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Summary

The remains of probable post-medieval to 20th century ridges made for fruit tree planting and improved orchard drainage were visible as low, parallel earthwork banks on aerial photographs and digital images derived from lidar data, on the south-east facing slopes north-west of Worfield House, Combe Raleigh.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ORCHARD (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1947 AD (Between))

Full description

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Maps and Apportionments (Website). SDV349463.

Plot 390 on the Tithe Map for Combe Raleigh is described as an orchard. The Map object is based on the extent of the orchard as depicted on the Tithe Map.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 F20 3444-3445 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

The earthwork banks cannot be seen. The former orchard has been cleared of trees.

Ordnance Survey, 1982, OS/82218 V, OS/82218 V 1134-5 28-AUG-1982 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359504.

The orchard planting banks were revealed by favourable light conditions.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR ST1501 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

Parallel earthwork banks were visible on analytical hillshade visualisations.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2016-2018, The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV359463.

The remains of ridges made for fruit tree planting and improved drainage were visible as low, parallel earthwork banks on aerial photographs and digital images derived from lidar data, on the south-east facing slopes north-west of Worfield House, Combe Raleigh.
The banks were spaced on average 5 metres apart and were aligned roughly cross-contour, presumably to aid drainage. The earthworks correspond to a plot listed on the Tithe Apportionments as an orchard, and are interpreted as ridges made for fruit tree planting and improved orchard drainage. The earthworks are therefore at the latest mid-19th century in date and could be significantly older.
The orchard was cleared of trees by the late 1940s and the banks towards the south-eastern end of the former orchard appear to have been partly levelled, probably by modern landscaping. However, circa 0.2 hectares of banks survive as low earthworks further upslope.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV349463	Website: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Maps and Apportionments. http://devon.gov.uk. Website.
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 F20 3444-3445 11-APR-1947.
SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR ST1501 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014.
SDV359463	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2016-2018. The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:2
SDV359504	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1982. OS/82218 V. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/82218 V 1134-5 28-AUG-1982.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)

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