Scheduled MonumentsEngland900m section of the north Oxfordshire Grim's Ditch 200m north of Grim's Dyke Farm, running north into Hark Wood

900m section of the north Oxfordshire Grim's Ditch 200m north of Grim's Dyke Farm, running north into Hark Wood

England
List entry 1012907
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1012907
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
2.47 hectares
Grid reference
SP 42157 20132
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Grim's Ditch is an ancient linear earthwork of Iron Age date, comprising a substantial ditch with an associated bank that runs north from the vicinity of Grim's Dyke Farm into Hark Wood in north Oxfordshire. This 900-metre section forms part of an extensive system of defensive or territorial boundaries characteristic of the later Iron Age period, likely constructed between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. The monument survives as a pronounced topographical feature, with the ditch measuring several metres in width and depth, accompanied by a raised bank on one or both sides depending on local ground conditions. Such linear earthworks, of which Grim's Ditch is a significant example, are understood to have demarcated boundaries between tribal territories or served defensive functions for Iron Age communities in the region.

900m section of the north Oxfordshire Grim's Ditch 200m north of Grim's Dyke Farm, running north into Hark Wood is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1012907. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is 900m section of the north Oxfordshire Grim's Ditch 200m north of Grim's Dyke Farm, running north into Hark Wood?

Grim's Ditch is an ancient linear earthwork of Iron Age date, comprising a substantial ditch with an associated bank that runs north from the vicinity of Grim's Dyke Farm into Hark Wood in north Oxfordshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1012907.

Who is responsible for protecting 900m section of the north Oxfordshire Grim's Ditch 200m north of Grim's Dyke Farm, running north into Hark Wood?

900m section of the north Oxfordshire Grim's Ditch 200m north of Grim's Dyke Farm, running north into Hark Wood is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1012907.

What other scheduled monuments are near 900m section of the north Oxfordshire Grim's Ditch 200m north of Grim's Dyke Farm, running north into Hark Wood?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Stonesfield Roman villa (3.8 km), Ten medieval pillow mounds and part of an associated enclosure 300m north west of Combe Lodge (3.9 km), Earthwork 300m south west of Fair Rosamund's Well, Blenheim Park (4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about 900m section of the north Oxfordshire Grim's Ditch 200m north of Grim's Dyke Farm, running north into Hark Wood

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of 900m section of the north Oxfordshire Grim's Ditch 200m north of Grim's Dyke Farm, running north into Hark Wood's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under 900m section of the north Oxfordshire Grim's Ditch 200m north of Grim's Dyke Farm, running north into Hark Wood

900m section of the north Oxfordshire Grim's Ditch 200m north of Grim's Dyke Farm, running north into Hark Wood stands on Great Oolite Group, bedrock that formed in the Bathonian. The rock here is sandstone, limestone and argillaceous rocks.