Eric Gardner describes this as a prehistoric defensive earthwork of a well-known type1 - but in truth, its age and purpose is unknown.  However, 'Albury' suggests that it was already old when first named since the name probably derives from the Old English 'alde burh' meaning an old earthwork. Albury Bottom seen from the air. The footpaths and bridleways have been digitally removed to clarify the shape. Image: David Stokes It is a roughly oval enclosure about 100m in diameter.  A bridleway and footpaths mutilate the earthwork considerably.  It appears that an internal bank separates the southern end - which rises up a slope. The perimeter comprises a bank with an outer ditch, some 10m across overall by 1.4m in average height. Ditches outside of banks were either defensive or just the usual way of marking out an enclosure of the Common.  Ditches inside banks were commonly used where stock is being kept in.  There is no trace of the original entrance.

Suggestions for its origin include:

• It is not unlike the the Iron Age enclosed homestead found at Tongham.  The separate enclosure at the southern end looks somewhat like what was believed to be the chief's enclosure ^{2, p24}.
• Locally it is known as the 'bee garden' and it is believed that its purpose was to protect the bee hives that local people put out on the Common each August when the heather was in flower.  However is seems much too big for this purpose.
• A stock enclosure - but the bank and ditch configuration is wrong for this. But the suggestions are;

  an early 14th C entry in the records of Chertsey Abbey record that the Abbot built a 'sheep house' at Chobham. 

  an overnight stopping point on a drovers road. Running roughly east-west just outside this corner can be seen the shadow of a trackway; this may link with the nearby trackway that turns south and rises up Lone Pine hill and continues SW - maybe to Chobham village, but its alignment is more to the west of Chobham village crossing the Bourne at the ford at Clappers (drovers roads tended to avoid village centres).  It has not yet been traced west of Albury Bottom.

References:-

1    Surrey Archaeological Collections Vol 35, 1924, p110.

2    Hidden Depths,  Roger Hunt 2002, Pub: Surrey Archaeological Society.