Devil’s Dyke, Wheathampstead, Herts, UK
Posted by: 
bill&ben
N 51° 48.519 W 000° 17.068
30U E 687200 N 5743243
The Scheduled Ancient Monument Devil’s Dyke is the remains of a defensive ditch around an ancient settlement of the Catuvellani tribe.
Waymark Code: WM996V
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/17/2010
Views: 5
Devil’s Dyke is the remains of a defensive ditch around an ancient settlement of the Catuvellani tribe dating to around 100 BC. Originally the ditch was a closed defense, the largest in Hertfordshire, however only two sections of the ditch remain. The western section is named Devil's Dyke, based on a belief that only the devil could dig such a large ditch, and is around 30 m wide and 12 m deep at its largest. A smaller ditch to the east is known as "The Slad".
The area was excavated by Sir Mortimer Wheeler in 1932. Sir Mortimer asserted at the time that the site is where Julius Caesar defeated Cassivellaunus in 54 BC, although there is no historical evidence that proves the fact. The area is believed to have originally been settled by Belgae invaders
The entrance to the Devil’s Dyke was provided with a gate and inscribed stone plaques by Lord Brocket in 1937 on the occasion of the coronation of George VI.
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