Monument record TR 35 NE 71 - The Lydden Wall, medieval drainage system (and possibly earlier)

Summary

The Lydden Wall, medieval drainage system (and possibly earlier). Today the Lydden Wall consists of a low earthwork adjacent to a drain and forms the parish boundary between Sholden and Worth.

Location

Grid reference Centred TR 3528 5484 (2449m by 2448m) Estimated from sources
Map sheet TR35SE
County KENT
District DOVER, KENT
Civil Parish SHOLDEN, DOVER, KENT
Civil Parish WORTH, DOVER, KENT

Map

Type and Period (2)

Full Description

The Lydden Wall is a drainage system in the Lydden Valley. It runs from the Deal/Sandwich Spit (starting near Willow Farm) running southwest to Foulmead Farm.

In 2013 the RSPB carried out a desk based assessment. The Lydden Wall was found to consist of a low earthwork adjacent to drain and forming the parish boundary between Sholden and Worth. It has been proposed that the wall could be of Roman origin but no dating evidence for this has been found. (1)

In 2022, a watching brief on the excavation of two new drainage trenches provided the first opportunity to examine the structure of the embankment archaeologically. The observation did not reveal any evidence that the feature predates the twentieth century, at least in the specific locations where the drainage ditches were placed. However, the report concludes that these results 'need not be representative of the entire course of this marshland feature.' (2)


<1> RSPB, 2013, RSPB Lydden Valley - Willow Farm Wetland Enhancement Project: Archaeological Report (Unpublished document). SKE25967.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2022, Land at Willow Farm, Lydden Valley marshes, Sholden, Kent, Report on archaeological watching brief (Unpublished document). SKE55179.

Sources/Archives (2)

  • <1> Unpublished document: RSPB. 2013. RSPB Lydden Valley - Willow Farm Wetland Enhancement Project: Archaeological Report.
  • <2> Unpublished document: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 2022. Land at Willow Farm, Lydden Valley marshes, Sholden, Kent, Report on archaeological watching brief.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (1)

  • Intrusive Event: Land at Willow Farm, Lydden Valley marshes, Sholden, Kent, Report on archaeological watching brief (Ref: 2022/57) (EKE21866)

Record last edited

Mar 31 2023 11:47AM