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Summary

A linear cropmark or soilmark adjacent to the road is visible on aerial photographs taken from 1946 onwards and is likely to have formed over the remains of an earlier route. Further research is needed to determine its date and character, as earthworks visible on images derived form Lidar data captured between 1998 and 2007 could support an interpretation as a Roman road.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1047498

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ROAD? (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD (Between))
• HOLLOW WAY? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

The land north of the road is depicted as three long thin fields.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1412, RAF/106G/UK/1412 RP 3348-3349 13-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352504.

A linear cropmark bank is visible in one field, and a linear dark cropmark in the adjacent field.

Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography, 1987, CUCAP RC8-JR, CUCAP RC8JR 130 08-SEP-1987 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356318.

A dark and pale linear cropmark is visible.

Environment Agency, 1998-2011, Lidar data JPEG SY39SW DSM, LIDAR SY39SW DSM Environment Agency 1998-2007 (Cartographic). SDV356460.

A slight linear earthwork is visible.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2013 - 2014, South Devon Coast RCZAS National Mapping Programme Project Site Visit, 09-MAY-2014 (Site Visit). SDV351142.

There is no evidence of a holloway, and the ground adjacent to the field boundary is very slightly higher than the rest of the field, and very stony.

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

A linear cropmark or soilmark is visible on aerial photographs taken from 1946 onwards and is most clearly visible on aerial photographs taken in 1987. It runs parallel to the road and is likely to have formed over the remains of an earlier route used before the road diverted slightly to the south and its present alignment. The cropmark consists of a dark linear mark across three fields immediately adjacent and parallel to the road and up to 9 metres in width, with a pale linear up to 5 metres wide on its northern side that corresponds to a field boundary depicted on the Tithe map. This pattern would fit with an interpretation as a holloway, possibly of medieval origin, flanked by an earthwork bank on the northern side, that became impassable at some point prompting a diversion to the south. However, images derived from Lidar data captured between 1998 and 2007 appear to show a slight linear earthwork along the line of the darker cropmark, indicating that this may in fact have been a raised bank rather than a holloway. This might lend support to an interpretation as a Roman road as proposed by Margery (1967). Further archaeological investigation, commencing with a site visit and followed up with fieldwalking or perhaps geophysical survey or evaluation trenching, would help to clarify the date and character of this feature.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV349431	Cartographic: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Map. Digital.
SDV351142	Site Visit: Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R.. 2013 - 2014. South Devon Coast RCZAS National Mapping Programme Project Site Visit. AC Archaeology. Digital. 09-MAY-2014.
	Linked images:48
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
SDV352504	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1412. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/1412 RP 3348-3349 13-APR-1946.
SDV356318	Aerial Photograph: Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography. 1987. CUCAP RC8-JR. Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography. Photograph (Paper). CUCAP RC8JR 130 08-SEP-1987. [Mapped feature: #66170 ]
SDV356460	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2011. Lidar data JPEG SY39SW DSM. Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR SY39SW DSM Environment Agency 1998-2007.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6127 - Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme (NMP) for South-West England - South Coast Devon (Ref: ACD618)

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