Beech Bottom Dyke
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Beech Bottom Dyke, is a large ditch running for almost a mile at the northern edge of
St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...
,
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...
, England flanked by banks on both sides. It is up to wide, and deep, and it can be followed for three quarters of a mile between the "Ancient Briton Crossroads" on the St Albans to
Harpenden Harpenden () is a town and civil parish in the City and District of St Albans in the county of Hertfordshire, England. The population of the built-up area was 30,674 in the 2021 census, while the population of the civil parish was 31,128. Harpe ...
road until it is crossed by the
Thameslink Thameslink is a mainline route on the British railway network, running from , , , , , and via central London to , , , Rainham, , , and . The network opened as a through service in 1988, with severe overcrowding by 1998, carrying more than ...
/ Midland mainline railway at Sandridge. Beyond the railway embankment it continues, to finish just short of the St Albans to Sandridge road. This part is not accessible to the public.


History

The dyke was constructed towards the end of the
Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
, probably between 5 and 40 AD. This, and other similar earthworks in the district, may have been built by the powerful Celtic tribe established in this area, the
Catuvellauni The Catuvellauni (Common Brittonic: *''Catu-wellaunī'', "war-chiefs") were a Celtic tribe or state of southeastern Britain before the Roman conquest, attested by inscriptions into the 4th century. The fortunes of the Catuvellauni and thei ...
, probably by King Cunobelinus to define areas of land around their tribal centre at Verlamion - the predecessor of the Roman city of Verulamium. Beech Bottom Dyke is thought to have originally been part of a defensive system for a Belgic settlement. Other defences are the Devil's Dyke and another ancient earthwork known as " The Slad". These may have created a defensive earthwork running from the
River Lea The River Lea ( ) is in the East of England and Greater London. It originates in Bedfordshire, in the Chiltern Hills, and flows southeast through Hertfordshire, along the Essex border and into Greater London, to meet the River Thames at Bow Cr ...
to the River Ver enclosing a very large area.


Gallery

Image:Beech Bottom Dyke (1).jpg, Photograph of the Dyke Image:Beech Bottom Dyke (2).jpg, Photograph of the Dyke Image:Beech Bottom Dyke (3).jpg, Photograph of the Dyke


References

History of Hertfordshire History of St Albans Iron Age sites in Hertfordshire Archaeological sites in Hertfordshire Ancient dikes Buildings and structures in St Albans Linear earthworks {{UK-archaeology-stub