North of pumping station

This sub-square feature was identified by a member of the public via LiDAR and aerial photography. It consists of a rough square of flattened ground measuring approximately 35m by 35m, within a field of medieval ridge and furrow (HER 11499) lying between Walbottle and Blucher. It is aligned northeast-southwest, in line with the ridge and furrow, and its western and eastern boundaries correspond with furrows whilst the northern and southern boundaries cut across them.
The feature clearly cuts and respects the ridge and furrow and therefore must post-date it, but its function is unclear. It may be a sports pitch for a game such as knurr and spell, where the ground is marked out with wooden markers every 20 yards, or associated with Walbottle Hall (HER 5028). It has not been identified on any historic Ordnance Survey mapping.