Monument record 0244400000 - SOUTH WEST OF DORNEY CHURCH

Summary

Bronze Age field systems, enclosures and ring-ditches seen on aerial photographs and found in evaluation south-west of Dorney Church. Two possible Bronze Age barrows are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs. One of the barrows is visible as two concentric ring ditches which measure 10m and 32m. The other barrow is visible as a single ring ditch with a diameter of 10m. The barrows are situated amongst an extensive field system/settlement (described in SU 97 NW 98) and it is possible that the smaller of the two barrows is in fact a hut circle.

Protected Status/Designation

  • Archaeological Notification Area: Multiperiod complex of settlements, field systems and cemeteries, partly excavated for a rowing lake (DBC9343)

Map

Find a placename, postcode or grid reference

Map layers

Base layers

Info

Record list

Tools

Type and Period (3)

  • SITE (LANDSCAPE, Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
  • RING DITCH (LANDSCAPE, Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
  • HUT CIRCLE (LANDSCAPE, Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)

Description

Plan Form - RECTILINEAR
IN LARGE FIELD CROPMARKS OF 2 FIELD SYSTEMS, LOCATED ON GRAVEL ISLANDS; ALSO SETTLEMENT ENCLOSURES, RING DITCHES.1 OF MOST EXTENSIVE FIELD SYSTEMS IN MIDDLE THAMES. FORM SUGGESTS IA/RB DATE, BUT FIELDWALKING FOUND ONLY EARLIER FINDS, SO BA? (B1-6).
EVALUATION FOR ROWING LAKE CONFIRMS MAINLY BA DATE (B7).
CROPMARKS TO SE (B8).
The Eton Rowing Lake Project undertook an extensive mapping programme of the visible cropmarks (B9).


(SU 9186 7843) Concentric circular crop mark, 3/4 mile SW of Dorney (B1).

(SU 9190 7850) Cropmark of square enclosure (B11).

The only trace of this ring ditch, on low flood plain gravel is a vague arc of taller crop around the north arc of the outer ditch. There is no trace of the square enclosure, and no finds have been made.

Examination of St Joseph AP's shows concentric ditches about 30.0 and 13.0 m in diameter respectively, with no gaps. The enclosure is about 40.0 m square, its purpose cannot be determined. (B12)

The cropmark features described by the previous authorities have been mapped from aerial photographs. They comprise two possible Bronze Age barrows are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs. One of the barrows is visible as two concentric ring ditches which measure 10m and 32m. The other barrow is visible as a single ring ditch with a diameter of 10m. The barrows are situated amongst an extensive field system/settlement (described in SU 97 NW 98) and it is possible that the smaller of the two barrows is in fact a hut circle. The square enclosure referred to by authorities 2 and 3 is probably part of this field system. (Morph No.s TG.555.6.1-7.1) This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database (B13).

NRHE Insert 1999, Update 2004 (B14).

Sources (38)

  • ---SBC17971 Aerial Photograph: 09/07/57. CUC VP 5. \. Yes.
  • ---SBC17973 Aerial Photograph: 09/07/57. CUC VP 6. \. Yes.
  • ---SBC17974 Aerial Photograph: 09/07/57. CUC VP 7. SU\919784. Yes. Yes.
  • ---SBC17984 Aerial Photograph: 19/06/59. CUC YO 27. \. Yes.
  • ---SBC18566 Aerial Photograph: 24/07/75. NMR SU 9178/5/84. SU\922786. Yes. Yes.
  • ---SBC18567 Aerial Photograph: 24/07/75. NMR SU 9178/5/85. SU\921786. Yes. Yes.
  • ---SBC18568 Aerial Photograph: 24/07/75. NMR SU 9178/5/86. \. Yes.
  • ---SBC18569 Aerial Photograph: 24/07/75. NMR SU 9178/5/87. SU\919784. Yes. Yes.
  • ---SBC18570 Aerial Photograph: 24/07/75. NMR SU 9178/5/88. \. Yes.
  • ---SBC18575 Aerial Photograph: 17/07/76. NMR SU 9278/10/87. \. Yes.
  • ---SBC18576 Aerial Photograph: 17/07/76. NMR SU 9278/10/88. \. Yes.
  • ---SBC18589 Aerial Photograph: 17/07/76. NMR SU 9278/7/80. \. Yes.
  • ---SBC18590 Aerial Photograph: 17/07/76. NMR SU 9278/7/81. \. Yes.
  • ---SBC18591 Aerial Photograph: 17/07/76. NMR SU 9278/8/82. \. Yes.
  • ---SBC18592 Aerial Photograph: 17/07/76. NMR SU 9278/8/83. \. Yes.
  • ---SBC18593 Aerial Photograph: 17/07/76. NMR SU 9278/8/84. \. Yes.
  • ---SBC18594 Aerial Photograph: 17/07/76. NMR SU 9278/9/85. \. Yes.
  • ---SBC18595 Aerial Photograph: 17/07/76. NMR SU 9278/9/86. \. Yes.
  • ---SBC19097 Unpublished document: Oxford Archaeological Unit. 1995. The Eton College Rowing Lake, Dorney, South Bucks..
  • ---SBC19717 Article in serial: CBA South Midlands Group. 1995. South Midlands Archaeology 25, 1995. No 25.
  • ---SBC19846 Article in serial: CBA South Midlands Group. 1998. South Midlands Archaeology 28, 1998. 28.
  • ---SBC19988 Unpublished document: Oxford Archaeology. 1996. Eton College Rowing Lake, Dorney, South Buckinghamshire - Archaeological Evaluations 1995.
  • ---SBC19989 Unpublished document: Oxford Archaeology. The Eton College Rowing Lake, Dorney, South Buckinghamshire - Archaeological Evaluations 1995.
  • ---SBC19997 Article in serial: CBA South Midlands Group. 1996. South Midlands Archaeology 26, 1996.
  • <1>SBC5577 Bibliographic reference: GATES T 1975 MIDDLE THAMES VALLEY PP46-47 & PL 13.
  • <2>SBC11405 Bibliographic reference: OS RECORD CARDS SU 97 NW 42; SU 97 NW 46 & SU 97 N W 47. (FILED).
  • <3>SBC3215 Bibliographic reference: CORRESPONDENCE WITH C STANLEY, DEC 1974, APRIL 197 5 (& SEE SKETCH, FILED).
  • <4>SBC3474 Graphic material: Denise Allen (BCM). 1979. CROPMARK PLOT (NMR METHOD) FROM AP1-34.
  • <5>SBC2399 Unpublished document: Buckinghamshire County Museum Archaeological Service. 1986. The Dorney Study: An Archaeological Implications Report.
  • <6>SBC2485 Bibliographic reference: CAS CARD 2444.
  • <7>SBC423 Article in serial: Tim Allen & John Moore. 1992. 'DORNEY, BOVENEY COURT', IN SOUTH MIDLANDS ARCHAEOLOGY 22 P26. Vol 22.
  • <8>SBC13178 Unpublished document: RCHM(E). 1995. The Thames Valley Project: a Report for the National Mapping Programme.
  • <9>SBC19770 Article in serial: CBA South Midlands Group. 1997. South Midlands Archaeology 27, 1997.
  • <10>SBC17940 Aerial Photograph: 17/06/57. CUC VF 59. SU\920783. Yes. Yes.
  • <11>SBC28151 Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1646 3303-4 JULY-1946.
  • <12>SBC28124 Verbal communication: J R Linge. 1974. Field Investigators Comments - F1 JRL 15-JUL-74.
  • <13>SBC28125 Verbal communication: Moraig Brown. 1993. RCHME/EH/HE Aerial Photographers comment - Moraig Brown/10-MAR-1993/RCHME. AF1232120 - RCHM archive number.
  • <14>SBC27441 Digital archive: Historic England. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE).

Location

Grid reference SU 92300 78500 (point)
Civil Parish DORNEY, South Bucks, Buckinghamshire

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (3)

Related Events/Activities (1)

  • Event - Survey: (EBC14103)

Record last edited

Sep 10 2025 11:28AM

Comments and Feedback

Do you have any questions or more information about this record? Please feel free to comment below with your name and email address. All comments are submitted to the Heritage Portal maintainers for moderation, and we aim to respond/publish as soon as possible. Comments, questions and answers that may be helpful to other users will be retained and displayed along with the name you supply. The email address you supply will never be displayed or shared.