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Summary

Former field boundaries of a medieval to post-medieval field system are visible as a series of linear earthwork banks across Black Down Common, Culmstock and Hemyock parishes. The earthworks were visible on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards and on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 to 2014 and were transcribed as part of the Blackdown Hills NMP survey.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST11NW/90

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD SYSTEM (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV2244.

Vis=15/2/1995(horner) a number of banks on the common at culmstock beacon reported by mr. Garrett of pitt farm, culmstock. These were inspected and survive up to c.0.5m high in places and up to 1.0m wide. Now discontinuous but seem to form part of system enclosing plateau top (sketch plan in parish file). Also visible on raf 1947 ap. The eastern bank forms the parish boundary and is a few metres west of the more prominent field boundaries of eg. Culm davy plantation. A length of the e side has been reinstated by mr. Garrett as a boundary to an improved field, but this length was clearly visible in 1947. The e side is also marked on the os 25" map of 1889 and the 1906 os 6" map, but is discontinuous on the 1969 6" map. The southern side, running to near the beacon, is marked on the 1889 and 1906 maps, but only partly on the 1969 map. The bank turns n just e of the beacon and can be traced as far as the 19th century quarries which appear to have destroyed lengths of the feature and therefore post date it. This length is not marked on any of the os maps referenced below. It resumes on the n side of the quarrying and turns e to rejoin the parish boundary beside culm davy plantation. A track across the common at c. St11421565 overlies the bank but has not totally levelled it. This track is first recorded on the 1889 map. A further bank runs e-w from the parish boundary to the w side of the system at the quarries. This field system may be linked to the system further to the n (st11nw/2) which has been identified as medieval or earlier (in holmes + newson). The same article refers to a reference in 1650 to the rights of tenants of culmstock manor to till the waste. The os surveyors draft map of c.1805 does not depict the field system or any tracks on the common. The culmstock tithe map of 1841 marks the e bank/parish boundary as a dotted line s of culm davy plantation (horner).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV57118.

Des=horner, b. /(15/2/1995)/as above/sketch in pf.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV57119.

Aph=raf/cpe/uk/1974/4076/(11/4/1947)/smr 22/53.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV57120.

Holmes + newson/psanhs/126(1982)77-80.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV57121.

Des=os 25"(1889)36/14.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV57122.

Des=os 6"(1906)36sw.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4075-76 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

A series of linear earthwork banks are visible. Map object partly based on this source.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR ST1115 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

A series of linear earthwork banks are visible. Map object partly based on this source.

Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1115 22-MAY-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356259.

A series of linear earthwork banks are visible. Map object partly 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.

Former field boundaries of between medieval to post-medieval date are visible as a series of linear earthwork banks on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards and on digital images derived from lidar data captured between 1998 to 2014, on Black Down Common. The dispersed earthworks recorded during this survey are those described elsewhere in this record and so have accordingly been appended to this monument record. Only those earthworks not depicted on historic maps were, however transcribed. They are intermittently visible on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards and only partly visible on digital images (owing to vegetation cover) and so have been transcribed from multiple sources. A series of segmented banks forming a north to south aligned boundary is visible at Culmstock Beacon which has presumably been cut by the extensive quarrying at its northern extent. Two parallel and sinuous banks which may have defined a former trackway or hollow-way are visible on the northern side of this quarry, although it is unclear how, or if, these earthwork banked features may be associated. Further to the northeast and adjacent to Culm Davy Plantation are additional boundaries. Two of these to the west are broadly east to west aligned, with the northern of the two linear in form and contiguous with an historic and extant boundary to its east, while the southern boundary is more sinuous in form, traverses the parish boundary, with a diverging boundary at its western extent. A short section of bank and a longer northeast to southwest aligned bank, possibly part of the same boundary are visible approxiamtely 60m to the northeast of these two boundaries.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV2244	Migrated Record:
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4075-76 11-APR-1947.
SDV356259	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1115 22-MAY-2010.
SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR ST1115 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014.
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
SDV57118	Migrated Record:
SDV57119	Aerial Photograph:
SDV57120	Migrated Record:
SDV57121	Migrated Record:
SDV57122	Migrated Record:

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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