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Summary

A dark double curvilinear cropmark, visible on aerial photographs taken between 1975 and 1991, is interpreted as having formed over the buried remains of an infilled ring ditch, within a curvilinear enclosure, of later prehistoric or Roman date.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 447963

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CURVILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Early Bronze Age to Roman - 2200 BC to 409 AD)
• RING DITCH (Early Bronze Age to Roman - 2200 BC to 409 AD)

Full description

Cambridge University Collection, 1975, CUC/BTS, 62-63 (Aerial Photograph). SDV119928.

On Cambridge Air Photograph, two ring ditches are shown to the northeast of Kennford, at approximately SX91968675 and SX92018674. The western one is the smaller, and appears to be a single ditch. The eastern one appears to be larger, though only part of a circle is visible. This is either a double or triple ditch. Both show as positive cropmarks. Diameter difficult to assess. Smaller approximately15 meters diameter, larger approximately 30 meters diameter. Linear features to north & south. Other details: BTS 63 in HER.

Cambridge University, 1975, CUC/BUO, Devon County Council CUCAP BUO024 18-JUL-1975 (Aerial Photograph). SDV237834.

A pale slightly raised double curvilinear cropmark is visible. The area is covered by frames 21-25.

Cambridge University, 1980, CUC/CMN, 8-12, 16-20 (Aerial Photograph). SDV338506.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1982, SX98NW36 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV338502.

Site visited. The cropmarks lie on a slight east facing slope at about 103.0 meters OD, just below the crest of a hill. Nothing is visible on the ground, currently under crops. The hilltop position and size suggest barrows.

Devon County Council, 1985, DAP 5492, DAP 5492/4 10-JUL-1985 (EZ) (Aerial Photograph). SDV358730.

Dark curvilinear cropmarks are visible. Map object partly based on this source.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, DAP/ET, 5-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDV338504.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, DAP/EZ, 4-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDV286402.

Robinson, R., 1987 - 2000, Devon Post-Reconnaissance Fieldwork Project (Un-published). SDV342165.

Nothing visible on ring ditch sites. Linear features to north and south may represent approaches to large quarry on west side of hill. Faint hollow way on the north, more pronounced track on south side. Other details: Photographs J 4-8.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/LX, 1, 5 & 8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV338507.

Devon County Council, 1991, DAP 13458, DAP 13458/10 03-JUN-1991 (UN) (Aerial Photograph). SDV358729.

Dark curvilinear cropmarks are visible. Map object partly based on this source.

Griffith, F. M., 1991, DAP/UN, 10-15 (Aerial Photograph). SDV237285.

Manning, P. T. + Turton, S. D., 1995, Archaeological assessment of the Kenn to Ashcombe gas pipeline, 6 (Report - Assessment). SDV337359.

Goodwin, N., 2006, Archaeological Watching Brief on an Electricity Cable Diversion, Kennford, Kenn (Report - Watching Brief). SDV338501.

These features were not identified in the trench excavated across the site in 2006.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2014-2015, East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV356883.

A dark U-shaped cropmark, between 1 and 3 metres in width and 36 metres across, is visible on aerial photographs taken between 1975 and 1991. Internally a narrower curvilinear cropmark, less than a metre wide and 20 metres in diameter, forms a ring shape, although part on its western side appears to be a double cropmark. The cropmarks are interpreted as having formed over the buried remains of an infilled ring ditch, within a larger enclosure. Two short stretches of linear cropmark downslope of the larger enclosure may be continuations of an enclosure ditch, but are on a slightly different alignment and could be goeological in origin. Given the hilltop location, this may have been a Bronze Age funerary site, but other explanations are possible, particularly given the possible recutting in evidence by the double element of the smaller ring ditch. Excavation of a trench across the site in 2006 did not result in the identification of any of the features visible on aerial photographs, but unfortunately the section that covers this feature was not observed.
Many of the aerial photographs consulted by the survey are copies of DAPs held by the Historic England Archive. In some cases these have been recorded as separate sources. This is because variations in the way the prints have been processed could result in images on which archaeological features are visible to a greater or lesser degree. This feature was previously recorded as part of MDV17715; the source details have been copied from MDV17715 into this record, but have not necessarily been enhanced.

Dean, R. + Edwards, M., 2018, Kennford Reservoir, Kennford, Devon: Geophysical Survey (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV361820.

A magnetometer survey was undertaken by Substrata Ltd to provide a relatively fast and cost-effective evaluation of any buried archaeology across land at Kennford Reservoir, Kennford.

Three magnetic anomaly groups were characterised as reflecting potential buried archaeology. Of these, two (1 and 2) may represent archaeological deposits associated with a ring ditch and a ring ditch within a curvilinear enclosure, both recorded in the Devon County Council Historic Environment as being situated just south of the Survey Area.

Magnetic anomaly groups 1 and 2 lie just to the north of the locations of a ring ditch and a ring ditch within an curvilinear enclosure as recorded in the Devon County Council Historic Environment Record (see Tables 1 and 6). These anomaly groups may represent either elements of the ring ditches or of the enclosure but are characterised as ‘possible’ rather that
‘likely’ because, whilst distinct in the data, not enough of the anomaly groups are present within the Survey Area to say with confidence that they have a shape typically associated with a ring ditch or curvilinear enclosure.

As characterised by this survey, anomaly group 2 coincides with the existing ring ditch, curvilinear enclosure.

Devon County Council, 2019, Google Earth Aerial Photograph Pilot Project, GE91 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363341.

(SX 91959 86760) Enclosures, ring ditches and linears north-east of Kennford. Rectilinear enclosure and ring ditch MDV112744, ring ditches MDV112745, ring ditch and curvilinear enclosure MDV112746 and linears extending into the field to the west identified from the 2018 Google Earth aerial photography. Some may be geological marks MDV17715 but some of the marks are very circular and are respected by the possible enclosures. Bronze Age to Romano-British in date.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV119928	Aerial Photograph: Cambridge University Collection. 1975. CUC/BTS. Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs. Photograph (Paper). 62-63.
SDV237285	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1991. DAP/UN. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 10-15.
SDV237834	Aerial Photograph: Cambridge University. 1975. CUC/BUO. Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs. Photograph (Paper). Devon County Council CUCAP BUO024 18-JUL-1975.
SDV286402	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1985. DAP/EZ. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 4-5.
SDV337359	Report - Assessment: Manning, P. T. + Turton, S. D.. 1995. Archaeological assessment of the Kenn to Ashcombe gas pipeline. Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit Report. 95.14. A4 Stapled + Digital. 6.
SDV338501	Report - Watching Brief: Goodwin, N.. 2006. Archaeological Watching Brief on an Electricity Cable Diversion, Kennford, Kenn. Exeter Archaeology Report. Project 5875. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV338502	Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. 1982. SX98NW36. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Card Index.
SDV338504	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1985. DAP/ET. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 5-6.
SDV338506	Aerial Photograph: Cambridge University. 1980. CUC/CMN. Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs. Photograph (Paper). 8-12, 16-20.
SDV338507	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1989. DAP/LX. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 1, 5 & 8.
SDV342165	Un-published: Robinson, R.. 1987 - 2000. Devon Post-Reconnaissance Fieldwork Project. Devon Post-Reconnaissance Fieldwork Project. A4 Unbound.
SDV356883	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2014-2015. East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV358729	Aerial Photograph: Devon County Council. 1991. DAP 13458. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DAP 13458/10 03-JUN-1991 (UN).
SDV358730	Aerial Photograph: Devon County Council. 1985. DAP 5492. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DAP 5492/4 10-JUL-1985 (EZ).
SDV361820	Report - Geophysical Survey: Dean, R. + Edwards, M.. 2018. Kennford Reservoir, Kennford, Devon: Geophysical Survey. Substrata. 1807KEN-R-1. Digital. [Mapped feature: #72114 To note: the initial polygon was based on an aerial photograph which still accounts for the majority of the extent of the polygon, however the polygon has been amended to follow the line of the anomaly that was picked up by the geophysical survey., ]
	Linked documents:1

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)
• EDV7624 - Archaeological Magnetometer Survey: Kennford Reservoir, Kennford, Devon (Ref: 1807KEN-R-1)

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