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Summary

Intertidal structures are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 to 1960, between Foxhole and North Gut on the foreshore of the River Taw. The structures, which resemble posts set in three or four parallel lines over a width of roughly ten metres, can be seen projecting south-eastwards for approximately 80 metres across the sand and mud, from a bend of the river. The function and date of the structures are unknown but they might be related to shellfish cultivation or Second World War military coastal defences. The structures cannot be seen on later aerial photographs available to the survey, and have probably been destroyed or obscured by estuarine erosion and scour.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• OYSTER BEDS? (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1960 AD)
• BARBED WIRE ENTANGLEMENT? (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1655, NMR RAF/106G/UK/1655 4330-4331 11-JUL-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349996.

Inter-tidal structures are visible on the northern bank of the River Taw.

Royal Air Force, 1952, RAF/540/927, NMR RAF/540/927 5039-5040 03-NOV-1952 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350004.

The inter-tidal structures remain visible.

Royal Air Force, 1960, RAF/543/1017, NMR RAF/543/1017 PSFO0084 (SS5034/1) 10-AUG-1960 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349659.

The inter-tidal structures remain clearly visible.

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

Intertidal structures are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 to 1960, between Foxhole and North Gut on the foreshore of the River Taw. The structures, which resemble posts, possibly timber, set in three or four parallel lines over a width of roughly ten metres. The complex projects from a bend in the riverbank south-eastwards for approximately 80 metres towards the river channel, across the inter-tidal sand and mud. Individual posts cannot be seen with enough clarity to be accurately transcribed but the extent of the structure has been depicted. The function and date of the structure complex are unknown. Oyster racks have been recorded elsewhere on the Taw and it is possible the structures recorded here are also associated with the post-medieval or modern cultivation of shellfish. Alternatively, the structures also resemble the pickets employed as part of barbed wire double apron anti-invasion defences, and might have been associated with the Second World War defence of, or military training associated with, RAF Chivenor, located immediately to the east. The structures cannot be seen on later aerial photographs available to the survey.
of unknown date and function and have probably been destroyed or obscured by estuarine erosion and scour.

Hegarty, C. & Knight, S., 2012-2013, North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project site visit, 19-FEB-2013 (Site Visit). SDV349357.

Rows of intertidal structures around Horsey Island were found to be crab tiles.

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
SDV349357	Site Visit: Hegarty, C. & Knight, S.. 2012-2013. North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project site visit. ND AONB NMP. Digital. 19-FEB-2013.
	Linked images:24
SDV349659	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1960. RAF/543/1017. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/543/1017 PSFO0084 (SS5034/1) 10-AUG-1960.
SDV349996	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1655. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/106G/UK/1655 4330-4331 11-JUL-1946.
SDV350004	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1952. RAF/540/927. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/540/927 5039-5040 03-NOV-1952. [Mapped feature: #62409 ]

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

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

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