Possible First World War ditches at Hatfield Forest (EHER 14140)

Earthworks comprising shallow linear hollows were identified during fieldwork carried out in 1993 in Hatfield Forest. These have been interpreted possible First World War military earthworks.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: 1993. Survey. In April 1993, RCHME's Cambridge Office carried out an analytical earthwork survey of a part of Hatfield Forest in the vicinity of the post-medieval warren, following a request from the National Trust. More than 50 'furrow-like' features lie east to west perpendicularly across the central area of the clearing/ride adjacent to the warren. These are shallow linear hollows, 3-5m wide and mostly less than 30m long. They do not resemble ridge and furrow cultivation and their origin is uncertain but possibly relates to British Army activities in the Forest in 1937 <1>. Aerial photographs taken in 1946 and 1948 do not show any military installations and no fresh earthworks can be seen, the features may thus relate to the earlier World War <2>. For further details, see RCHME Level 3 client report and plan at 1:1000 scale, held in Archive. <3> See also: <4>