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Summary

Practice slit trenches of First or Second World War date are visible on aerial photographs of 1947, within former woodland of Tidcombe Plantation, off Newte’s Hill. Aerial photographs of 1966 show that the plantation has been completely cleared of trees, the field ploughed and all evidence of the former earthworks appear to have been levelled.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PRACTICE TRENCH (World War I - 1914 AD to 1918 AD (Between))
• PRACTICE TRENCH (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP 3280-81 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357337.

The slit trenches are visible as a series of earthwork ditch and banked features. Map object based on this source.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995 FS, RAF/CPE/UK/1995 FS 2041-42 13-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356946.

The slit trenches are visible as a series of earthwork ditch and banked features. Map object based on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 1966, OS/66184 V, OS/66184 V 167 22-JUL-1966 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357044.

The former plantation has been completely cleared of trees and the former earthworks levelled.

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

Practice slit trenches of First or Second World War date are visible on aerial photographs of 1947, within former woodland of Tidcombe Plantation, off Newte’s Hill. The earthworks are predominantly visible along the western and southern edge of the former plantation. They comprise a series of crenulated and sinuous narrow earthwork ditches less than 2m in width, with possible evidence of earthwork banks associated with two of the trenches to the southeast and north. The earthworks are likely to have been more extensive than has been transcribed here as part of this survey owing to the dense tree cover of the plantation. No other contemporary military earthworks or complexes were recorded within the surrounding area. The date of the slit trenches is largely uncertain, although given the crisp nature of the earthworks visible and the similarites with those trenches recorded at Dalditch training camp (MDV15101), are perhaps more likely to be of Second World War date. Aerial photographs of 1966 show that the plantation has been completely cleared of trees, the field subjected to ploughing and with all evidence of the former earthworks apparently levelled, although slight earthworks and below ground evidence of the former trenches may still survive.

Sources / Further Reading

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
SDV356946	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1995 FS. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1995 FS 2041-42 13-APR-1947.
SDV357044	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1966. OS/66184 V. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/66184 V 167 22-JUL-1966.
SDV357337	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP 3280-81 11-APR-1947.

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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