Scheduled Monuments›England›Devil's Ditch, section 725yds (660m) long W of Ounces Barn

Devil's Ditch, section 725yds (660m) long W of Ounces Barn

England
List entry 1005874
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1005874
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
1.89 hectares
Grid reference
SU 91642 08469
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Devil's Ditch is a linear earthwork monument located west of Ounces Barn in Sussex, England. The surviving section measures approximately 725 yards (660 metres) in length and comprises a ditch with associated banks, characteristic of Saxon or early medieval defensive or boundary works. Such linear earthworks were commonly constructed during the Anglo-Saxon period to define territorial boundaries, control movement, or serve defensive functions across the landscape. The monument's preservation as a scheduled ancient monument reflects its archaeological significance as evidence of early medieval land organisation and engineering practices in Sussex.

Devil's Ditch, section 725yds (660m) long W of Ounces Barn is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1005874. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Devil's Ditch, section 725yds (660m) long W of Ounces Barn?

Devil's Ditch is a linear earthwork monument located west of Ounces Barn in Sussex, England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1005874.

Who is responsible for protecting Devil's Ditch, section 725yds (660m) long W of Ounces Barn?

Devil's Ditch, section 725yds (660m) long W of Ounces Barn 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 1005874.

What other scheduled monuments are near Devil's Ditch, section 725yds (660m) long W of Ounces Barn?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Boxgrove Priory (1.2 km), Keep of Tote Copse castle, 400m north of Decoy Farmhouse (3.7 km), Chichester Dyke, earthwork extending N 480yds (440m) from The Drive, Summersdale, near Chichester (5.6 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Devil's Ditch, section 725yds (660m) long W of Ounces Barn

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Devil's Ditch, section 725yds (660m) long W of Ounces Barn'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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Boxgrove Priory
1.2 km
Keep of Tote Copse castle, 400m north of Decoy Farmhouse
3.7 km
Chichester Dyke, earthwork extending N 480yds (440m) from The Drive, Summersdale, near Chichester
5.6 km
Chichester Dyke, earthwork E of Chichester Barracks extending 600yds (550m)
5.6 km
Chichester Dyke, earthwork extending N 360yds (330m) from Otter Memorial College
5.8 km
Chichester Castle
6.2 km
Roman amphitheatre
6.2 km
Chichester Dyke, Broyle earthwork, section at Brandy Hole, extending E 230yds (210m) from railway, New Fishbourne
6.2 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Devil's Ditch, section 725yds (660m) long W of Ounces Barn

Devil's Ditch, section 725yds (660m) long W of Ounces Barn stands on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.

The wider landscape

Around Devil's Ditch, section 725yds (660m) long W of Ounces Barn

ChichesterRoman town · ~4.1 milesFishbourne Roman PalaceArchaeological site · ~5.5 miles
Domesday entry for Halnaker, Sussex →
All Scheduled Monuments