kids encyclopedia robot

Beech Bottom Dyke facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Beech Bottom Dyke is a very large ditch with banks on both sides. It stretches for almost a mile (about 1.6 kilometers) along the northern edge of St Albans, a town in Hertfordshire, England. This ancient earthwork is quite impressive, measuring up to 30 meters (about 98 feet) wide and 10 meters (about 33 feet) deep!

You can follow a long part of the Dyke, about three-quarters of a mile, starting from the "Ancient Briton Crossroads" on the road between St Albans and Harpenden. It continues until it reaches the Thameslink/Midland Main Line railway near Sandridge. After crossing under the railway, the Dyke carries on for a bit more, ending just before the St Albans to Sandridge road. However, this last part is not open for people to visit.

When Was It Built?

Beech Bottom Dyke was built a very long time ago, towards the end of the Iron Age. This was probably between the years 5 AD and 40 AD. Imagine people working on this huge project almost 2,000 years ago!

Who Built It?

Historians and archaeologists believe that this massive ditch, along with other similar earthworks in the area, was built by a powerful Celtic tribe called the Catuvellauni. This tribe lived in the region during the Iron Age.

It's thought that their leader, King Cunobelinus, ordered these earthworks to be built. They likely helped to mark out important areas of land around their main tribal center, which was called Verlamion. Later, the Romans built their city of Verulamium on top of or near this ancient settlement.

What Was Its Purpose?

Beech Bottom Dyke was probably part of a big defensive system for an ancient settlement. Think of it like a giant fence or barrier made of earth.

Other Defenses

There are other similar earthworks nearby that might have been part of the same defense system. These include the Devil's Dyke and another ancient earthwork known as "The Slad".

Together, these earthworks might have created a huge defensive line. This line could have stretched all the way from the River Lea to the River Ver, protecting a very large area of land for the Catuvellauni tribe.

Images for kids

  • Beech Bottom Dyke (1)

    Photograph of the Dyke

  • Beech Bottom Dyke (2)

    Photograph of the Dyke

  • Beech Bottom Dyke (3)

    Photograph of the Dyke

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Beech Bottom Dyke Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.