Scheduled Monuments›England›The Shire Ditch See also WORCESTERSHIRE 244

The Shire Ditch See also WORCESTERSHIRE 244

England
List entry 1003812
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1003812
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
11.2 hectares
Grid reference
SO 76911 44047, SO 76150 37696, SO 76904 45015, SO 76930 44708, SO 76635 40640, SO 76210 39026, SO 76188 38551, SO 76841 41299
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

The Shire Ditch is an ancient linear earthwork in Worcestershire that forms part of the defensive or territorial system associated with the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. The monument consists of a substantial ditch, likely constructed during the early medieval period, though its precise dating remains uncertain. It represents an important example of the large-scale land division and fortification strategies employed in the West Midlands during the Saxon era. The earthwork's exact function—whether primarily defensive, administrative, or territorial—continues to be a subject of archaeological study.

The Shire Ditch See also WORCESTERSHIRE 244 is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1003812. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is The Shire Ditch See also WORCESTERSHIRE 244?

The Shire Ditch is an ancient linear earthwork in Worcestershire that forms part of the defensive or territorial system associated with the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1003812.

Who is responsible for protecting The Shire Ditch See also WORCESTERSHIRE 244?

The Shire Ditch See also WORCESTERSHIRE 244 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 1003812.

What other scheduled monuments are near The Shire Ditch See also WORCESTERSHIRE 244?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including The Shire Ditch See also HEREFORDSHIRE 244 (0 km), Priory gateway (1 km), Churchyard cross in Great Malvern Priory churchyard (1.1 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about The Shire Ditch See also WORCESTERSHIRE 244

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of The Shire Ditch See also WORCESTERSHIRE 244'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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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

The Shire Ditch See also HEREFORDSHIRE 244
0 km
Priory gateway
1 km
Churchyard cross in Great Malvern Priory churchyard
1.1 km
Barrows adjoining county boundary, E of Gardener's Common
2.9 km
Little Malvern Priory
4.7 km
Dovecote at Barton Court
5 km
Herefordshire Beacon Camp See also WORCESTERSHIRE 3
5.2 km
Herefordshire Beacon Camp See also HEREFORDSHIRE 3
5.2 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under The Shire Ditch See also WORCESTERSHIRE 244

The Shire Ditch See also WORCESTERSHIRE 244 stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Neoproterozoic, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.

The wider landscape

Around The Shire Ditch See also WORCESTERSHIRE 244

DroitwichRoman town · ~14.1 milesGloucesterRoman town · ~16.9 milesKenchesterRoman town · ~20.4 milesAlcesterRoman town · ~21.4 milesBattle of Worcester 1651 with Powick Bridge 1642Battle (1651) · ~7.6 milesBattle of Tewkesbury (1471)Battle (1471) · ~11.2 milesBattle of Evesham 1265Battle (1265) · ~17 miles
Domesday entry for Bagburrow, Herefordshire →
All Scheduled Monuments