Ancient Monuments

History on the Ground

This site is entirely user-supported. See how you can help.

Wansdyke: section 1230yds (1120m) eastwards from Burnt House Inn

A Scheduled Monument in Odd Down, Bath and North East Somerset

We don't have any photos of this monument yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?

Upload Photo »

Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

If Google Street View is available, the image is from the best available vantage point looking, if possible, towards the location of the monument. Where it is not available, the satellite view is shown instead.

Coordinates

Latitude: 51.3547 / 51°21'17"N

Longitude: -2.3734 / 2°22'24"W

OS Eastings: 374096.674278

OS Northings: 161807.09867

OS Grid: ST740618

Mapcode National: GBR 0QW.0S4

Mapcode Global: VH96S.T65S

Entry Name: Wansdyke: section 1230yds (1120m) eastwards from Burnt House Inn

Scheduled Date: 16 March 1953

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1007003

English Heritage Legacy ID: BA 93

County: Bath and North East Somerset

Electoral Ward/Division: Odd Down

Built-Up Area: Bath

Traditional County: Somerset

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Somerset

Summary

Part of the linear boundary known as the Wansdyke 330m north of Sulis Manor.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 16 July 2015. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

This monument includes part of a linear boundary (prehistoric) known as the Wansdyke situated on the summit of a wide and prominent ridge overlooking the valley of the Cam Brook. The linear boundary survives differentially as an earthwork in this section with a visible northern ditch and a bank standing up to 1.2m high topped with a public footpath. Geophysical surveys of much of the Wansdyke have shown ditches survive on both sides of the bank but where they are not visible they are preserved as entirely buried features. The linear boundary is known to be prehistoric in origin and was modified during the early medieval period when it was used as a military frontier and boundary work between Wessex and Mercia which was in place by the 9th century. Its name is derived from ‘Woden’s Dyke’ the Anglo-Saxon god who also gave his name to Wednesday. Other sections of the Wansdyke are the subject of separate schedulings.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Linear boundaries are substantial earthwork features comprising single or multiple ditches and banks which may extend over distances varying from less than 1km to over 10km. They survive as earthworks or as linear features visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs or as a combination of both. The evidence of excavation and study of associated monuments demonstrate that their construction spans the millennium from the Middle Bronze Age, although they may have been reused later. The scale of many linear boundaries has been taken to indicate that they were constructed by large social groups and were used to mark important boundaries in the landscape; their impressive scale displaying the corporate prestige of their builders. They would have been powerful symbols, often with religious associations, used to define and order the territorial holdings of those groups who constructed them. Linear earthworks are of considerable importance for the analysis of settlement and land use in the Bronze Age. Despite re-use as a footpath and some modification where it is cut by boundaries the part of the linear boundary known as the Wansdyke 330m north of Sulis Manor survives comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, longevity, adaptive re-use, military and territorial significance and overall landscape context.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
PastScape 1066087

Source: Historic England

Other nearby scheduled monuments

AncientMonuments.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact AncientMonuments.uk for any queries related to any individual ancient or schedued monument, planning permission related to scheduled monuments or the scheduling process itself.

AncientMonuments.uk is a Good Stuff website.