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Summary

A complex of earthwork ditches, visible on aerial photographs taken in 1947 and 1966, are interpreted as 20th century military practice trenches of probable Second World War origin. Earthwork remains may survive.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PRACTICE TRENCH (World War I to World War II - 1914 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FP 2289-2290 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

A pale feature is visible, in plan a regular crenelate-pattern.

Ordnance Survey, 1966, OS/66184 V, OS/66184 V 152-153 22-JUL-1966 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357044.

Segments of earthwork ditch are indistinctly visible.

Ordnance Survey, 1989, OS/89276, OS/89276 V 225-226 14-JUN-1989 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357047.

Scrub has started to establish and the feature is not visible.

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

A complex of earthwork ditches is visible on aerial photographs taken in 1947 and 1966, on Gaddon Down, to the south of a gravel pit. The ditches are narrow at between 1 and 2 metres in width, and are crenelate-shaped in plan. Their location on rough open ground, the date of the photographs on which they are visible and their shape are consistent with an interpretation as 20th century military practice trenches. They could be of First World War date, although as they were fairly well-defined in 1947 but had been partly covered by vegetation by 1966 and completely obscured by 1989, a Second World War origin is more likely. Earthwork remains may survive.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FP 2289-2290 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #67470 ]
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
SDV357044	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1966. OS/66184 V. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/66184 V 152-153 22-JUL-1966.
SDV357047	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1989. OS/89276. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/89276 V 225-226 14-JUN-1989.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

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

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