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Summary

Possible former field boundaries potentially of medieval origin are visible on aerial photographs of 1964 as subtle curvilinear earthworks and cropmarks crossing the eastern slope of a hill to the north-west of Highlands. The relict field boundaries had probably been superseded by more regular enclosure of the 18th or 19th century.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD BOUNDARY (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1843 AD (Between))

Full description

T Woodmas & Co, Surveyors., 1840, Map of the Parish of East Down, Devon (Cartographic). SDV350660.

The extant regular field pattern has been established by 1843.

Royal Air Force, 1964, RAF 543/2821 F66, NMR RAF/543/2821 F66 0200-0201 27-APR-1964 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350307.

Roughly north to south orientated earthwork banks are visible, possibly defining relict polygonal fields on the northen lower slopes.

Turner, S.C., 2005 - 2006, Devon Historic Landscape Characterisation Mapping (Cartographic). SDV349122.

The earthworks cross fields characterised as Medieval enclosures based on strip fields and Post-medieval enclosures.

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

Possible former field boundaries are visible on aerial photographs of 1964 as subtle curvilinear earthwork banks and cropmarks of earthwork banks crossing the eastern slope of a hill to the north-west of Highlands Farm. The roughly north to south orientated earthworks are irregular in plan and might represent the curves and dog-legs often seen in Medieval enclosure based on strip field cultivation. The earthworks in fact cross between fields characterised as Medieval enclosures based on strip fields into Post-medieval enclosures, fields laid out probably in the 18th or 19th century showing the commonly seen features of dead-straight field boundaries. It is likely therefore that the relict field boundaries were superseded by the more regular extant enclosure, established by the surveying of the Tithe Map for East Down in 1943. The former field pattern might be associated with a small roughly square possible enclosure visible as an earthwork near the summit of the hill.

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
SDV349122	Cartographic: Turner, S.C.. 2005 - 2006. Devon Historic Landscape Characterisation Mapping. Digital.
SDV350307	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1964. RAF 543/2821 F66. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/543/2821 F66 0200-0201 27-APR-1964. [Mapped feature: #62727 ]
SDV350660	Cartographic: T Woodmas & Co, Surveyors.. 1840. Map of the Parish of East Down, Devon. Tithe Map. Digital.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

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

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