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Grim's Ditch on Aston Upthorpe Down is a linear earthwork of Iron Age origin, consisting of a bank and ditch that runs across the chalk downland of Berkshire. The monument forms part of a wider system of defensive or territorial boundaries characteristic of Iron Age settlement patterns in the region. The ditch itself is notably steep-sided and well-preserved in places, with the accompanying bank creating a substantial physical barrier across the landscape. This type of linear earthwork is typically interpreted as marking territorial divisions or defensive lines associated with Iron Age communities, though such monuments often remained in use or were reused in subsequent periods.
Grim's Ditch; section on Aston Upthorpe Down is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1006306. View the official record →
Grim's Ditch on Aston Upthorpe Down is a linear earthwork of Iron Age origin, consisting of a bank and ditch that runs across the chalk downland of Berkshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1006306.
Grim's Ditch; section on Aston Upthorpe Down 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 1006306.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Lowbury Hill camp (1 km), Bowl barrow 310m south east of Lower Chance Farm (1.7 km), Bowl barrow in the north-west corner of Town Copse (2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Grim's Ditch; section on Aston Upthorpe Down'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 on Aston Upthorpe Down stands on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.