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Summary

An oval enclosure is interpreted from dark and pale cropmarks on aerial photographs taken between 1946 and 1969, partly corresponding with a curvilinear earthwork bank visible on digital visualisations of lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017. It is provisionally interpreted as later prehistoric in origin, although it could be much later in date.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• OVAL ENCLOSURE (Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2200 BC? to 42 AD? (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

No features are depicted in this exact location.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FS 2126-2127 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

A dark curvilinear cropmark is visible south of the field boundary, with an indistinct pale curvilinear cropmark north of the boundary.

Royal Air Force, 1952, RAF/540/689, RAF/540/689 V 5061-5062 11-MAR-1952 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350201.

A dark curvilinear cropmark is clearly visible south of the field boundary, and very indistinctly north of the boundary.

Ordnance Survey, 1969, OS/69292, OS/69292 V 021-022 28-JUN-1969 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351291.

A dark curvilinear cropmark is indistincly visible south of the field boundary.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX4950 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

A broad curvilinear earthwork bank is visible south of the field boundary.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Curvilinear cropmarks are visible on aerial photographs taken between 1946 and 1969, straddling a field boundary on the high ground of Madam’s Hill. Both pale and dark cropmarks are visible, having apparently formed over the buried remains of an enclosure ditch circa 1.5 to 2.5 metres wide and an outer bank of between 3 and 6 metres wide. The cropmarks are much clearer on the south-west side of the field boundary and are visible on a greater number of sources. This is also where the spread remains of a bank can be seen on visualisations of lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017, suggesting that preservation is best in the south-west segment. Given its prominent location it is possible that the oval enclosure has a prehistoric date. An offshoot of a bank, visible as a pale cropmark on aerial photographs taken in 1952, seems to run south-west from the south-east part of the enclosure and could be an associated field boundary.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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