Scheduled MonumentsEnglandDevil's Ditch, section extending 1100yds (1000m), Valdoe Wood

Devil's Ditch, section extending 1100yds (1000m), Valdoe Wood

England
List entry 1005875
Nation
England
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Devil's Ditch is a linear earthwork forming part of an extensive defensive or boundary system in Sussex. The section within Valdoe Wood extends approximately one thousand metres and comprises a substantial ditch with accompanying bank, characteristic of early medieval period fortifications or estate boundaries. The monument reflects the complex territorial organisation of Anglo-Saxon Sussex, serving either as a defensive work against external threat or as a demarcation line between landholdings. The preservation of this section within woodland has maintained the integrity of the earthwork's physical form, making it a significant archaeological record of early medieval engineering and land management in the region.

Devil's Ditch, section extending 1100yds (1000m), Valdoe Wood is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1005875. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Devil's Ditch, section extending 1100yds (1000m), Valdoe Wood?

Devil's Ditch is a linear earthwork forming part of an extensive defensive or boundary system in Sussex. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1005875.

Who is responsible for protecting Devil's Ditch, section extending 1100yds (1000m), Valdoe Wood?

Devil's Ditch, section extending 1100yds (1000m), Valdoe 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 1005875.

What other scheduled monuments are near Devil's Ditch, section extending 1100yds (1000m), Valdoe Wood?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Chichester Dyke, earthwork E of Chichester Barracks extending 600yds (550m) (2.6 km), Chichester Dyke, earthwork extending N 360yds (330m) from Otter Memorial College (3.1 km), Chichester Dyke, Broyle earthwork, section extending 430yds (393m) through East Broyle Copse, to railway, and earthwork extending 400yds (365m) from Brandy Hole Lane, New Fishbourne (3.3 km).

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