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Summary

A field system extends across the west end of The Warren. The Warren wall cuts through part of the field system which links up to the current field pattern. It seems to be part of an extensive system across much of Soar. The fields seem to mainly date from the Medieval or Post Medieval period but some of the boundaries may have much earlier origins, possibly in the later prehistoric period. A suggested pillow mound in the vicinity of Warren Barn is likely to be a field bank. A possible Medieval or Post Medieval farmstead is situated, just to the west of Warren Barn, on the other side of the stream from a spring. Warren Barn is not marked on the 1841 tithe map but appears on the 1862 Ordnance Survey 1st edition 25" map - this building is no longer marked on maps nor was anything seen at this location on the ground. The 1906 OS 2nd edition 25" map shows a building, still extant, just to the north-west. There is a possible building visible on aerial photographs at the south end of the Barn which could be associated or could be a temporary WWII building associated with Bolt Head Airfield.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020570
• Scheduled Monument 1020570: Medieval farmstead and field system at Warren Barn, 500m south and 400m south west of West Soar
• Scheduled Monument 1020572: Bowl barrow 210m south of West Soar
• Scheduled Monument 1020578: Regular aggregate field system 480m west of West Soar
• SHINE: Earthworks, structures, cropmarks and artefact scatters of prehistoric field system, prehistoric barrow, hilltop enclosure, medieval farmsteads and rabbit warren, 18th-19th century watch towers and World War Two RAF Bolt Head Airfield, at East Soar

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1369288

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD SYSTEM (Early Bronze Age to Late Medieval - 2200 BC to 1539 AD)
• HUT CIRCLE (Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))
• LONGHOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• PILLOW MOUND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BARN (XVIII to XIX - 1800 AD to 1832 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, NMR RAF/CPE/UK/1890 2023-2025 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351061.

Earthwork banks, mounds and structures are visible.

Thackray, C., 1990, Archaeological Survey of the Salcombe Estuary: West (Bolt Head to Bolt Tail and Snapes Point) Devon (Report - Survey). SDV345519.

Environment Agency, 2007, LiDAR data JPEG image (1 metre resolution), LIDAR SX7036NW Environment Agency D0079375 31 MAR 2007 (Cartographic). SDV351410.

Earthwork banks and mounds are visible.

Environment Agency, 2007, LiDAR data JPEG image (1 metre resolution), LIDAR SX7037SW Environment Agency D0079376 31-MAR-2007 (Cartographic). SDV351410.

Earthwork banks and mounds are visible.

Winton, H. + Bowden, M., 2009, East Soar, Devon: Air Photo Assessment and Survey (Report - Survey). SDV351406.

The area covered by the description above was mapped and recorded from aerial photographs and lidar as part of an English Heritage survey in 2008 of East Soar. The main sources were air photographs from the National Monuments Record (NMR), the Cambridge University Collection of Air Photos (CUCAP), Devon Historic Environment Record (HER), and lidar images from the Environment Agency. Additional sources included information from the NMR and Devon HER and the 1777 Courtney Estate Survey. Field visits were also carried out to visit key sites and areas.
The field system mentioned by the site Schedule extends across most of the west end of The Warren. The Warren wall cuts through part of the field system which links up to the current field pattern. It seems to be part of an extensive system across much of Soar (see NMR Monument 444335).The fields seem to mainly date from the Medieval or Post Medieval period but some of the boundaries may have much earlier origins, possibly in the later prehistoric period. The suggested pillow mound in the vicinity of Warren Barn is likely to be a field bank.
The possible Medieval or Post Medieval farmstead is situated, just to the west of Warren Barn, on the other side of the stream from a spring. It is centred at SX 7028 3708. It is indistinctly visible on aerial photographs. Warren Barn is not marked on the 1841 tithe map but appears on the 1862 Ordnance Survey 1st edition 25" map – this building is no longer marked on maps nor was anything seen at this location on the ground. It would have been at SX 70318 37039. The 1906 OS 2nd edition 25" map shows a building, still extant, just to the north-west at SX 70318 37054. There is a possible building on a rocky outcrop, visible on 1940s aerial photographs, at the south end of Warren Barn which could be associated with the barn or could be a temporary WWII building associated with Bolt Head Airfield.
No trace of the hut circle or oval enclosure mentioned by authority 1 could be seen on the available aerial photos or lidar. The area immediately around and to the west of Warren Barn was difficult to see on the air photographs due to heavy shadow. Survival and preservation of the earthworks is variable and not surprisingly appears better in the areas no longer in improved grassland, but lidar indicates that there is some survival in those areas too.

English Heritage, 2012, National Heritage List for England, 1020570 (National Heritage List for England). SDV348729.

SX 70283707; SX 70073726. Remains of a medieval farmstead, part of its surrounding field system and a pillow mound at Warren Barn. The earthwork remains of the farmstead are located around a spring. They consist of an enclosure containing two outbuildings and a longhouse. Remains of the associated field system lie to the south and the south east.
A large rectangular pillow mound lies north east of the farmstead. Immediately to its south east is Warren Barn, an early 19th century single storey shippon. About 100 metres south of the farmstead is a small hut circle abutted by an ovoid pound. These remains are Bronze Age in date.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2013-2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV351146.

All East Soar Air Photo Assessment and Survey (SDV351406) details were accessioned to the Devon HER as part of the South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project.

Newman, P., 2014, An Archaeological Assessment of Bolt Tail, Bolberry Down and East Soar, South Hams (Report - Survey). SDV357202.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV345519	Report - Survey: Thackray, C.. 1990. Archaeological Survey of the Salcombe Estuary: West (Bolt Head to Bolt Tail and Snapes Point) Devon. National Trust Archaeological Survey Report. A4 Comb Bound + Digital.
SDV348729	National Heritage List for England: English Heritage. 2012. National Heritage List for England. Website. 1020570.
SDV351061	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1890. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/CPE/UK/1890 2023-2025 10-DEC-1946.
SDV351146	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2013-2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV351406	Report - Survey: Winton, H. + Bowden, M.. 2009. East Soar, Devon: Air Photo Assessment and Survey. English Heritage. 50-2009. Digital + A4.
SDV351410	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 2007. LiDAR data JPEG image (1 metre resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR SX7037SW Environment Agency D0079376 31-MAR-2007.
SDV355681	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2014. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital.
SDV357202	Report - Survey: Newman, P.. 2014. An Archaeological Assessment of Bolt Tail, Bolberry Down and East Soar, South Hams. South-West Landscape Investigations. A4 Comb Bound + Digital.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6587 - Archaeological Assessment of Land between Bolt Heat and Bolt Tail
• EDV4935 - Archaeological Survey from Bolt Head to Bolt Tail and Snapes Point

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