Scheduled MonumentsEnglandGreat Wigborough henge

Great Wigborough henge

England
List entry 1011466
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1011466
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.2 hectares
Grid reference
TL 95727 14418
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Great Wigborough henge is a Neolithic monument located in Essex, England, consisting of a circular earthwork with an internal ditch and bank configuration typical of henges constructed during the later Neolithic period, roughly 3000–2000 BCE. The monument survives as an archaeological feature though its original dimensions and structural integrity have been diminished by subsequent land use and agricultural activity over millennia. As a henge monument, it represents an important category of ritual or ceremonial site from prehistoric Britain, reflecting the substantial communal effort invested in monumental construction during this period. The site remains significant for understanding patterns of Neolithic settlement and ceremonial practice in Essex and the broader East Anglian landscape.

Great Wigborough henge is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1011466. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Great Wigborough henge?

Great Wigborough henge is a Neolithic monument located in Essex, England, consisting of a circular earthwork with an internal ditch and bank configuration typical of henges constructed during the later Neolithic period, roughly 3000–2000 BCE. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1011466.

Who is responsible for protecting Great Wigborough henge?

Great Wigborough henge 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 1011466.

What other scheduled monuments are near Great Wigborough henge?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mill Mound: a bowl barrow 380m east of Payne's Farm (0.9 km), Remains of St Mary the Virgin's Church (1 km), Decoy pond immediately north of Pennyhole Fleet, Old Hall Marshes (3.3 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Great Wigborough henge

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Great Wigborough henge'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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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Great Wigborough henge

Great Wigborough henge stands on Thames Group, bedrock that formed in the Eocene. The rock here is clay, silt, sand and gravel.