Lower Ditchford

 archaeological site, scheduled ancient monument

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The monument includes a medieval settlement on a south west-facing slope in a valley in the Cotswolds. Knee Brook runs along the valley bottom. The settlement includes earthworks indicating the sites of houses and other village features, areas of medieval agriculture and water management features. The settlement is orientated north east-south west following the course of Knee Brook. On the west bank of Knee Brook, the south west end of the monument contains the occupation area of the settlement. Here a hollow way, 1m deep, enters the field from the south.The hollow way doglegs to the north west, widening to form a village green with a pond, 0.75m deep, on its south side and house platforms on both sides along its whole length. The street narrows and then widens again at its north west end to form another green. To the north east of the occupation area are a series of enclosures, separated by ditches or hollow ways. A wide droveway links the enclosures to the stream and gives access to the enclosures. To the east of the enclosures are a series of large fields lying close to the brook. These appear to have been seasonal meadows which could be flooded in winter. Their high western banks, 4m wide and 0.8m high, would prevent water reaching the higher levels where the house platforms and enclosures lay. To the north east of the enclosures is evidence of medieval agriculture in the form of ridge and furrow. There are a number of mounds in the settlement, 8m in diameter and 0.5m high, which are considered to be clearance mounds. On the east side of the brook there are a couple of house platforms adjacent to the road in the south end of the field. An old course of the brook runs through this field and opens into a pond in the north part of the field. This pond has banks 1m high. A number of features are excluded from the scheduling; these are the post and wire fences which are part of the field boundaries and wood and metal gates; the ground beneath these features is, however, included.