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Summary

A mound of unknown date is situated in a field, known as Cholwell Park in 1841, just to the north of a field once known as Beacon Park. The mound is situated in an area marked as East Scar on modern maps, by Fir Wood, to the east of East Soar Farm. It is possible the mound is Medieval or Post Medieval beacon, or a pillow mound, associated with the former rabbit warren at Soar, or it could be related to an OS Trig Point. The location and basic form of the long mound have been plotted from air photographs.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1540858
• National Trust SMR: 100,530
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX73NW/203

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PILLOW MOUND (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

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

A mound is depicted with hachures.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

A mound is depicted with hachures.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351061.

The mound is visible as an earthwork.

Thackray, C., 1990, Archaeological Survey of the Salcombe Estuary: West (Bolt Head to Bolt Tail and Snapes Point) Devon, 12 (Report - Survey). SDV345519.

A grassy mound at the south-east corner of the field just west of the coastal footpath. Aligned north-north-west to south-south-east, it is approximately 40 metres long by 8 metres wide by 1 metre high. At the southern end the feature runs straight into the Ordnance Survey triangulation point pillar. Possibly the remains of a former pillow mound or the truncated remnant of an old field bank.

Batty, M., 2003, South Devon Coast Path Project: a study of the archaeology along the coast path in the South Hams from Staddon Heights to Sharkham Point (Un-published). SDV336214.

Visited 8/8/2003. A mound in the corner of field 2348 called 'Cholwell Park' on the 19th century Tithe Map. The visible part of this mound is c25 meters long by 12 meters wide, perhaps up to 1.8 meters high. There is a pile of stones of considerable size lying on the southeast flank and apparently continuing in a short line (perhaps 7 meters) at right angles to it. The west end of the mound is lost in a triangular hedge terminal at least 15 meters deep into which the mound may continue.

Environment Agency, 2007, LiDAR data JPEG image (1 metre resolution), LIDAR SX7237SE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY D0079405 31-MAR-2007 (Cartographic). SDV351410.

The mound is visible as an earthwork.

Winton, H. + Bowden, M., 2009, East Soar, Devon: Air Photo Assessment and Survey, 13 (Report - Survey). SDV351406.

The National Trust Estate at Soar was surveyed by English Heritage in 2008. The EH survey reviewed air photographs from the National Monuments Record (NMR), the Cambridge University Collection of Air Photos (CUCAP), Devon Historic Environment Record (HER), and lidar images from the Environment Agency. Additional sources included information from the NMR and Devon HER, the National Trust 1990 survey, including the 1777 Courtney Estate Survey.
The location and basic form of the long mound have been plotted from air photographs. On 1946 air photos it appears as a long narrow mound, measuring approximately 5m wide by at least 30m long. It seems to have a shallow semicircular depression or scoop to either side, with possible upcast from this to the west. There appear to be dumps of material at it's southern end, on top and extending the southern parts of the mound. The southern end, by the hedge, is in shadow on APs, and covered in vegetation on lidar, so could not be seen continuing to the Trig Point, as noted by the National Trust. The mound is recorded on 1m resolution Environment Agency lidar jpegs, but the southern end is covered in vegetation - the slight scoops and banks on either side are not visible so may have been levelled.
The current OS trig point is situated at the junction of field boundaries immediately to the south. The 1886 and 1906 OS 1st and 2nd edition 25" maps seem to indicate the presence of the mound with hachures and the trig point is marked about 30m to the north west of its current position, presumably on top of the mound. The modern maps do not record the mound.
It is possible the mound is Medieval or Post Medieval beacon, or a pillow mound, associated with the former rabbit warren at Soar, or it could be related to an OS Trig Point. Another long mound to the south west is suggested to be a Neolthic long barrow or a pillow mound. Further work is required to confirm the original function of the mound by Fir Wood.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2013-2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV351146.

All East Soar Air Photo Assessment and Survey (SDV351406) details were accessioned to the Devon HER as part of the South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV325644	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV336214	Un-published: Batty, M.. 2003. South Devon Coast Path Project: a study of the archaeology along the coast path in the South Hams from Staddon Heights to Sharkham Point. Mixed Archive Material.
SDV345519	Report - Survey: Thackray, C.. 1990. Archaeological Survey of the Salcombe Estuary: West (Bolt Head to Bolt Tail and Snapes Point) Devon. National Trust Archaeological Survey Report. A4 Comb Bound + Digital. 12.
SDV351061	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1890. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper).
SDV351146	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2013-2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV351406	Report - Survey: Winton, H. + Bowden, M.. 2009. East Soar, Devon: Air Photo Assessment and Survey. English Heritage. 50-2009. Digital + A4. 13.
SDV351410	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 2007. LiDAR data JPEG image (1 metre resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR SX7237SE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY D0079405 31-MAR-2007.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV3874 - Unnamed Event
• EDV4935 - Archaeological Survey from Bolt Head to Bolt Tail and Snapes Point
• EDV6587 - Archaeological Assessment of Land between Bolt Heat and Bolt Tail

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