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Summary

A series of earthwork lynchets are visible on aerial photographs taken in 1969. They are interpreted as agricultural terraces potentially from the early Medieval period and possibly associated with lynchets at Saunton. They are not visible on other available aerial photographs so interpretation is tentative.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LYNCHET (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

George Braund and Henry Hearn, 1839, Map of the Parish of Georgeham in the county of Devon surveyed for the commutation of Tithe (Cartographic). SDV349926.

One east to west aligned boundary is depicted, and a north to south aligned boundary is also marked.

Ordnance Survey, 1969, OS/69056, NMR OS/69056 042-043 03-APR-1969 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349072.

Several parallel earthwork terraces are visible.

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

A series of parallel earthwork terraces are visible on the hillside south of Croyde on aerial photographs taken in 1969. They appear to be at a slightly oblique angle to the contour, and therefore could be agricultural lynchets, in common with those 50 metres to the south and at Saunton. The earthworks extend up to 90 metres east to west, and circa 90 metres north to south up the slope. Five lynchets are clearly visible, circa 8 or 16 metres in width separated by slopes between 3 and 7 metres wide. It is possible that these are of medieval date, although as no earthworks have been observed in this location on other available aerial photographs, this interpretation is tentative. One of the lynchets matches the location of a field boundary depicted on the 1839 Tithe map and a north-south aligned boundary also depicted on the Tithe map, and visible as a recently removed boundary in the 1960s aerial photographs, bisects the area that the lynchets cover. Although there is a slim possibility that the earthworks are relatively modern terraces created after the removal of the boundary, they do appear to be well established and are more likely to substantially predate the field boundary, having been reduced by agricultural cultivation since its removal. They fit into the surrounding field pattern which is of medieval character, and are potentially of early medieval – or even earlier - origin. A site visit is recommended, to assess their character and survival.

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
SDV349072	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1969. OS/69056. Ordnance Survey Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR OS/69056 042-043 03-APR-1969. [Mapped feature: #62518 ]
SDV349926	Cartographic: George Braund and Henry Hearn. 1839. Map of the Parish of Georgeham in the county of Devon surveyed for the commutation of Tithe. Tithe Map.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

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

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