Monument record 0026300000 - CHURCH HILL, WHADDON

Dimensions - Radius 11m, Height 2m.
Plan Form - Circular.
Scheduled Ancient Monument. Tumulus (B4).
May be a motte? Or a Roman/Saxon barrow? (B2).
Or a Bronze Age round barrow? (B4).
In 1913 mound was 60 feet in diameter; had encircling ditch; a shaft has been sunk in the centre (B1).
By 1986 trees planted around base; also some cattle erosion (B4).
In 1988 ditch on S intact but eroded & trace only of ditch on N & W. Possible access ramp on NE; suggests this was a windmill mound (B6).
Added to Historic England's Heritage at Risk register in 2024. The barrow is at risk from stock erosion with deep holes showing around the trees where animmals are seeking shelter from rain and sun. The trees and bramble add to the deteriorating conditions with root action, potentially damaging below-ground remains of burial. Condition described as 'Generally satisfactory but with significant localised problems, with the principal vulnerability from scrub and tree growth, and condition declining'. Assigned priority E: Requires monitoring (B9).

A probable medieval and/or post-medieval windmill mound is visible on historic aerial photographs and remote sensing data as earthworks and was mapped as part of the North Buckinghamshire Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18304). Located in a field about 210 metres SE of Church Hill Farm and centred at SP 80494 33868, a roughly circular mound is about 24 metres in diameter. Surrounding the mound is a boundary ditch that varies in width, with some possible later extraction activity on the northwest side. The west edge of the ditch has a 6 metres wide and 30 metres long slightly curvilinear sausage-shaped earthwork bank. The mound and ditch are located within a block of medieval ridge and furrow cultivation that was visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken in 1946 and remains extant. Remote sensing data suggest the mound and ditch may have truncated the ridge and furrow, which extends either side of it in alignment, suggesting the construction of the mound post-dates this medieval activity (7-8).