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Summary

The buried remains of a Neolithic causewayed enclosure which are partly overlain by those of a later prehistoric hillfort and associated field system.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1016259: Raddon Hill: a Neolithic causewayed enclosure and later hillfort
• SHINE: Raddon Hill. Neolithic Causewayed enclosure, prehistoric hillfort and field system south west of Raddon Top
• Scheduled Monument 1016259: Raddon Hill: a Neolithic causewayed enclosure and later hillfort
• Scheduled Monument 1016259: Raddon Hill: a Neolithic causewayed enclosure and later hillfort

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS80SE/46
• Old SAM Ref: 24854

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAUSEWAYED ENCLOSURE (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2201 BC) + Sci.Date

Full description

GENT + QUINNELL, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV45124.

During excavation along the route of the sww access road in 1994 the ditches of the causewayed camp were excavated in three places. All finds belonged in the early neolithic + a radiocarbon date of 3370-3020 cal bc was obtained. The dating + the interruptions to the ditch depicted by the geophysical survey support the identification of a causewayed enclosure 105m x 65-70m covering 0.6ha with an appended extension to the w c.30m across of 0.3ha. Contact with neighbouring groups is shown by the presence of portland chert, flint from beer + ceramics from cornwall (gent + quinnell).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV45125.

Aph=dap/am 5,6(29/6/1984).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV45126.

Aph=dap/fm 8,9(26/7/1985).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV45127.

Des=dprfp (14/1/1993)/photos dprfp/v 29-34.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV45128.

Aph=raf=cpe/uk/1823/4186/(4/11/1946).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV45129.

Des=horner, b.(dcc)/(14/3/1994)/filenote + plan in pf.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV45130.

Aph=dap/we 13-15,20/(28/4/1994).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV45131.

Des=slides/(14/3/1994)/in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV45132.

Des=ancient monuments/(-/-/1997)/as above.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV45133.

Aph=dap/kz 3-6/(16/6/1989).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV45134.

Aph=dap/rn 3-6/(7/6/1990).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV45135.

Aph=dap/wg 1-10/(27/5/1994).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV45136.

Aph=dap/wh 1-6/(31/5/1994).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV45137.

Aph=dap/zm 12,13/(8/7/1996).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV45138.

Des=gent, t. H. + quinnell, h. /pdas/57(1999)1-75/excavation of a causewayed enclosure and hillfort on raddon hill, stockleigh pomeroy.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV45139.

Gent, t. H. + knight, m.(ea)/excavation & survey of a multi period enclosure at raddon hill, stockleigh pomeroy: interim report/(1995)/ea report 95.68.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV45140.

Oxford archaeotechnics/raddon hill, stockleigh pomeroy: geophysical & topographic surveys: interim report/(1995)/survey ref:0420594/rad/exm/in smr.

Express & Echo, 1994, Rare Pre-historic Site Discovered (Article in Serial). SDV169922.

Painstaking work at Raddon Hills, Mid Devon, has revealed that the site was an old fort and meeting place around 4000 BC. A perfectly preserved stone axe-head around 6000 years old and pieces of ancient pottery have been dug up. The finds have now gone to Exeter Museum where they are being studied.
Charred grains of corn have also be discovered, which confirms that the Devonians of the Neolithic age were among the first farmers in Britain.
Found at the site where South West Water were building a reservoir for the Crediton area.
The discoveries also show that the site was perhaps used as a rendezvous by Devonians from the Exe and Creedy Valleys for carrying out rituals of the time.

DCMS, 1998, Raddon Hill: a Neolithic causewayed enclosure and later hillfort (Schedule Document). SDV45122.

Raddon Hill Neolithic causewayed enclosure. The buried remains of a causewayed enclosure of the Neolithic period which are partly overlain by those of a later Prehistoric hillfort and associated field system. It was first identified from aerial photographs taken in 1984 in which it appeared as a number of curvilinear cropmarks. After fieldwork in 1993 these were interpreted as the remains of a hillfort. Limited archaeological excavation in 1994, accompanied by geophysical and contour surveys over a wider area, provided more detailed information of the nature and extent of the buried features. The surface remains of the monument show as a low earthwork, visible as a break in the hillslope on the west and south sides of the alignment of the outer cropmark. In the fields on the south side of the monument the lower part of the break in the hillslope is also marked by scatters of worked flint in the soil.The causewayed enclosure is roughly oval in plan, about 210 meters east to west by 125 meters north to south, enclosing an area of approximately 1.9 hectares of the hilltop defined by a ditch which is divided into unequal sections by causeways. Within this enclosure there is another enclosure of similar form about 115 meters east to west by 70 meters north to south, enclosing an area of approximately 0.6 hectares. The inner enclosure is eccentric to the outer enclosure and similarly encircles the hilltop. The excavation revealed the ditches of the outer enclosure to be typically flat-bottomed, 4 meters wide and 0.8 meters deep on the east side of the enclosure, and 3 meters wide and 0.7 meters deep on the west side. The remains of an internal bank were recorded on the east side where it survived to a width of 13 meters and height of 0.4 meters. The ditches of the inner enclosure were also flat-bottomed, 2.4 meters wide and 0.7 meters deep on the east side, and 2.6 meters wide and 0.8 meters deep on the west side. Within the enclosures a number of features were excavated which consisted mainly of pits and postholes. The artefacts recovered were mainly Neolithic flint tools, including leaf-shaped arrowheads and scrapers, together with evidence of flint working in the form of flint cores and hammerstones. A polished stone axehead was also found. There were some pottery fragments, the sherds being similar to those found at the causewayed enclosure beneath Hembury Hillfort near Honiton. Within the area where the causewayed enclosure and hillfort overlap, features have been identified which may be associated with either of them. These include a discontinuous circle of stakeholes of circa 3 meters diameter which may be part of a dwelling; 2 elongated pits containing some burnt bone and charcoal which may be graves; and a substantial vertical shaft, 5.9 meters in diameter and excavated to a depth of 2.2 meters, which appears to have been the upper part of a well. Excluded from the scheduling are all modern fences and road surfaces, although the ground beneath them is included.

Griffith, F., 1999, Devon County Council Archaeology Service (Article in Serial). SDV360507.

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

The transcriptions correspond to the grid reference for PRN166461.

Young, A. & Turner, S., 2005-2006, North Devon/Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme (NMP) project database records, PRN166461 (Interpretation). SDV358473.

The site of a Neolithic causewayed enclosure partially visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs (p1-2) and digitally plotted during the National Mapping Programme. The cropmarks suggest two roughly concentric ditch circuits, enclosing 0.6 hectares and 2 hectares. An oval hilltop enclosure of probable Iron Age date overlies the earlier enclosure and is described in CIN 29729.
Photograph references:
1. DCC DAP KZ2 03- 06A (NMR SS8803/3-4 (DAP 13591)) 16-JUN-1989
2. DCC DAP RN 03-5 (NMR SS8803/5-8 (DAP 6878)) 07-JUN-1990

Sheridan, A. + Schulting, R. + Quinnell, H. + Taylor, R., 2008, Revisiting a Small Passage Tomb at Broadsands, Devon, 14 (Article in Serial). SDV344747.

English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011: South West, 90 (Report - non-specific). SDV355280.

Unknown condition and trend. Principal vulnerability arable ploughing.

Sheridan, A., 2011, The Early Neolithic of South-West England; New Insights and New Questions, 23 (Article in Serial). SDV361494.

Discussion of small scale colonisation around 39th century BC. Reference to Hembury and Raddon Hill, also Broadsands.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7455 - Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme

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