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Grim's Ditch is an ancient linear earthwork consisting of a ditch with an associated bank, running for approximately 1100 metres from Chilton Plantation to Ridge Hill in West Berkshire. The monument dates to the Iron Age and represents a territorial or boundary marker typical of that period, though its precise function remains a matter of archaeological interpretation. The surviving section exhibits the characteristic features of prehistoric linear earthworks, with the ditch and bank formation still visible in the landscape despite considerable erosion over two millennia. This particular stretch forms part of a longer system of similar earthworks recorded across the region, demonstrating the scale of Iron Age land organisation and control in the area.
Grim's Ditch; section 1200yds (1100m) long from Chilton Plantation to Ridge Hill See also WEST BERKSHIRE 109 is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1004825. View the official record →
Grim's Ditch is an ancient linear earthwork consisting of a ditch with an associated bank, running for approximately 1100 metres from Chilton Plantation to Ridge Hill in West Berkshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1004825.
Grim's Ditch; section 1200yds (1100m) long from Chilton Plantation to Ridge Hill See also WEST BERKSHIRE 109 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 1004825.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Barrow N of Ridgeway, Hodcott Down (1.6 km), Long barrow on Sheep Down, 1km north of East Ilsley (2.7 km), Bowl barrow 500m west of Churn Park Cottage (3.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Grim's Ditch; section 1200yds (1100m) long from Chilton Plantation to Ridge Hill See also WEST BERKSHIRE 109'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.
Grim's Ditch; section 1200yds (1100m) long from Chilton Plantation to Ridge Hill See also WEST BERKSHIRE 109 stands on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.