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Summary

Two long, low linear banks are visible as earthworks on reclaimed land to the south of Pottington, Barnstaple, on aerial photographs of the 1940s. The date and function of the earthworks is uncertain, but the might be the remains of failed reclamation attempts or possible causeways of medieval or post-medieval date. The earthworks were probably levelled during the construction of Pottington Business Park.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAUSEWAY? (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD)
• SEA DEFENCES? (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1945, RAF/106G/UK/957, NMR RAF/106G/UK/957 4009-10 30-OCT-1945 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349054.

Two linear relict earthwork banks are visible to the south of Pottington.

Royal Air Force, 1949, RAF/58/271, NMR RAF/58/271 5263-4 28-JUN-1949 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350189.

The banks are visible as low earthworks or cropmarks.

Meridian Airmaps Limited, 1970, MAL/70076, NMR MAL/70076 170-171 25-SEP-1970 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349892.

The earthworks are no longer visible.

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

Two long, low linear banks circa 5 metres broad, are visible as roughly north-west to south-east orientated earthworks on reclaimed land to the south of Pottington, Barnstaple, on aerial photographs of the 1940s. Both are fragmentary, cut by numerous natural creeks and artificial drainage channels. The southernmost earthwork is visible only as two stretches less the 100 metres long, centred on circa SS 54603335 and SS 54713347. The northernmost earthwork is visible for nearly 800 metres, its course roughly following that of the field boundaries to the north. The date and function of the earthworks is uncertain, but they might be the remains of failed or superseded reclamation attempts, or possible causeways, routes across the saltmarsh of medieval or post-medieval date. The earthworks are not clearly visible on aerial photographs of September 1970 onwards, and were probably levelled during the construction of Pottington Business Park.

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
SDV349054	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1945. RAF/106G/UK/957. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/106G/UK/957 4009-10 30-OCT-1945. [Mapped features: #62343 ; #62344 ; #62345 ]
SDV349892	Aerial Photograph: Meridian Airmaps Limited. 1970. MAL/70076. Meridian Airmaps Limited Aerial Photograph. NMR MAL/70076 170-171 25-SEP-1970.
SDV350189	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1949. RAF/58/271. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/58/271 5263-4 28-JUN-1949.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5100 - Watching Brief and Seawall Recording, Barnstaple Western Bypass
• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project

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