York Historic Environment Record

The cropmarks of an extensive site comprising a field system of rectilinear enclosures, associated round houses, are visible to the west and south of Wheldrake Wood, centred at SE 6505 4635. The field system is largely rectilinear in nature and there are many double-ditched elements, although whether these relate to enclosures or trackways is not entirely clear. Probable Iron Age/Roman date.

An extensive Iron Age/Roman field system is visible as cropmarks on air photographs. It comprises rectilinear enclosures with associated round houses and trackways. A possible Iron Age square barrow was also identified. The cropmarks are visible to the west and south of Wheldrake Wood.

The above enclosure complex was transcribed at a scale of 1:10,000 as part of the Vale of York Project. The field system is quite extensive, extending north to south for 1.2 km and west to east for 1.1 km. A possible Iron Age square barrow was identified at SE 6501 4608. A large D-shaped enclosure (130m x 130m) was also identified, centred at SE 6543 4596. It appears to be a different phase from the field system, but the relationship between the two is uncertain. A further enclosure complex lies to the north-east (recorded in SE 64 NE 5), north of Wheldrake Wood, and to the
west (recorded in SE 64 NW 14) which is probably part of the same field system. Additional rectilinear enclosures and field boundaries in the western part of this complex are visible as
cropmarks on aerial photographs taken in July 2002.

NMR Information:

The cropmarks of a complex of rectilinear enclosures forming a field system are visible at SE 6632 4652 (site-centred). Probable Iron Age/Roman date. (1-1a)

The site described above was transcribed at a scale of 1:10,000 as part of the Vale of York Project. The field system has many double-ditched elements and a hut circle and square barrow were also identified. The form of the rectilinear complex is similar to another group of enclosures to the east (recorded in SE 64 NE 2) and may be part of the same field system. (2)

1a Oblique aerial photograph reference number NMR SE 6646/28-30
1 RCHME/EH/HE Aerial Photographers comment RCHME Aerial Reconnaissance/08-JUL-1996
2 RCHME/EH/HE Aerial Photographers comment RCHME: Vale of York NMP/Yvonne Boutwood/06-OCT-98

Related event: RCHME AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE (NORTH): 1996-7