Monument record BUT 071 - Medieval or Post Medieval flood defence bank, visible on aerial photographs as an earthwork.

A sea bank of probable Post Medieval and possibly Medieval date can be seen as an earthwork on aerial photographs of 1943 onwards, centred on circa TM39394961 on the west bank of the Butley River, Butley parish (S1). In total the bank is approximately 3.5km long, and can be seen from circa TM39244861 at Burrow Hill to circa TM38475084 at its northern end, about 200m east of Low Farm. Beyond this to the north, the river is not constrained by flood banks. Although it is likely that much of the earthwork originated in the Post Medieval period, the evidence of the surrounding area would suggest that some sections were built in the Medieval period and were later extended or modified (e.g. see GED 030, GED 039, ORF 102). It is possible to see evidence of a phased construction in the survival of several sections of relict bank. One small section can be seen at circa TM39504890, where it now stands in-between drainange channels on the west of the main bank where it has apparently been modified to insert a sluice gate. Earthworks related to this sluice also extend east of the bank into the inter-tidal zone. The remains of earthworks possibly related to a second sluice can also be seen at circa TM39464944. A probable section of relict bank about 100m long can be seen at circa TM39304864 on 1943 photographs, adjacent to Burrow Hill. However, this was destroyed by a drain widening scheme in the 1950s. The main evidence for phased reclamation can be seen at circa TM39004961, where a section of sea bank that runs inland rom the river bank has been superseded by a later phase of reclamation and has been reused as a track or causeway across Butley Marshes. (S2, S3).