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Summary

A Roman signal station comprising a double concentric subsquare enclosure is visible as cropmark ditches on aerial photographs taken from 1984 onwards and survives as slight earthworks on the ground.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002670: Roman signal station 450m north of Marshall Farm
• SHINE: Roman signal station at Ide

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX88NE/41
• Old SAM County Ref: 1034

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SIGNAL STATION (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

Silvester, R. J., Aerial Photograph Card Index, FSO.SX8785/1/090 (Un-published). SDV347214.

Enclosure shown as faint soilmark on aerial photograph (unspecified). White outside, dark within. Appears oval from sketch, circa 50 metres by 28 metres and aligned east-west.

Devon County Council, Devon Air Photograph Transcriptions (Cartographic). SDV344181.

The feature is mapped.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, Aerial Reconnaissance in Devon in 1984: A Preliminary Report and the Discovery of a Hillfort, 11-32 (Article in Serial). SDV343099.

Site visit 6th December 1984. Excellent hilltop siting, intervisible with Stoke Hill. Field under plough. No finds found during fieldwalking. Faint breaks of slope still visible.

Devon County Council, 1984, DAP/BO, 2, 2A (Aerial Photograph). SDV283810.

In 1984 and 1985 this site showed clarely as the cropmark of a double ditched enclosure (inner enclosure 32 metres across, outer subcircular 90 metres across), closely resembling Stoke Hill signal station.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/BZ, 4, 5 (Aerial Photograph). SDV347218.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/DI, 12 (Aerial Photograph). SDV345651.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/DS, 10, 11, 11A (Aerial Photograph). SDV343501.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/DY, 10A, 11 (Aerial Photograph). SDV346204.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, DAP/ER, 2A, 3, 4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV347217.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, DAP/EZ, 8, 9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV286402.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, DAP/FH, 9A (Aerial Photograph). SDV237281.

Frere, S. S., 1985, Roman Britain in 1984, 305 (Article in Serial). SDV35311.

Maxwell, G. S. + Wilson, D. R., 1987, Air Reconnaissance in Roman Britain 1977-84, 6 (Article in Serial). SDV35314.

Site described as particularly important. The dimensions of the fortlet exactly match those of Martinhoe and Old barrow, Countisbury.

Griffith, F. M., 1987, DAP/JA, 2A-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV122371.

English Heritage, 1988, Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, As Amended (Correspondence). SDV347222.

Roman fortlet at Ide included in the Schedule of Ancient Monuments. The monument comprises a double concentric subsquare enclosure considered to be a Roman military work. Aerial reconnaissance demonstrates that the innter enclosure has a wide entrance on its western side althouogh no corresponding causeway is visible in the outer ditch. The enclosure is closely paralleled by a site at Stoke Hill 7.5 kilometres to the north-west.

Griffith, F., 1988, Devon's Past. An Aerial View, 55, Plate 40 (Monograph). SDV64198.

English Heritage, 1988, Roman Signal Station 450m North of Marshall Farm (Schedule Document). SDV347223.

The monument, which falls into two areas, includes a Roman signal station situated on the summit of a ridge overlooking the valleys of the River Kenn and two tributaries to the River Exe. The signal station survives mainly as buried features, visible on aerial photographs and detectable on the ground as a very slight earthwork up to 0.1 metres high. The signal station has an outer rectangular enclosure with rounded corners measuring up to 100 metres long east to west, defined by an approximately 2 metre wide ditch with no obvious entrance, surrounding an inner square ditched enclosure. The inner enclosure measures approximately 35 metres internally. Geophysical surveys have indicated the presence of a causeway across the inner ditch, with 1.5 metre diameter posts in the ditch terminals. Within the enclosure in an alignment of pits running north-north-east to south-south-west in the south-east quarter. A row of circular features, including a pit of up to 2 metres diameter containing burnt material, lies to the south of the enclosure between the innter and outer ditches. The signal station is cut by a road which is excluded from the scheduling.

Griffith, F. M., 1988, Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV347216.

Site visit by Griffith and Trow, 23rd February 1988. A small scrap of Samian was recovered in a harrowed field. Survival as slight earthwork confirmed.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/MJ, 9, 10 (Aerial Photograph). SDV286408.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/NY, 10-14 (Aerial Photograph). SDV346317.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/OH, 4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV294220.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/RF, 9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV321063.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/RQ, 2, 3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV343942.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1991 - 1983, SX88NE13 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV347215.

Site visit 12th October 1981. The area lies on a crest position of a south facing slope, under stubble. No evidence of earthwork on the ground.

Horner, B., 1992, DAP/VF, 4-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDV286922.

Horner, B., 1994, DAP/WK, 27-29 (Aerial Photograph). SDV321066.

Exeter Archaeology, 1996, Archaeological Assessment of SWW Exeter to Tottiford Transfer: Phase 1 (Report - Assessment). SDV283759.

Griffith, F. M., 1996, DAP/ZC, 4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV321037.

Oxford Archaeotechnics Ltd, 1996, Exeter to Tottiford Transfer. Phase 1. Dunsford Hill to Dunchideock (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV347219.

A geophysical survey was undertaken in 1996 yielding good results. The fort ditches show clearly. The outer enclosure in 100 metres wide east-west and the inner is 35 metres square. There is no causeway over the outer ditch which is circa 2 metres wide. The innter enclosure has an entrance/causeway 5 metres wide with 1.5 diameter post pits in the ditch terminals. Possible residual traces of rampart were recorded. There is an alignment of pits runing north-north-east - south-south-west in the south-west quarter of the fortlet. A row of larger circular features, including a pit up to 2 metres wide possibly containing burnt material was recorded in the southern portin of the fortlet between the inner and outer ditch.

Young, A., 2005, Transcriptions from Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Cartographic). SDV321540.

Transcriptions of ditches correspond to the grid reference for PRN166814

Young, A. & Turner, S., 2005-2006, North Devon/Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme (NMP) project database records, PRN166814 (Interpretation). SDV358473.

A rectilinear bivallate enclosure is visible as two cropmark ditches on aerial photographs (p1&2) and was digitally plotted as part of the National Mapping Programme. The inner enclosure is subsquare, 32m across, and with an entrance in the south west. The outer enclosure is more curvilinear, measures 90m x 90m and has no visible entrance.
Photograph references:
1. RAF 543/2332 (F21) 107&8 26-JUL-1963
2. DCC DAP BO/2&2A (NMR SX8888/12&13) 07-JUL-1984

Historic England, 2023, Roman Signal Station, north of Marshall Farm, Ide, Historic England Ref: S00244246 (Correspondence). SDV365550.

Application for Scheduled monument consent for the erection of agricultural post and wire mesh stock fence inside existing plot boundary.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7455 - Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme

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