Causewayed enclosure nr New Farm

History of Enclosure near New Farm

Scheduled monument:

Between 50 and 70 causewayed enclosures are recorded nationally, mainly in southern and eastern England. They were constructed over a period of some 500 years during the middle part of the Neolithic period (c.3000-2400 BC) but also continued in use into later periods. They vary considerably in size (from 2 to 70 acres) and were apparently used for a variety of functions, including settlement, defence, and ceremonial and funerary purposes. However, all comprise a roughly circular to ovoid area bounded by one or more concentric rings of banks and ditches.

The monument includes a causewayed enclosure which is situated on fairly flat land about 800m north of the foot of the Chilterns. Although no earthworks can be observed on the ground, the monument is clearly visible from the air and is recorded on aerial photographs; the following description is based on the photographic record. The causewayed enclosure is circular, of maximum diameter 120m.