Monument record SLY 134 - Probable Post Medieval field boundaries in a field to the north of Shotley village

Probable Post Medieval field boundaries are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs in a field to the north of Shotley village, centred on TM 23023516. The most well defined of the three boundaries is the feature running west-east from TM 22873513 to TM 23023516 for 155m. This is feature is almost certainly a ditch where a boundary hedge has been removed. It clearly fits into the field pattern as shown on the Ordnance Survey 1st Edition 25" map of circa 1884 (S1), suggesting that it has a Post Medieval date. The other two possible boundaries run north to south, one from TM 23063526 to TM 23073515 for 106m and one from TM 23073531 to TM 23093515 for 162m. Both features appear to follow the slightly curving line of the modern field boundary. The features could represent the ditches defining long narrow plots running back from the road with a Post Medieval or earlier origin or could be related to modern agricultural practices. See SLY 011 for Later Prehistoric or Roman field boundaries. (S2) (S3)