Monument record 0018600000 - FILLINGTON WOOD

Summary

Twelfth to thirteenth century farmstead enclosure recorded in excavation and survey. An enclosed medieval settlement situated on a south east facing promontory of the Chilterns, known as Old Dashwood Hill. The site is crossed by the old West Wycombe to Oxford turnpike road which is still in use as a minor road. The enclosure has a ditch and bank which define a roughly circular area 60 metres across. The bank is best preserved south of the old turnpike where it stands up to 0.6 metres high and measures circa 3 metres wide. The ditch, despite having become partly infilled over the years, measures up to 7 metres wide and circa 1 metres deep. Within the enclosure lie a series of medieval building foundations, including the remains of an open fronted building measuring 6 metres by 3.4 metres. Also present are a flint lined water reservoir, a flint walled building which has been shown by excavation to have a peg-tile roof, a cobbled courtyard area, a possible kiln and other associated features. A mortared stone dovecote, situated circa 50 metres south east of the enclosure, was also found during the 1975 excavations. Pottery found during the excavations shows that there was Roman activity on the site but that the ditch remained in use in the medieval perod. A nearby shaft provided a well which was later used for the disposal of human remains, believed to be the victims of the Black Death during the 14th century. This is also when the site appears to have been abandoned. Scheduled.

Protected Status/Designation

  • Archaeological Notification Area: Excavated site of Medieval ringwork in Fillington Wood (DBC9241)
  • Scheduled Monument 1014560: FILLINGTON WOOD MEDIEVAL SETTLEMENT (DBC7199)

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Type and Period (4)

  • DITCHED ENCLOSURE (12th Century to 13th Century - 1100 AD to 1299 AD)
  • BANK (EARTHWORK) (12th Century to 13th Century - 1100 AD to 1299 AD)
  • FARMSTEAD (12th Century to 13th Century - 1100 AD to 1299 AD)
  • SETTLEMENT? (12th Century to 13th Century - 1100 AD to 1299 AD)

Description

Dimensions - Radius 30m, Depth/Thickness 2m.
Plan Form - Circular.
Ditch c.3m wide & internal bank, total depth 1.5-3m. Bisected by A40. Well preserved to S but poor to N. Excavated by evening class. Enclosed Medieval settlement C12-C13? NB Robert de Filendon in C13 (B1-6).
Site archive now at Bucks County Museum (B7).
New survey of enclosure. No obvious entrance. Final report prepared (B8).
Scheduled (B10).


At SU 798 948 on the top of a spur, is a semi-circular enclosure, circa 60.0m in diameter, bounded by a ditch and internal bank, the latter discontinuous. It is traversed E - W by the former London - Oxford road and further mutilated by forestry operation. Excavations from 1967-1970 by members of the Marlow and Mill End Evening Institutes revealed structural remains within it, and late 13th c pottery. The nature of the site is as yet uncertain. It was identified by Harmon as a Saxon stronghold on the strength of the local field name "Pillesdiche". (B8)

No surveyable features of the site survive, but part of the excavations are visible at SU 798 948. (B11)

(SU 798 948) Fillington Wood. Excavations carried out by Mr R Parker and Mrs B Easterbrook between 1972-75 examined a linear ditch and a sectioned the main enclosure bank and ditch. The excavation of a shaft to a depth of 10.3m revealed dressed flints and mortar, with some tile, compatable with the collapse of a medieval structure. In the fill were animal bones and a partial remains of four adult persons. A circular flint structure was shown to be a dovecote and linear features extending from the west of the enclosure bank and ditch were examined. The presence of the slighted bank and ditch was confirmed and 13th century pottery was found in sealed ditch deposits. (B12, 13, 10)

NRHE Inset 1998, Update 1999, Update 2000, Update 2005 (B14)

Sources (15)

  • <1>SBC6102 Bibliographic reference: H Harman. 1934. NOTES ON WEST WYCOMBE PP15-16.
  • <2>XYSBC11541 Unpublished document: R F Parker. 1971. EXCAVATIONS AT THE MEDIEVAL SITE IN FILLINGTON WOOD, 1ST REPORT 1970-71 (TYPESCRIPT). [Mapped feature: #51193 ]
  • <3>SBC4881 Unpublished document: Mike Farley (BCM). 1974. PERS COMM FOLLOWING FIELD VISIT, NOV 1974 (& SEE NOTE BY R F PARKER, FILED).
  • <4>SBC13333 Article in serial: Mike Farley (BCM). 1974. Archaeological Notes from the Buckinghamshire County Museum, in Recs of Bucks 19 pp510-511. Vol 19.
  • <5>SBC4865 Unpublished document: Mike Farley (BCM). 1975. PERS COMM FOLLOWING FIELD VISIT, JUNE 1975 (& SEE NOTE BY R F PARKER, & PLAN BY MRS B EASTERBROOK, FILED).
  • <6>SBC1749 Unpublished document: A W F Boarder. 1975. EXCAVATIONS AT THE MEDIEVAL SITE IN FILLINGTON WOOD, WEST WYCOMBE; 2ND REPORT 1971-1974 (TYPESCRIPT).
  • <7>SBC1750 Unpublished document: 1988. BOARDER A W F AUGUST 1988.
  • <8>SBC11542 Article in serial: R F Parker, A W F Boarder & P Struth. 1991. 'A MEDIEVAL SETTLEMENT SITE AT FILLINGTON WOOD, WEST WYCOMBE, IN RECS OF BUCKS 33 PP128-139. Vol 33.
  • <9>SBC4478 Verbal communication: Brenda Easterbrook to Mike Farley (BCM). 1992. PERS COMM 4TH AUGUST 1992 (SEE HER NOTES & PHOTOS, FILED).
  • <10>SBC23979 Scheduling record: English Heritage. 1996. SCHEDULING LIST OF INSPECTORATE OF ANCIENT MONUMENTS.
  • <11>SBC27562 Verbal communication: P A Stevens. 1972. Field Investigators Comments Peter Anthony Stevens,18 October 1972.
  • <12>SBC27563 Serial: Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society. 1973. Records of Buckinghamshire volume 18. Volume 18. p349.
  • <13>SBC27552 Serial: Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society. 1974. Records of Buckinghamshire volume 19. Volume 19. p510-511.
  • <14>SBC27564 Serial: Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society. 1978. Records of Buckinghamshire volume 20. Volume 20. p142.
  • <15>SBC27441 Digital archive: Historic England. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE).

Location

Grid reference Centred SU 79839 94788 (74m by 85m) (2 map features)
Civil Parish WEST WYCOMBE RURAL, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (10)

Related Events/Activities (3)

  • Event - Survey: (EBC10829)
  • Event - Survey: (EBC1455)
  • Event - Intervention: FILLINGTON WOOD (EBC10097)

Record last edited

Jun 23 2025 1:55PM

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