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Summary

Narrow curvilinear cropmarks, possibly of banks and ditches, are visible on aerial photographs of 1978 at Sandhole Cliff, Hartland. The date and function of the features are unknown, but it is possible they are evidence for a levelled earthwork enclosure of prehistoric date.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CIRCULAR ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1631, NMR RAF/106G/UK/1631 1080-1 8-JUL-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349549.

A possible oval or sub-rectangular enclosure is visible defined by low earthwork banks.

Ordnance Survey, 1978, OS/78017, NMR OS/78017 132-133 16-APR-1978 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349081.

Cropmarks are visible.

Ordnance Survey, 1978, OS/78038, NMR OS/78038 234-5 10-MAY-1978 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349082.

Cropmarks are visible.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S., 2011 - 2012, North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV349018.

Earthworks and cropmarks are visible on aerial photographs at Sandhole Cliff, Hartland. The earthworks are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 and appear to indicate the presence of a sub-rectangular or oval bank defined enclosure circa 50 by 35 metres in size, oriented roughly north-east to south-west, near the cliff edge. The earthworks are not clearly visible on later aerial photographs. The cropmarks are visible on aerial photographs of 1978 and appear to indicate the presence of narrow curvilinear banks and ditches, between three and four metres in width, approximately 25 metres outside the oval enclosure visible on earlier images as low earthworks. These have been interpreted as evidence for the levelled earthwork outer ramparts of a clifftop enclosure, potentially of prehistoric date.
If the cropmarks indicate two sides of the same enclosure, they would enclose an area circa 100 metres in diameter. They can be clearly seen on aerial photographs of April and May 1978 only, this area being too overgrown on earlier and later images for the features to be visible. Very indistinct cropmarks between the possible boundary cropmarks may indicate the presence of internal features.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV349018	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S.. 2011 - 2012. North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. ACD383/2/1. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV349081	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1978. OS/78017. Ordnance Survey Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR OS/78017 132-133 16-APR-1978.
SDV349082	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1978. OS/78038. Ordnance Survey Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR OS/78038 234-5 10-MAY-1978.
SDV349549	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1631. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/106G/UK/1631 1080-1 8-JUL-1946.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project

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