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Summary

A range of earthworks of a possible medieval furnace site are visible on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards, at Burnsome Cottage. The earthworks are visible on digital images derived from lidar data captured in 2016. Test pit excavation showed the presence of an extensive slag deposit. A soil sample from a charcoal rich deposit of furnace waste returned a radiocarbon date in the late Roman period. The find of a possible Roman quernstone is suggestive of associated settlement activity nearby.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1009303: Dunkeswell Abbey

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1468460
• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST11SW/177

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FURNACE (III to V - 201 AD (Between) to 409 AD (Between)) + Sci.Date
• SLAG HEAP (III to V - 201 AD (Between) to 409 AD (Between))

Full description

Farnell, A., Land east of Burnsome Forde, Dunkeswell Abbey, Devon. Archaeological Test Pit Excavation (Report - Excavation). SDV363971.

Test pit investigation underaken as part of the Discovering Dunkeswell Abbey Project, funded by the National Heritage Lottery. Two test pits were positioned to target a linear earthwork and putative slag deposits at the top of a steep slope.
Three phases of activity were identified. Phase 1 comprised two possible features cut into the natural exposed in north-west quarter of Test Pit 1. These were a possible clay structure and a shallow cut, the fill of which contained furnace slag and lining and undiagnostic slag, possibly from iron smithing.
Phase II comprised a thick layer of soft ashy material containing fragments of slag, which was recorded in both test pits.
Phase III, the linear ditch and bank was seen in both pits. A quern fragment was recovered from the fill of the ditch.
The depth and northern extent of the slag deposit was established, but its extent to the south remains unknown. No datable artefacts were recovered from any of the excavated deposits. However, a soil sample from a charcoal rich deposit of furnace waste returned a radiocarbon date of 230-380AD. The presence of a possible Roman quernstone is suggestive of associated settlement activity in the vicinity.
The deposits appear to be similar to a slag mound recorded near Bywood Farm, about 3 kilometres to the south-east, which is similarly positioned on a steep slope and radiocarbon dated to between the 1st and 5th centuries AD.
The linear feature appears to be a later boundary feature, unrelated to the industrial activity.
See report for full details.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP 3296-97 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Earthworks are visible here.

Gibbons, P., 1993, Dunkeswell Abbey (Report - Survey). SDV123148.

Substantial natural scarp aligned northwest-southeast. Two substantial rounded hollows cut into it, have appearance of marl pits. Erosion in southern hollow inspected revealing substantial quantity of iron smelting residue including slag and furnace bottom. Not clear if redeposited. On higher ground to east of scarp there is a shallow linear depression running from the field boundary to the edge of the larger hollow. A more substantial depression runs similarly to the smaller southern hollow and also forms the upper of a set of 3 small terraces. Features adjoin Burnsome Lane which is an unmetalled hollow-way. 9 fragments tap slag (3.315kg) and 2 fragments of furnace bottom (3.715kg) sampled.

Exeter Archaeology, 1995, Blackdown Hills ironworking survey (Report - Survey). SDV341876.

Field immediately adjacent (northeast) Burnsome Cottage has large raised mount on west side. The east edge of the mound is being eroded by cattle, exposing fragments of tap slag, furnace waste and furnace bottoms. The area of enhanced magnetic susceptibility measures 30.9m x 28m. There are two parallel banks 34.5m apart running east-west across the south end of the mound. The south bank appears to be made up of slag and charcoal in a soil matrix. The north bank has very low Magnetic Susceptibility Readings.

Carter, R. W., 1996, Untitled Source (Worksheet). SDV133903.

Complex site. Field slopes to southeast with southwest well raised in a platform, its lower end finishing in a bluff. This has loose tap slag in its eroded top. The northeast edge of the platform has been quarried, possibly for marl, and eroded, exposing areas of burning and charcoal. Also exposed is a slab of furnace hearth surround, furnace base and burnt clay.

Lancaster University Archaeological Unit, 1998, Iron and Steel Industries, Monument Protection Programme (MPP), Introduction to Site Assessments (Report - Assessment). SDV362922.

Low slag mound overlying the top of a natural scarp. Livestock erosion has revealed tap and furnace slag and large fragments of furnace bottom. Substantial later quarrying has occurred at this site possibly for marl. Enhanced magnetic susceptibility covering 31 metres by 28 metres has been recorded and additional high readings have been recorded at ST13821070 and ST13821070.

Whilst archaeological structures/deposits are likely to survive at this site, there is insufficient evidence to confirm national importance. The degree of damage/destruction caused by later quarrying is also difficult to determine.

Bluesky International, 2016, LiDAR DTM data (0.5m resolution) Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs: 3 transects, LIDAR ST1310 Bluesky International DTM 05-MAY-2016 (Cartographic). SDV359714.

A range of earthworks are visible here, including pits, ditches and banks.

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

A range of earthworks of a possible medieval furnace site are visible on aerial photographs of 1947 onwards, at Burnsome Cottage. The earthworks occupy an area of approximately 0.51 hectares of gentle southeast facing slope, within a single field to the immediate east of Burnsome Cottage. The earthworks are characterised by three irregular shaped earthwork extraction pits, with the larger of these within the centre of the site measuring approximately 57m in length by 20m in width. Emanating from this pit along its southern and northwest edges are two linear ditches of possible former field boundaries, that to the north being additionally flanked by two banks. The other two lesser earthwork pits are located to the east, alongside the field boundary. To the southwest of the site are a series of prominent northeast to southwest aligned terraces which occupy an area of approximately 0.06 hectares and which appear to have been cut into the southeast sloping ground. These terraces border a possible levelled rectilinear working area which measures approximately 340m in length by 21m in width. A small oval shaped mound of a possible slag heap measuring approximately 9m in length by 7m in width is also visible adjacent to the larger of the extraction pits. This site is possibly associated with other earthworks similarly interpreted as being of industrial origin, in particular the possible slag heaps recorded to the immediate west (MDV56373), which all suggest this was a site of some importance. The earthworks remain visible on digital images derived from lidar data captured in 2016.

Caldwell, L., 2019, Dunkeswell Abbey: Geophysical Survey (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV364077.

Four surveys were carried out near to the site of Dunkeswell Abbey as part of a Community Heritage Project to explore the landscape around the Abbey ruins. Between 2016 and 2018 an archaeological aerial investigation (formerly the National Mapping Programme or NMP) of the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was undertaken by AC archaeology and Devon County Council.

Based on this, three areas were selected for gradiometry, Little Musgrove Farm (NGR 314100 110800), where the NMP evidence from LiDAR revealed a number of linear earthworks interpreted as possible Medieval Field Systems (Devon HER ref MDV116063). These earthworks are also clearly visible in the field. Two further smaller gradiometry surveys were carried out in a field adjacent to Burnsome Ford where the NMP LiDAR survey revealed a number of irregular and linearearthworks interpreted as Possible Furnace/Extractive site (Devon HER ref MDV54143).

The results for Burnsome Forde reveal a number of very strong linear dipolar anomalies with readings within the range for ferrous magnetic material. This supports the Devon HER interpretation of the area being a possible Furnace/Extractive site.

Farnell, C., 2020, Discovering Dunkeswell Abbey, 2 (Article in Serial). SDV364325.

A test pit excavation in an area previously identified as a possible iron working site was carried out as part of the Dunkeswell Community Project. The excavation revealed large amounts of iron working waste material and also the remains of a clay structure and possibly the bottom of a smithing hearth suggestive of onsite iron working. A calibrated radiocarbon date of AD230-380 was returned from a sample taken from a sealed burnt layer. This is earlier than anticipated and is broadly contemporary with a Roman iron working site recorded at Bywood Farm, 3km to the south-east. The find of a possible Roman quern stone is suggestive of settlement activity nearby.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV123148	Report - Survey: Gibbons, P.. 1993. Dunkeswell Abbey. Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit Report. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV133903	Worksheet: Carter, R. W.. 1996.
SDV341876	Report - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 1995. Blackdown Hills ironworking survey. Exeter Archaeology Report. Unknown.
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP 3296-97 11-APR-1947.
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
SDV359714	Cartographic: Bluesky International. 2016. LiDAR DTM data (0.5m resolution) Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs: 3 transects. Not applicable. Digital. LIDAR ST1310 Bluesky International DTM 05-MAY-2016. [Mapped feature: #94786 ]
SDV362922	Report - Assessment: Lancaster University Archaeological Unit. 1998. Iron and Steel Industries, Monument Protection Programme (MPP), Introduction to Site Assessments. Historic England. A4.
SDV363971	Report - Excavation: Farnell, A.. Land east of Burnsome Forde, Dunkeswell Abbey, Devon. Archaeological Test Pit Excavation. DDA BF 19. Digital.
SDV364077	Report - Geophysical Survey: Caldwell, L.. 2019. Dunkeswell Abbey: Geophysical Survey. GeoFlo. G F1067. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV364325	Article in Serial: Farnell, C.. 2020. Discovering Dunkeswell Abbey. Devon Archaeological Society Newsletter. 137. A4 Stapled + Digital. 2.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV7444 - ROTARY QUERN (Roman to Early Medieval - 43 AD to 1399 AD)
• FDV7443 - SLAG (III to V - 201 AD to 409 AD)
• FDV7445 - Charcoal (III to IV - 230 AD to 380 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV2650 - Unnamed Event
• EDV2651 - Blackdown Hills ironworking survey
• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)
• EDV8347 - Archaeological test pit exavation on land to east of Burnsome Ford, Dunkeswell Abbey
• EDV8507 - Geophysical Survey: Dunkeswell Abbey (Ref: G F1067)

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