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Summary

A former extractive pit, possibly a gravel pit but more probably a marl pit, was visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s onwards and images derived from digital elevation data captured in 2006 as a roughly circular earthwork on the west-facing slopes to the north-east of Grange Farm, Dunkeswell parish.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10SW/90

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MARL PIT (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))
• (Former Type) GRAVEL PIT (XVIII to XXI - 1751 AD to 2009 AD (Between))

Full description

British Geological Survey, BGS 50000 scale digital geology (Website). SDV358790.

The pit is located on mudstone bedrock.

1891, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV111918.

Old gravel pit marked on os 6" (1891) (emafu).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV111919.

Des=os 6"(1891)58se.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV111920.

Des=emafu blackdown hills survey 1992 archive.

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

A copse and orchard is depicted.

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

A partial former pit is depicted as an earthwork and annotated Old Gravel Pit.

Ordnance Survey, 1982, OS/82218 V, OS/82218 V 1149-1150 28-AUG-1982 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359504.

A pit was visible as a subtle earthwork.

Next Perspectives, 2006, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photograph - Digital Elevation Data, Next Perspectives APGB Elevation Data ST1303 03-JUN-2006 (Cartographic). SDV359482.

A moderately sized pit was visible as an earthwork. Map object based on this source.

Next Perspectives, 2006, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photograph - Digital Elevation Data, Next Perspectives APGB Elevation Data ST1304 24-JUL-2006 (Cartographic). SDV359839.

A moderately sized pit was visible as an earthwork. Map object based on this source.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2016-2018, The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV359463.

A former extractive pit was visible on aerial photographs of 1982 and images derived from digital elevation data captured in 2006 as roughly circular earthwork on the west-facing slopes to the north-east of Grange Farm, Dunkeswell parish.
The visible earthwork measured circa 55 metres in diameter, corresponding with a pit depicted on the Ordnance Survey First Edition 25inch Map and annotated as Old Gravel Pit. The pit is not depicted on the Tithe Map for Dunkeswell, the conventions used instead showing a small enclosed copse and orchard in this location. This supports the interpretation that the pit passed out of use prior to the mid-19th century.
The pit is located on mudstone bedrock, on which it might not be expected to extract gravel. Marl extraction to improve soil quality and provide material for cob buildings would be more likely on this geology. Marl pits were common from the medieval period to 18th and 19th century. In addition, the earthwork as revealed by the digital elevation data is significantly larger than that depicted on the OS First Edition map. This might support an interpretation that the earthwork was in fact a marl pit, possibly of medieval date, that passed out of use in the later medieval or post-medieval period. The pit was subsequently bisected and partly enclosed by later field boundaries and the deeper portion utilised as an orchard in to the mid-19th century. The trees were cleared by circa 1890 but the field boundary partly remained and the pit was revealed.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV111918	Migrated Record: 1891.
SDV111919	Migrated Record:
SDV111920	Migrated Record:
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV349431	Cartographic: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Map. Digital.
SDV358790	Website: British Geological Survey. BGS 50000 scale digital geology. http://ogc.bgs.ac.uk/cgi-bin/BGS_Bedrock_and_Superficial_Geology/wms?. Website.
SDV359463	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2016-2018. The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:2
SDV359482	Cartographic: Next Perspectives. 2006. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photograph - Digital Elevation Data. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Elevation Data ST1303 03-JUN-2006.
SDV359504	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1982. OS/82218 V. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/82218 V 1149-1150 28-AUG-1982.
SDV359839	Cartographic: Next Perspectives. 2006. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photograph - Digital Elevation Data. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Elevation Data ST1304 24-JUL-2006.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)

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