© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)
Combe Ditch is a linear earthwork located in Dorset, England, comprising a substantial bank and ditch that represents an important example of early medieval or late Iron Age defensive or boundary construction. The monument extends across the landscape as a characteristic linear dyke, forming a significant topographical feature that would have served to demarcate territorial boundaries or provide defensive capability. Such linear earthworks are common throughout southern England and typically date to the Iron Age or early Saxon period, though precise dating for individual examples often remains uncertain without archaeological investigation. The ditch and bank construction demonstrates the considerable labour investment required for such monuments, indicating their importance in the organisation and control of the landscape during antiquity.
Combe Ditch, linear dyke is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1002400. View the official record →
Combe Ditch is a linear earthwork located in Dorset, England, comprising a substantial bank and ditch that represents an important example of early medieval or late Iron Age defensive or boundary construction. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1002400.
Combe Ditch, linear dyke 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 1002400.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bowl barrow 610m east of Bere Heath Farm (8.4 km), Bowl barrow on Morden Heath, 282m north-east of Decoy House (9.1 km), Bowl barrow in Throop Clump, 450m west of Heatherdown (9.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Combe Ditch, linear dyke's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Combe Ditch, linear dyke stands on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.