 7958. Twelve pits are scattered through the settlement. It is likely that the cropmarks represent several phases of development as there are certain features on different alignments. (Morph No. TG.554.1.1-2.2.3, 4.1-5.1)

This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database (B11).

NRHE Inseert 1999 (B12).

Sources (21)

---SBC17939 Aerial Photograph: 17/06/57. CUC VF 58. SU\915796. Yes. Yes.
---SBC17953 Aerial Photograph: 09/07/57. CUC VP 11. \. Yes.
---SBC17954 Aerial Photograph: 09/07/57. CUC VP 13. \. Yes.
---SBC17955 Aerial Photograph: 09/07/57. CUC VP 14. SU\914795. Yes. Yes.
---SBC17956 Aerial Photograph: 09/07/57. CUC VP 19. \. Yes.
---SBC17958 Aerial Photograph: 09/07/57. CUC VP 20. SU\914796. Yes. Yes.
---SBC17959 Aerial Photograph: 09/07/57. CUC VP 21. \. Yes.
---SBC17960 Aerial Photograph: 09/07/57. CUC VP 22. \. Yes.
---SBC17961 Aerial Photograph: 09/07/57. CUC VP 23. SU\915796. Yes. Yes.
<1>SBC5573 Bibliographic reference: GATES T 1975 MIDDLE THAMES VALLEY P47.
<2>SBC11157 Bibliographic reference: OS RECORD CARD SU 97 NW 48 (FILED).
<3>SBC3473 Graphic material: Denise Allen (BCM). 1979. AP PLOT (FILED).
<4>SBC2399 Unpublished document: Buckinghamshire County Museum Archaeological Service. 1986. The Dorney Study: An Archaeological Implications Report.
<5>SBC2470 Bibliographic reference: CAS CARD 2099..
<6>SBC13178 Unpublished document: RCHM(E). 1995. The Thames Valley Project: a Report for the National Mapping Programme.
<7>SBC23405 Article in serial: Hugo Lamdin-Whymark and Darko Maricevic. 2009. 'On the survey of a Neolithic oval barrow at Dorney Reach', in Recs of Bucks 49 pp1-7. Vol 49.
<8>SBC23667 Unpublished document: Archaeological Services & Consultancy Ltd. 2010. Watching Brief: Trumpers Field, Meadow Way, Dorney Reach.
<9>SBC17962 Aerial Photograph: 09/07/57. CUC VP 24. SU\915795. Yes. Yes.
<10>SBC28152 Verbal communication: N K Blood. 1974. Field Investigators Comments - F1 NKB 10-JUL-74.
<11>SBC28125 Verbal communication: Moraig Brown. 1993. RCHME/EH/HE Aerial Photographers comment - Moraig Brown/10-MAR-1993/RCHME. AF1232120: RCHME archive number.
<12>SBC27441 Digital archive: Historic England. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE).

Location

Grid reference	SU 91450 79550 (point)
Civil Parish	TAPLOW, South Bucks, Buckinghamshire

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (4)

Related Events/Activities (1)

Event - Survey: Aerial photography (EBC11902)

Record last edited

Sep 10 2025 11:43AM