An enclosure is an area of land surrounded on all sides by another feature: usually a boundary ditch, bank, wall, palisade or other similar barrier. Enclosures may have a combination of enclosing features, or have several concentric enclosing ditches or banks.




Enclosures are a common feature in the landscape and were made for varied purposes; a defensive wall for a house or settlement; marking the boundary of a ritual site; a corral for animals; or a simple garden plot. The huge range of form and construction of enclosures make classification harder.
As always, if a more specific type or function cannot be determined, the more general categories that describe the shape of the monument are the best option, in combination with annotations.