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Summary

Approximately 20 hectares of abandoned field system east of Standon Farm. The fields, some depicted by the Ordnance Survey, are clearly medieval or later in form though the presence of dispersed prehistoric settlements (SX 58 SW 32) point to an earlier origin.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX58SW34
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440744
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58SW/72
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX58SW33

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CLEARANCE CAIRN (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• FIELD SYSTEM (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1964, RAF/F66/58/6399, 0038-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV235985.

Cropmark of field boundary closely resembling prehistoric boundaries in the area: now absorbed in present field system. SX 54528205 to SX 54678182.

National Monument Record, 1979, SF1510, 219-220 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224088.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Recorded.

Probert, S. + Fletcher, M. + Newman, P., 1998, Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy, Devon: An Archaeological survey by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (Report - Survey). SDV350638.

(01/08/1998) Centred SX 54728162. Approximately 20 hectares of abandoned field system lie at the foot of the Nnorth-east and eastern flanks of Standon Hill. The fields, some of which are depicted by the Ordnance Survey (1965 map) are clearly Medieval or later in form due to their height and the presence of several corn ditches. Also the enclosures are all very irregular in shape and vary in size from 0.5 hectares to 3.0 hectares. There is no trace of any contemporary settlement and it seems likely that these fields formerly formed part of Standon Farm. The area covered by the fields is very stoney, lying on the fringe of an immense clitter slope, and attempts to clear some of the smaller stones has resulted in a plethora of clearance cairns, most noticeable in the southern fields.
Traces of prehistoric settlement (SX 58 SW 32) occur in several places within this field system but the remains are very denuded and in some places are visibly overlain by the later walls. It is, however, not unreasonable to assume that some of the later walls follow the course of earlier prehistoric features.
Surveyed at 1:2500.

Probert, S., 2001, Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy, Devon. Integrated Land Management Plan Implementation: Archaeological Condition Baseline Survey Appendices 2-5 (Report - Survey). SDV357727.

(20/02/2001) The walls are composed of granite stones and boulders, mostly taken from surface clitter spreads. The fields are under bracken and close-cropped moorland grass. This abandoned field system is generally as described. In some places parts of the walls have been crudely remodelled to form shelters or temporary cover for combat.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7368 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy (1998)
• EDV6663 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV6664 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV6665 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV8141 - Condition survey of the Willsworthy Training Area

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