Scheduled MonumentsEnglandDevil's Dyke

Devil's Dyke

England
List entry 1004036
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1004036
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.4 hectares
Grid reference
TF 89320 05235
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Devil's Dyke is a linear earthwork situated in Norfolk, England, consisting of a substantial bank and ditch that runs across the landscape for a considerable distance. The monument dates to the Iron Age period, likely constructed during the later Iron Age as a defensive or boundary feature, though the precise circumstances of its construction remain subject to scholarly interpretation. The earthwork exhibits the characteristic form of a multivallate structure, demonstrating significant labour investment in its creation and maintenance. Its exact function—whether primarily defensive, territorial, or ceremonial—continues to be debated by archaeologists, though its scale indicates considerable importance to the Iron Age community responsible for its construction.

Devil's Dyke is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1004036. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Devil's Dyke?

Devil's Dyke is a linear earthwork situated in Norfolk, England, consisting of a substantial bank and ditch that runs across the landscape for a considerable distance. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1004036.

Who is responsible for protecting Devil's Dyke?

Devil's 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 1004036.

What other scheduled monuments are near Devil's Dyke?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Roman settlement at Woodcock Hall (4.7 km), Site of Commandry of St John of Jerusalem (6.6 km), Group of round barrows near Hopton House (6.7 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Devil's Dyke

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Devil's Dyke'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 Devil's Dyke

Devil's Dyke stands on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.