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Summary

One of four barrows at Four Firs. Thought to be landscape mounds associated with the extensive programme of landscape works undertaken by the Bicton estate in the 19th century.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1018052: Four bowl barrows at Four Firs on Woodbury Common
• SHINE: Earthworks of ridge and furrow cultivation of post medieval date or later, earthworks and trenches of World War II activity on Woodbury Common and four prehistoric barrows or 18th/19th century landscaping features at Four Firs

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 448584
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY08NW/15
• Old SAM County Ref: 56
• Old SAM Ref: 29653

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BARROW (Lower Palaeolithic to XXI - 698000 BC to 2009 AD (Between))

Full description

Unknown, MIGRATED RECORD - MONUMENT PROTECTION PROGRAMME DATA (Migrated Record). SDV331.

Vis=24/11/1997 (salvatore) south-eastern of 4 barrows. Diam 15m, height 1.8m. Surrounding ditch particularly clear on e side, being 1.8m wide and about 0.4m deep. Three centrally located depressions on mound (mpp).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV1004.

Vis=27/4/1972 and 21/4/1982 (grinsell) all covered in trees and look recent by reason of their steep profile; 18m diameter, 1.8m high (grinsell).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV106291.

Barrow, diam 19m, heig 2.5m, ditch, widt 1.5m, dept 0.3m. Shown on os ms map 1801. One of four round barrows at four firs, woodbury common. For details see sy08nw/12.

RCHME, Untitled Source (Report - Survey). SDV106294.

Vis=10/9/1990 (rchme) centred sy03118640. Four probable landscaping mounds lie in the quadrants of the four firs crossroads 2 km e of woodbury. With the exception of the mound in the se quadrant all are covered by dense briars and bracken. Measurements of the se mound are 14.5m in diam and 1.8m high with a ditch 1.8m wide and a max of 0.4m deep. There is no apparent berm. The other mounds appear to confirm to these dimensions. Three (se,sw and nw) are topped by mature trees; the ne mound has been recently replanted with conifers. The nw mound has been damaged by quarrying on its n and w margins.

NMR, CITING PROBERT, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV106295.

The prehistoric barrow interpretation attributed to these features must be questioned, because their relative positioning is unusual as is their uniform morphology; the sides remain steep and the ditches are still well-defined. The suggestion that they were built by the troops stationed on woodbury common during thre napoleonic war seems unlikely. They are depicted on the os 1801 3" drawing while the troops did not arrive until several years later. They are most probably part of the extensive landscaping activities initiated by lord rolle of bicton during the later 18c. Four similar mounds (nmr:sy08nw8) flank the woodbury-yettington road e of four firs (nmr, citing probert).

AMD, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV106296.

Nmr refereence probert's description (above) to sy08nw/7, 27/1,27/2,12,13,14 + 15 (amd).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV106299.

Des=robinson, r. /list of fmw visits(19/1/1983)in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV106300.

Grinsell, l. V. /pdas/41(1983)45.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV106301.

Des=mpp/144410.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV106302.

Des=probert, s. A. J. /(1990)/rchme field investigation.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV106303.

Nmr=sy08nw4.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, Part 2: Gazetteer, 1, Site No. 2 (Report - Survey). SDV101648.

The south-eastern mound of a group of four flanking the road junction. May be a prehistoric barrow or 18th century landscaping mound. 16 metres in diameter by 2 metres high with a surrounding ditch. Site obscured by dense vegetation.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, Site No. 2 (Archive - Survey). SDV358490.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, Site No. 2 (Report - Survey). SDV359019.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 2668 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Barrow. Scheduled Monument.
See description in East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey Part 2: Gazetteer, 1, Site No. 2 - SDV101648.

Exeter Archaeology, 2007, East Devon Access Land Archaeological Survey 2007, 18, Site No. 2668 (Archive - Survey). SDV351571.

The south-eastern mound of a group of four flanking the road junction. May be a prehistoric barrow or 18th century landscaping mound. 15 metres in diameter by 1.8 metres high with a surrounding ditch. Site obscured by dense vegetation.

Scoop 1.5 metres by 1.0 metre and 0.3 metre deep on east side of mound represents military ‘fox hole’; another depression on south side may be the result of the same. Disturbed southwest corner may have been the result of a fallen tree. Mound has been recently cleared of vegetation and now visible from the road and surrounding area.

Protection during vegetation clearance. The barrow is located close to a car park, now visible and accessible so it may suffer erosion from visitors. Possible interpretation as one of a group of 4 mounds.

Exeter Archaeology, 2008, East Devon Access Land Archaeological Survey 2007, 2, Site No. 2668 (Report - Survey). SDV351570.

A number of the larger mounds are believed to represent prehistoric barrows that were remodelled in the 18th century to form landscape features.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2014-2015, East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV356883.

The four earthwork mounds recorded at the Four Firs road intersection could not be transcribed from aerial photographs made available to the survey owing to the dense tree cover within the area.

Helen Smart, 2015, MDV10497 and MDV10499 (Personal Comment). SDV359022.

SDV101648
Part 2: Gazetteer- Site No. 2; the grid reference is incorrect and is for the south-western barrow in the group. The SMR/No. 08NW/13 is also incorrect- this is for the south-western barrow. The description for SDV351571 is also different to the one given in SDV101648 for this barrow. It appears that the information has been swapped over by mistake with Site No. 4 in this document.

Tilley, C., 2017, Landscape in the Longue Durée, 334-5, figs 10.1-10.5 (Monograph). SDV361032.

At Four Firs four landscaping mounds are symmetrically arranged around a crossroads. This is the beginning of a series of such mounds positioned along either side of the road running east towards Yettington. This was the main carriage drive to Bicton House and park from Exeter that the Rolle family and their numerous visitors would take. The Four Firs mounds are all about 20 metres in diameter and about 2.5 metres high. All but the north-west mound have surrounding ditches. The north-east and south-west mounds are enclosed by a low bank and external ditch on two sides, running up to and terminating at the two roads forming the crossroads. The north-west mound has a substantial quarry hollow on its north and western sides and the mound here is up to 7 metres high above the surrounding ground surface and had a stabilizing revetment of corrugated iron and metal posts (see fig 10.4).
A small section cleaned up and recorded by Tilley in the north-east mound appears to confirm that these mounds at Four Firs are not prehistoric but modern landscaping mounds.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV1004	Migrated Record:
SDV101648	Report - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 2003. East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey. Exeter Archaeology Report. 03.26. A4 Unbound + Digital. Part 2: Gazetteer, 1, Site No. 2.
SDV106291	Migrated Record:
SDV106294	Report - Survey: RCHME.
SDV106295	Migrated Record: NMR, CITING PROBERT.
SDV106296	Migrated Record: AMD.
SDV106299	Migrated Record:
SDV106300	Migrated Record:
SDV106301	Migrated Record:
SDV106302	Migrated Record:
SDV106303	Migrated Record:
SDV331	Migrated Record: Unknown. MIGRATED RECORD - MONUMENT PROTECTION PROGRAMME DATA. Monument Protection Programme. Unknown.
SDV351568	Archive - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 2003-2004. East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey. East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey. Digital + Mixed Archive Material. Site No. 2668.
SDV351570	Report - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 2008. East Devon Access Land Archaeological Survey 2007. Exeter Archaeology Report. A4 Stapled + Digital. 2, Site No. 2668.
SDV351571	Archive - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 2007. East Devon Access Land Archaeological Survey 2007. East Devon Access Land Archaeological Survey 2007. Mixed Archive Material + Digital. 18, Site No. 2668.
SDV356883	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2014-2015. East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV358490	Archive - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 2003. East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey. East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey. Mixed Archive Material. Site No. 2.
SDV359019	Report - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 2003. East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey. Exeter Archaeology Report. 03.26. Site No. 2.
SDV359022	Personal Comment: Helen Smart. 2015. MDV10497 and MDV10499. Digital.
SDV361032	Monograph: Tilley, C.. 2017. Landscape in the Longue Durée. Landscape in the Longue Durée. Digital. 334-5, figs 10.1-10.5.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)

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