Monument record UGG 013 - Geophysical anomalies of a possible Late Iron Age to Medieval ladder settlement

2013: Geophysical survey detected ditches and pits in the eastern part of the site. The majority of those in close proximity to the southern and eastern boundaries indicate some form of intensive occupation, such as settlement (possibly medieval roadside settlement), with ancillary enclosures on land to the north/east of the foci of activity. A number of ditches appear to respect the current eastern/southern field boundary and/or a likely recent boundary; thus suggestive of a former contemporaneous relationship. Elsewhere, the majority of magnetic variation probably relates to natural features or processes, although a large oval zone of weak readings in the western region could signify traces of a backfilled sand quarry. (S1)

2025: Geophysical survey identified a series of interlinking ditches enclosures with internal features. Given their location above the water meadows directly to the south and complex form it is proposed that these anomalies form part of a settlement. It is not clear if these settlement features at one point continued in the field immediately to the south due to the presence of a modern service. The features do however appear to follow the curve of the current field boundary. This also follows the curve of ‘Bulion’s Lane’ which lay directly next to this field boundary as depicted on 1883 OS mapping. This layout along a road is typical of a ‘ladder’ or ‘ribbon’ settlement which are commonly dated to the Late Iron Age – medieval period and normally oriented around a trackway. (S2)