Scheduled Monuments›England›Withy Copse ditch

Withy Copse ditch

England
List entry 1004760
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1004760
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
1.3 hectares
Grid reference
SU 17179 64219
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Withy Copse ditch is a prehistoric linear earthwork located in Wiltshire. The monument consists of a substantial ditch that forms part of the landscape archaeology of the region, typical of the defensive or territorial systems constructed during the Bronze Age or Iron Age periods. Such linear ditches served practical purposes in land demarcation, stock management, or settlement defence, reflecting the social organisation and land use practices of prehistoric communities. The site remains an important record of ancient land division patterns in Wiltshire.

Withy Copse ditch is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1004760. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Withy Copse ditch?

Withy Copse ditch is a prehistoric linear earthwork located in Wiltshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1004760.

Who is responsible for protecting Withy Copse ditch?

Withy Copse ditch 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 1004760.

What other scheduled monuments are near Withy Copse ditch?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Round barrow cemetery 320m south east of Down Farm (7.7 km), Old Hat Barrow, bowl barrow (7.9 km), Everleigh Barrows (8.2 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Withy Copse ditch

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Withy Copse ditch'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.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Withy Copse ditch report
Or see a real report first
Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Round barrow cemetery 320m south east of Down Farm
7.7 km
Old Hat Barrow, bowl barrow
7.9 km
Everleigh Barrows
8.2 km
Bohune Down round barrow
8.7 km
Strip lynchet system north of Chisman's Cleeve
8.8 km
Boundary earthwork on Upavon Down
8.9 km
Defended settlement on Aughton Down, 450m north of Croft Barn
9 km
Bowl barrow north of Jenner's Firs
9.3 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Withy Copse ditch

Withy Copse ditch stands on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.

The wider landscape

Around Withy Copse ditch

MildenhallRoman town · ~4.3 milesWest Kennet Long BarrowArchaeological site · ~4.6 milesSilbury HillArchaeological site · ~5.2 milesAveburyArchaeological site · ~5.6 milesBattle of Roundway Down 1643Battle (1643) · ~9.9 miles
Domesday entry for Wootton, Wiltshire →
All Scheduled Monuments