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Description

Reasons for Designation Dylings are medieval fields on the siltlands of the Fens and comprise blocks of strips of cultivated land which were often bordered by droves and dykes. These strips were separated by ditches and were broader than those of the `ridge and furrow' system which is more typical of the uplands. They also differed in that they were ploughed flat, rather than ridged. Very few examples of this distinctive regional pattern of cultivation are known to survive as earthworks in the Fens and all good examples which do survive as earthworks will merit protection. The medieval dylings and early flood defence bank, immediately south west of Ash Cottage represent one of the best surviving examples of medieval dylings in the fenland. Earthworks and buried archaeological deposits will preserve valuable evidence for medieval farming practice and for the local environment in which it functioned, as well as that which preceded it. The dylings are particularly rare in being associated with the remains of an early fen bank, which preserves information about flood defence in this area over 1000 years ago. Details The monument includes the earthwork remains of dylings, a field system of medieval date, located in the fenland 2.2km north east of St Mary and St Nicholas' Church. The dylings lie adjacent to the remains of an early medieval flood defence bank, which is the predecessor of the present Gold Fen Dike Bank. The monument includes the earthwork remains of the early flood defence bank. The dylings take the form of parallel field strips aligned north west to south east and separated by narrow ditches up to 0.5m deep. The strips are about 100m long and vary in width between 20m and 50m, occupying a total area 200m wide. Shallow depressions in some of the strips mark the position of former ponds, and near the centre of the monument is a water-filled pond of later date. The rectangular area occupied by the strips is bounded on each of the long sides by a linear bank 3m-5m wide running at right angles to them, and the whole system is surrounded by a ditch 2m in width. Adjacent to the north western side of the field system, and aligned with it south west to north east, is a broad bank cut along the middle by a shallow ditch. This bank represents the remains of an early flood defence bank believed to have originated in the late Anglo-Saxon period in order to prevent flooding by upland waters from the north west. The alignment of the early bank is followed by the present Gold Fen Dike Bank. All modern fences and gates are excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath them is included.

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