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Summary

A mound and surrounding ring ditch were visible as an earthwork and cropmark on aerial photographs of the 1990s on the south-eastern edge of a south facing spur to the south of Bramble Lane, Upton Pyne. The mound and cropmark are probably evidence of a ditch enclosed round barrow of Bronze Age date, one of line of four on a low broad ridge which form part of the Upton Pyne Group of more than 30.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1010643: Bowl barrow 400m WSW of Starved Oak Cross
• SHINE: Two prehistoric bowl barrows north east of Little Ley

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 448124
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX99NW/2
• Old SAM County Ref: 318B
• Old SAM Ref: 15025
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX99NW1

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BOWL BARROW (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))
• RING DITCH (Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Ancient Monuments Inspectorate, Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV341855.

A very vague and formless rise which might be natural but could be a ploughed down bowl barrow. No trace of a ditch. One of a group of four that has been ploughed and spread intact. Diameter 24.4 metres, hieght 1.2 metres.

Bedford, D., Upton pyne barrow 15 (Plan - measured). SDV348568.

Ancient Monuments, Upton Pyne, 4 Barrows, near Bramble Lane, 318B (Schedule Document). SDV341854.

[One] of four large mounds. All have been ploughed and spread. 80 feet diameter, 4 feet high.

Fox, A., 1969, The Upton Pyne Cemetery, 75,78 (Article in Serial). SDV341856.

Barrow (No. 17) south of Bramble Lane. Measured in 1968. 124 feet diameter, 3 feet high. Irregularly spread. The linear disposition of the group implies successive dynastic or family burials. Other details: Barrow No. 17.

Unknown, 1976, Untitled Source (Archive - Survey). SDV341843.

Grassed over and very irregularly spread.

Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology, 1979 - 1981, North Devon Barrow Survey, Exe Valley Barrow No. 17 (Archive - Survey). SDV341310.

Surveyed 19/11/1979. Barrow appears longer, north to south, than wide, slopes doew to hedge and geate in east. Extent of barrow not distinct because of ploughing, although under grass at time of survey. Diameter north-south 50 metres, east-west 44 metres. Height averages 1 metre. Other details: Survey Drawing (1:200) and Profile.

Allden, A., 1981, A Study of some Devon Barrows and their Diminishing Future (Report - non-specific). SDV339662.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1982 - 1991, SX99NW1 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV341838.

1. First recorded by Shaw in 1934.
2. Site visit 02/08/1962. Barrow (C) visible under crop but not investigated.
3. Dimensions in 1968 were 124 feet diameter, 3 feet high, irregularly spread. Its position and profile suggest that it was built on a levelled area cut into the slope.
4. Site visit 09/02/1982. Barrow (C) under pasture but has been further spread by ploughing. 41.0 metres diameter from east to west, and 44.0 metres from north to south where it is spread down the slope. 1.2 metres high. Resurveyed at 1: 25,000. Other details: Barrow C. Photo.

Grinsell, L. V., 1983, The Barrows of South and East Devon, 44 (Article in Serial). SDV337013.

Robinson, R., 1987 - 2000, Devon Post-Reconnaissance Fieldwork Project (Un-published). SDV342165.

Site visit 30/03/1990. Low mound visible. Other details: Photo No 36.

Devon County Council, 1990, DAP 11945, DAP 11945/14 25-JUL-1990 (TL) (Aerial Photograph). SDV359258.

A cropmark of a ring ditch was visible.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/PZ, 12-13 (Aerial Photograph). SDV336956.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/TL, 14,15 (Aerial Photograph). SDV336946.

Department of Environment, 1991, Bowl Barrow 400m WSW of Starved Oak Cross (Schedule Document). SDV341850.

Bowl barrow surviving as an earthen mound, 42 metres in diameter and 1 metre high, in a ploughed arable field. There is no visible or recorded evidence that it has ever been excavated. The barrow is one of a line of four well-spaced barrows sited on a low broad ridge overlooking a shallow valley at the centre of the area covered by the Upton Pyne barrow group, which comprises over thirty recorded barrows. Other details: Originally scheduled 16/02/1953.

Griffith, F. M., 1995, DAP/YK (Aerial Photograph). SDV338779.

Griffith, F. M., 1995, DAP/YK, Devon County Council DAP/YK 2, 4 17-JUL-1995 (Aerial Photograph). SDV338779.

A cropmark of a ring ditch was visible. Map object based partly on this source.

Miller, A., 1996, Untitled Source (Interpretation). SDV341852.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR SX9098 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

An earthwork moound was visible. Map object based partly on this source.

Southwest Archaeology, 2008, Hurdles Farm, Upton Pyne, Exeter, Devon. Results of a Desk-Based Cartographic Assessment, 21 (Report - Assessment). SDV341805.

English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South West, 99 (Report - non-specific). SDV342694.

Extensive significant problems, ie under plough, collapse. Principal vulnerability arable ploughing.

English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010: South West, 90 (Report - non-specific). SDV344777.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2014-2015, East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV356883.

A mound circa 42 metres in diameter enclosed by a surrounding ring ditch up to circa 4 metres wide were visible as an earthwork and cropmark on aerial photographs of the 1990s, in alight hollow just off the tip of a south facing spur to the south of Bramble Lane, Upton Pyne. The mound was most clearly definable on digital images derived from lidar data and may have been spread over ditch, particularly towards the west. The mound and cropmark are probably evidence of a ditch enclosed round barrow of Bronze Age date.
Many of the aerial photographs consulted by the survey are copies of DAPs held by the Historic England Archive. In some cases these have been recorded as separate sources. This is because variations in the way the prints have been processed could result in images on which archaeological features are visible to a greater or lesser degree.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336946	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1990. DAP/TL. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 14,15.
SDV336956	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1990. DAP/PZ. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 12-13.
SDV337013	Article in Serial: Grinsell, L. V.. 1983. The Barrows of South and East Devon. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 41. Paperback Volume. 44.
SDV338779	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1995. DAP/YK. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper).
SDV339662	Report - non-specific: Allden, A.. 1981. A Study of some Devon Barrows and their Diminishing Future. Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology Publication. 10. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV341310	Archive - Survey: Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology. 1979 - 1981. North Devon Barrow Survey. Devon Barrow Survey. Digital + Mixed Archive Material. Exe Valley Barrow No. 17.
SDV341805	Report - Assessment: Southwest Archaeology. 2008. Hurdles Farm, Upton Pyne, Exeter, Devon. Results of a Desk-Based Cartographic Assessment. Southwest Archaeology Report. 080313. A4 Stapled. 21.
SDV341838	Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. 1982 - 1991. SX99NW1. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Card Index.
SDV341843	Archive - Survey: Unknown. 1976. Student Survey. Map (Paper).
SDV341850	Schedule Document: Department of Environment. 1991. Bowl Barrow 400m WSW of Starved Oak Cross. The Schedule of Monuments. A4 Stapled.
SDV341852	Interpretation: Miller, A.. 1996. RCHME Aerial Photograph Primary Recording Project. Digital.
SDV341854	Schedule Document: Ancient Monuments. Upton Pyne, 4 Barrows, near Bramble Lane. The Schedule of Monuments. Foolscap. 318B.
SDV341855	Personal Comment: Ancient Monuments Inspectorate. Unknown.
SDV341856	Article in Serial: Fox, A.. 1969. The Upton Pyne Cemetery. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 27. Paperback Volume. 75,78.
SDV342165	Un-published: Robinson, R.. 1987 - 2000. Devon Post-Reconnaissance Fieldwork Project. Devon Post-Reconnaissance Fieldwork Project. A4 Unbound.
SDV342694	Report - non-specific: English Heritage. 2009. Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South West. English Heritage Report. A4 Bound +Digital. 99.
SDV344777	Report - non-specific: English Heritage. 2010. Heritage at Risk Register 2010: South West. English Heritage Report. Digital. 90.
SDV348568	Plan - measured: Bedford, D.. Upton pyne barrow 15. Plan + Digital.
SDV356883	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2014-2015. East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR SX9098 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014.
SDV359258	Aerial Photograph: Devon County Council. 1990. DAP 11945. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DAP 11945/14 25-JUL-1990 (TL).

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4415 - Devon Barrow Survey
• EDV4428 - Desk-based Cartographic Assessment of a site at Hurdles Farm, Upton Pyne
• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)

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