Nico Ditch
Anglo-Saxons | |
Type | Ditch and earthwork |
---|---|
Length | 6 mi (9.7 km) |
Width | 4–5 yards (3.7–4.6 m) |
Completion date | 5th – 11th century |
Dismantled date | Large sections lost to urban expansion |
Nico Ditch is a six-mile (9.7 km) long linear earthwork between Ashton-under-Lyne and Stretford in Greater Manchester, England. It was dug as a defensive fortification, or possibly a boundary marker, between the 5th and 11th century.
The ditch is still visible in short sections, such as a 330-yard (300 m) stretch in
Etymology
The earliest documented reference to the ditch is in a charter detailing the granting of land in Audenshaw to the monks of the Kersal Cell. In the document, dating from 1190 to 1212, the ditch is referred to as "Mykelldiche", and a magnum fossatum, which is Latin for "large ditch".[1]
The name Nico (sometimes Nikker) for the ditch became established in the 19th and 20th century. It may have been derived from the
Course
Nico Ditch stretches 6 mi (9.7 km) between Ashton Moss (grid reference SJ909980) in Ashton-under-Lyne and Hough Moss (grid reference SJ82819491), which is just east of Stretford.[3] It passes through Denton, Reddish, Gorton, Levenshulme, Burnage, Rusholme, Platt Fields Park in Fallowfield, Withington and Chorlton-cum-Hardy, crossing four metropolitan boroughs of present-day Greater Manchester. The ditch coincides with the boundaries between the boroughs of Stockport and Manchester, and between Tameside and Manchester; it reaches as far as the Denton golf course. A section is now beneath the Audenshaw Reservoirs, which were built towards the end of the 19th century.[4] The ditch may have extended west beyond Stretford, to Urmston (grid reference SJ78299504).[1]
History
The earthwork was constructed some time between the
Legend has it Nico Ditch was completed in a single night by the inhabitants of Manchester, as a protection against Viking invaders in 869–870; Manchester may have been sacked by the Danes in 870.[8] It was said that each man had an allocated area to construct, and was required to dig his section of the ditch and build a bank equal to his own height.[5] According to 19th century folklore, the ditch was the site of a battle between Saxons and Danes. The battle was supposed to have given the nearby towns of Gorton and Reddish their names, from "Gore Town" and "Red-Ditch", respectively, [9][10] but the idea has been dismissed by historians as a "popular fancy".[11] The names derive from "dirty farmstead" and "reedy ditch" respectively.[12]
Antiquarians and historians have been interested in the ditch since the 19th century, but much of its course has been built over. Between 1990 and 1997, the University of Manchester Archaeological Unit excavated sections of the ditch in Denton, Reddish, Levenshulme, and Platt Fields, in an attempt to determine its age and purpose. Although no date was established for the ditch's construction, the investigations revealed that the bank to the north of the ditch is of 20th century origin. Together with the ditch's profile, which is U-shaped rather than the V-shape typically used in military ditches and defenses, this suggests that the purpose of the earthwork was to mark a territorial boundary.[3] The conclusion of the project was that the ditch was probably a boundary marker.[13]
Preservation
Despite heavy weathering, the ditch is still visible in short sections, which can be up to 4–5 yards (3.7–4.6 m) wide and up to 5 feet (1.5 m) deep. A 330-yard (300 m) stretch through
See also
- History of Manchester
- Scheduled Monuments in Greater Manchester
References
- ^ a b c Nevell (1992), p. 78.
- Clarendon Press. Archived from the originalon 8 July 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2007.
- ^ a b Nevell (1998), p. 40.
- ^ Nevell (1992), p. 81.
- ^ a b Nevell (1992), p. 83.
- ^ Hylton (2003), p. 7.
- ^ Nevell (1992), pp. 82–83.
- ^ Hylton (2003), p. 8.
- ^ Booker (1857), p. 197.
- ^ Harland & Wilkinson (1993), pp. 26–29.
- ^ Farrer & Brownbill (1911), pp. 275–279.
- ^ "A ditch in time". BBC. 1 August 2008. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
- ^ Nevell (1998), p. 41.
- ^ Nevell (1992), p. 79.
- ^ Nevell (2008), p. 39.
- ^ Historic England. "Nico Ditch (1033812)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 30 December 2007.
Bibliography
- Booker, John (1857). A history of the ancient chapels of Didsbury and Chorlton. Manchester: Chethams.
- Farrer, W; Brownbill, J, eds. (1911). "Townships: Gorton". A History of the County of Lancaster. 4: 275–279. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
- ISBN 1-897853-06-8.
- Hylton, Stuart (2003). A History of Manchester. Chichester: Phillimore and Co. Ltd. ISBN 1-86077-240-4.
- Nevell, Mike (1992). Tameside Before 1066. Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council. ISBN 1-871324-07-6.
- Nevell, Mike (1998). Lands and Lordships in Tameside. Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council with the ISBN 1-871324-18-1.
- Nevell, Mike (2008). Manchester: The Hidden History. The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-4704-9.
External links
- Media related to Nico Ditch at Wikimedia Commons