Earthworks

A view looking downhill along a grassy bank on a rough, grass and reed, moorland. The bank, about three metres wide, rises about a metre on the right side and about two metres on the left side. In the distance is a moorland track running from left to top-middle of the frame. It skirts a dry-stone wall enclosing rough grass pasture and with a cow house in the far corner. Over the horizon can just be seen the far side of a wide dale rising to the top of the frame. — Linear earthwork north of Blades, Swaledale, looking southward. Photo Stephen Eastmead. See link below to Earthworks category PDF and scroll to record no. 112.

In addition to two entries about the Grinton-Fremington Dykes (see menu Archaeology-Special Projects), SWAAG members have recorded photographs and information about another 20 earthworks. See Earthworks category PDF for:

Five linear earthworks

– at Blades, Swaledale, image above (scroll to the second record, no. 112).

– at Tor Dike in upper Wharfedale (the 11^th and 12^th entries, record nos. 755 and 756).

– Tor Dike’s associated Black Dike (10^th entry, no. 753).

– a linear earthwork at Gilling Wood, north of Richmond (the 19^th entry, no, 956).

Scroll through the PDF to see another 15 records containing descriptions of an eclectic mix of ancient sites, within and without Swaledale and Arkengarthdale, including a ring-shaped earthwork, various mounds, and scheduled Roman forts and camps.