In and Around South Charlton, People and Places
Evidence for human activity in and around South Charlton stretches back several thousands of years. From earliest Neolithic burial sites, through possible Roman marching camps to nineteenth century industrial and farming development – a vast canvas of human history has been painted on our landscape.
Walk 2 - The Whinney Bronze Age Enclosure
Directions 1
Start from Grovewood House. Pass through the field gate at right angles facing the house. Follow the line of the old boundary walls. Pass through 3 gates.
Enter the farm track that leads up to South Charlton Farm on the right. Do not follow the road up to South Charlton Farm but proceed straight ahead up a gentle incline to the Whinney.
To the west of the house, where the ground rises is the remains of an defended Bronze Age/Iron Age enclosure.
Defended Enclosure
The earthwork remains of an Iron Age defended settlement stand just below the summit of Buck Law. The roughly circular enclosure is 67m across and is surrounded by double ramparts and a ditch. Inside, the enclosure has been partly quarried but there are traces of fragmentary banks dividing the area.
In the Iron Age many settlements had earth banks and ditches built round them. Wooden palisades also surrounded many farmsteads. In some areas the enclosures can still be seen, but elsewhere they have been destroyed by later farming and can only be seen during archaeological excavations or as cropmarks.
There are many possible reasons why these defences may have been built. It may have been that society was becoming increasingly violent, and that there was a need for people to protect themselves. Another possibility is that they were built by people to show others how important they were, and to mark themselves out from their neighbours.