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Summary

A former field boundary or road, potentially of medieval to 19th century date, is visible as a curvilinear earthwork hollow on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017, on the south-west facing slopes to the north of Cotts Cottage, Combe, Ideford.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD BOUNDARY? (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))
• ROAD? (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1840 AD (Between))

Full description

South West Heritage Trust, 1838-1848, Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments (Cartographic). SDV359954.

The south-western end of the visible earthwork corresponds with field boundaries depicted on the Tithe Map for Ideford.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor (Cartographic). SDV361470.

A curvilinear hollow embanked on the upslope side is visible.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2018-2019, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 1, Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley (Interpretation). SDV361305.

a curvilinear earthwork hollow up to 20m wide and over 400m long is visible on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017, crossing the contours of the south-west facing slopes to the north of Cotts Cottage, Combe, Ideford.
The south-western 150m of the visible earthwork corresponds with field boundaries depicted on the Tithe Map for Ideford. The remaining circa 350m of hollow does not correspond with any features depicted on the 19th century maps available to the survey. The field pattern in this area has been characterised by HLC as medieval enclosure based on strip fields, but the regular boundaries are perhaps more indicative of later, post-medieval to 19th century enclosure. As such, it is possible that the visible earthworks are evidence of an earlier, medieval to post-medieval feature.
The re-use of the western end of the earthwork as a field boundary might support the interpretation of the wider earthwork as a former field boundary.
The scale of the earthwork, however, might support an alternative interpretation as a former track or road. This might be supported by the recording of a possible former quarry at the western end of the putative route, perhaps indicating a function as a quarry access road.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV359954	Cartographic: South West Heritage Trust. 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments. Tithe Map and Apportionment. Digital.
SDV361305	Interpretation: Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R.. 2018-2019. The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 1, Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley. Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV361470	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2017. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor. Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. [Mapped feature: #114347 ]

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7515 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey (Ref: ACD1748)

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