Monument record 15759 - Ridge and Furrow West of Huntingdon Waste Water Treatment Works

<1> Higham N J, 1984-9, Professor Nick Higham's Aerial Photographs, 1986/5/60 & 62 (Aerial Photograph). SCH7659.

An area of ridge and furrow earthworks comprising several distinct block or furlongs are visible on this aerial photograph.

<2> Historic England & Archaeological Research Services, 2022, Cheshire National Mapping Programme and Lidar Mapping Project: The Chester Environs, 1629047 (Digital Archive). SCH9186.

Medieval and post-medieval ridge and furrow, field boundaries and plough headlands are visible as earthworks on historic vertical photography and lidar in Huntingdon parish, centred at SJ 440 615. Some of these are extant on the latest 2017 vertical photography and were mapped as part of the Cheshire Aerial Investigation and Mapping Project (see 3 & 5).

<3> Royal Air Force, 1944-1947, 1940s RAF Aerial Photographs from Operation Review, CPE\UK\1935 no.2209 & 2211, 17/1/1947 (Aerial Photograph). SCH8041.

These ridge and furrow earthworks were clearly once part of a very extensive area of such earthworks. There are many individual blocks of ridge and furrow (or furlongs) of unequal size and arranged in an irregular pattern. The ridge and furrow are relatively narrow (three to six metres) and only displays a slight curve, though in places a slight aratral curve is evident. One block on the western side of this area, the ridge and furrow are very broad at fifteen to sixteen metres wide.

<4> Next Perspectives, 2016, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery (2016), SJ4163 & SJ4164, 02/10/2016 (Aerial Photograph). SCH9150.

The area appears to be under arable cultivation.

<5> Environment Agency, 2003-2020, Environment Agency LiDAR Surveys, First Return, 06/08/2008 (Digital Archive). SCH7819.

The survey suggests that these earthworks have been levelled to some degree.

<6> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, Edwards R, 18/01/2023 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

Some of the earthworks in this area have been lost to expansion of the water treatment works to the west. In addittion, a solar farm has been built in the eastern part of this area.

<7> JA Story & Partners, 1985, 1985 Story & Partners Survey, Run 7 no's 053 & 054, 30/05/1985 (Aerial Photograph). SCH2993.