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Summary

The regular layout of the town along a straight main street has left a clear outline of burgage plots on both sides of High Street. The rear boundary of some of these plots on the south side is marked by King Street and it is probable that back lanes originally ran along the rear of all the plots.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BURGAGE PLOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

Bampton, J., 18/10/2013, Land to the Rear of 160 High Street, Honiton, Devon (Report - Watching Brief). SDV355873.

Archaeological monitoring and recording together with a desktop appraisal was carried out on land to the rear of 160 High Street prior to residential development. The desk based appraisal showed a continuity of use of the site from the 19th century which still respected the town's medieval layout, following the original burgage plot boundaries between High Street and King Street. Three ditches representing the boundaries of these former burgage plots were recorded during the watching brief in the western half of the site. The earliest appears to date to the 14th century and to have been re-cut in the medieval period before going out of use in the 18th century. Finds included medieval and post medieval pottery including German Stone ware and South Somerset ware, pieces of clay pipe, animal bone, oyster shell and flint fragments. The base of a 19th-20th century garden refuse pit was also recorded. No significant archaeological features were identified in the eastern half of the site. A base sherd from a 14th-15th century cooking pot was recovered from made up ground. Map object based on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Burgage plots clearly visible on north and south sides of High Street. Map object based on this source.

Timms, S. C., 1976, The Devon Urban Survey, 1976. First Draft, 121, 124, 132 (Report - Survey). SDV341346.

The regular layout of the town along a straight main street has left a clear outline of burgage plots on both sides of High Street. The rear boundary of some of these plots on the south side is marked by King Street and it is probable that back lanes originally ran along the rear of all the plots.
The major archaeological significance of Honiton lies in its town plan, the regularity of which attests to the the plantation of a complete urban unit in the 13th century.

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

Former burgage plots visible in layout of buildings on modern mapping on the north and south side of High Street. Map object based on this source. It is likely that the burgage plots extend further east and west than the map object suggests.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6383 - Archaeological Monitoring and Recording on Land to the Rear of 160 High Street, Honiton
• EDV6675 - Watching Brief, Land to the Rear of 60 High Street, Honiton, Devon (Ref: ACD988/2/0)

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