View source for Beech Bottom Dyke

{{short description|Iron Age ditch}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
'''Beech Bottom Dyke''', is a large ditch running for almost a mile at the northern edge of [[St Albans]], [[Hertfordshire]] flanked by banks on both sides.  It is up to {{convert|30|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide, and {{convert|10|m|ft|abbr=on}} deep, and it can be followed for three quarters of a mile between the "Ancient Briton Crossroads" on the St Albans to [[Harpenden]] road until it is crossed by the [[Thameslink (route)|Thameslink]]/[[Midland Main Line|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.
It was constructed towards the end of the [[Iron Age]],<ref>{{NHLE|num=1019136 |desc=Iron Age territorial boundary known as Beech Bottom Dyke |accessdate=2015-04-19 }}</ref> probably between 5 and 40&nbsp;AD. This, and other similar earthworks in the district, may have been built by the powerful Celtic tribe established in this area, the [[Catuvellauni]], probably by [[Cunobelinus|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{{By whom|date=December 2012}} to have originally been part of a defensive system for a Belgic settlement. Other defences are the [[Devil's Dyke, Hertfordshire|Devil's Dyke]] and another ancient earthwork known as "[[The Slad]]". These may have created a defensive earthwork running from the [[River Lea]] 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
</gallery>
==References==
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{{commons category|Beech Bottom Dyke}}
[[Category:History of Hertfordshire]]
[[Category:History of St Albans]]
[[Category:Iron Age sites in Hertfordshire]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Hertfordshire]]
[[Category:Ancient dikes]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in St Albans]]
[[Category:Linear earthworks]]
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