Aerial photographs taken during the 1940s, show the typical soil marks of a filled-in anti-tank ditch stretching from its northernmost point where it connected with the Colchester anti-tank ditch to its southernmost point at Abberton Reservoir.

The scar starts at TL 99982297, the junction of the two ditches. It runs south past the E side of "Monkwick" (now demolished) to a pond at TL 99952270, before turning south-westwards to TL 99852263. Here it re-commenced its southward path alongside the E boundary of Roman Way Camp. At TL 99692190 it "crossed" Berechurch Hall Road via a road barrier (SMR 20551/MCC5337). On the S side of the road it skirted the E side of Rampart Lodge (No. 83) before continuing southwards apparently, from the soil marks, immediately to the E of, and alongside, the ancient Roman ramparts. At TL 99722062 it left the ramparts to skirt "Charlotte’s Grove" with a dog-leg at TL 99882058. Crossing Ball Lane and the Roman River at TL 99942009 it met and crossed Oxley Hill at TL 99961954. Skirting Abberton Hall to its W, it finally abutted, via an area of anti-tank pimples, Abberton Reservoir at TL 99661896. The total length of the ditch was approx. 3 miles.<1> - <7>

SITE ASSESSMENT:
There are few surviving elements of this defence line, although in one stretch - across a field immediately to the N of Roman River (TL 99872030 - TL 99942010) the depressed imprint of the ditch can still be seen. Each of the points where the line crossed a thoroughfare would probably have been "bridged" by a concrete and steel barrier with anti-tank pimples at the road sides. In only one place have any been found to have survived - a provisional visit in August 2002 found one pimple in situ on the N side of Oxley Hill (TL 99961955) and four dug up in the field to the S. At the time of compiling this record, it is not known if any of the Abberton Reservoir pimples still survive. (7:2007 See SMR 21102/MCC5486)

On balance, studying 1940's aerial photographs, it is considered that the WWII planners did not use the existing Roman ditch for their defence works. South of Berechurch Hall Road it is thought to have been built just outside (to the E) of the belt of trees which now defines the path of the Roman ditch. S of Park Farm the "modern" ditch leaves the path of its ancient counterpart. However, N of Berechurch Hall Road the 1940 ditch is thought to have cut the Roman ditch twice. Immediately N of the road, where the 1940 ditch followed the exact boundary of Roman Way Camp, the Roman ditch, starting from a position some yards to the W of the later earthwork, angled across the WWII ditch as they both made their way northward. A.F. Hall, 1960, records, "This stretch (of the Roman ramparts) was proved by a tank trap which cut the ditch at a fair angle (for 122 yards N of Berechurch Hall Road)". Just S of "Monkwick" - now demolished - the WWII ditch re-crossed the Roman earthwork from W to E at a much sharper angle before ending at the main Colchester defence line N of "Monkwick".<8>

One photo was taken of the ditch "imprint" N of Roman River.<9>

See also <10> & <11>.