See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

The remains of a univallate earthwork of probable later prehistoric date is recorded south of Whympston, Bigbury, adjacent to plots named as 'Yarrowbury' and 'Oldbury' in the 19th century Tithe Map Apportionments. Evidence of an earthwork ditch and bank are identifiable on aerial photographs of 1946 and visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Iron Age univallate enclosure north west of Cumery

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440954
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX64NE/15
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX64NE2

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, CPE/UK 1890, 3081-3083 (DCC 58/96-98) (Aerial Photograph). SDV140289.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 RP 3083-3084 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351061.

A ditch or scarp is visible as an earthwork.

Fox, A., 1958, Twenty-Fourth Report on the Archaeology and Early History of Devon, 223-224 (Article in Serial). SDV341823.

On a rounded hill, fully cultivated at Yarrowbury are the remains of a univallate earthwork, apparently an Iron Age B type stronghold. All knowledge of it seems lost, but its name, Yarrowbury, is preserved in the adjoining fields. The bank has been ploughed away, leaving a high lynchet in head field to the south and east, the vertical face having been repeatedly revetted. For this condition compare St. Mawgan-in-Pyder, Cornwall, and Holbery at Holbeton. The hedge of head field follows the bank except in the north where air photography shows the bank within the field map given. The air photograph shows the ditch and the site of the bank to the east. A short length of ditch is preserved in the roadside waste to the north east, where the road from Copythorn Cross to Sevenstone Cross enters the ditch. The entrance was probably to the west, where there is an indentation in the perimeter hedge at the highest point. At an earlier period this site was the focal point of five parishes; Modbury, Aveton Gifford, Bigbury, Ringmore and Kingston.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, DAP/GH, 4a, 5 (Aerial Photograph). SDV336864.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1986, SX64NE2 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV336863.

This univallate settlement enclosure of sub-circular form occupies the crest and upper east facing slopes of a narrow gently sloping ridge at 126m. The interior of approx 3 hectares in area is now an undulating regularly cutivated field. Road works have destroyed the southern hedgerow and cut into the side of the ploughed down rampart. Possibly only a short stretch of the ditch remains at SX66554949 but it is mostly hidden by scrub. On the east side the inner bank averages 0.5m high whist the outer almost vertical face is about 1.3m high; a vague level terrace about 8m wide is traceable around the outside. The bank on the south side is 0.3m high internally and the external sloping face is about 1.2m high; a 4.5m spread of soil at its foot may be the remnants of soil removal from this rampart. The hedge of stone and soil construction on the west side to a height of 1.5m both internally and externally. The positioning of an original entrance on the hilltop side of the earthwork seems most unlikely but evidence of its location elsewhere was not forthcoming.

Griffith, F. M. + Wilkes, E. M., 2006, The Land Named from the Sea? Coastal Archaeology and Place-names of Bigbury Bay, Devon, 77-8 (Article in Serial). SDV339814.

Large hilltop enclosure with surrounding fieldnames of 'Yarrowbury' and 'Oldbury' recorded in the 19th century Tithe Map Apportionments. The enclosure is in a field named 'Head Field' in the 19th century. The enclosure may be the 'gemot-burh' or early 'meeting place' of the ermington Hundred.

Wessex Archaeology, 2007, Historic Environment Audit of Devon County Farms. Pilot Project. Results of Highlands Farm, Kingston, 4, 8, pl. 1-5 (Report - Assessment). SDV338386.

Roughly circular hilltop enclosure marked by boundary of hedgebanks. Under grass. Upright cylindrical granite post in centre. Other details: No 1252.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: South Devon to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX6649 Tellus DTM 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV361514.

A spread bank and ditch are identifiable as subtle earthworks.

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.

A ditch and bank defined enclosure of probable Bronze Age to Iron Age date is visible as a north-facing earthwork ditch or scarp on aerial photographs of 1946. A near continuous bank and ditch is identifiable as very subtle earthworks on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013, near the tip of an east-facing spur, south of Whympston, Bigbury.
The earthworks identifiable on the lidar derived images support the interpretation of an enclosure ditch up to circa 15m across, within which the remains of a probably very plough spread a bank or rampart is discernible as a low earthwork 9 to 12m wide. The bank encloses an area of approximately 2ha.
A possible break in the ditch circa 20m wide identifiable on the western, upslope side of the enclosure might be evidence for an original entrance. This corresponds with an in-turn in the extant field boundary. A possible break in the inner bank is identifiable on the north-side of the enclosure, but this does not correspond with a break in the outer ditch and is probably evidence of later erosion.
No internal features were noted.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4107 - Site Visit
• EDV4199 - Devon County Farms Historic Environment Audit (Pilot Project)
• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.