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Summary

Settlement activity dating from the Neolithic to the Romano-British period was recorded during a trench evaluation on land at Straitgate Farm.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Settlement, Neolithic to Romano-British period, Land at Straitgate Farm, Whimple

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SETTLEMENT (Early Neolithic to Roman - 4000 BC to 409 AD) + Sci.Date

Full description

Dean, R., 2014, An Archaeological Gradiometer Survey: Land to the West of Straitgate Farm, Ottery St. Mary, Devon (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV357035.

Geophysical survey undertaken to help to determine the extent, character and significance of any surviving archaeological deposits within the application area. Ninety-six groups of anomalies were identified as relating to possible archaeological deposits, including possible Prehistoric settlement on the western side of the survey area, former field boundaries and a former farm building.

Three sets of anomaly patterns in area 3 with elements in the adjacent areas 2 and 6 reflect possible archaeological structures and/or deposits that may relate to former settlement. Groups 1, 12 to 18 and 28 have patterns typical of round houses within small enclosures although there is a possibility that some of the sub-circular patterns relate to ring ditches. It is noted that previous archaeological investigations just to the west of area 3 along the route of the A30 recovered Prehistoric pottery, Iron Age features including evidence of settlement, sherds of early Neolithic pottery and evidence of other Neolithic activity (section 5 of this report).

There is a second cluster of similar anomaly groups in area 3 comprising groups 38 to 49. In this case the anomalies are masked by former ridge-and-furrow ploughing and ground disturbance anomaly patterns that are typical of former quarrying. While the sub-circular anomaly groups recorded here could represent former round houses and/ or ring ditches, the possibility remains that they represent the edges of quarry pits.

A third set in area 6 comprising groups 56 to 61, while also affected by ridge-andfurrow ploughing and possible quarrying, are clearer and are more likely to represent past settlement.

Farnell, A. + Rainbird, P. + Valentin, J., 2015, Land at Straitgate Farm, Whimple, Devon (Report - Evaluation). SDV357855.

An archaeological trench evaluation was undertaken on land at Straitgate Farm, Whimple. The site occupies approximately 39 hectares of agricultural land, close to Straitgate Farm, to the southeast of Whimple and west of Ottery St Mary. It is located in an area where previous excavations had identified a Middle to Late Iron Age open settlement immediately to the west. In addition, the Roman road from Dorchester to Exeter is also close by and also to the west. The evaluation comprised the machine-excavation of 56 trenches. These were positioned to test geophysical anomalies identified by an earlier survey, as well as to provide sample coverage of the proposed development area.

Archaeological features encountered had been subject to truncation in all areas evaluated and were particularly severely affected in the northernmost field. The overall results of the evaluation reasonably reflect those of the geophysical survey in terms of the density of archaeological features encountered. As might be expected for a site of this scale, archaeology of most periods was represented in varying amounts, with this dating from the Early Neolithic period through to modern times.

The highest density of archaeological features was present in Areas 2, 3 and 6 on the higher ground along the western side of the evaluated area and, it is these fields that are considered to contain the main archaeological interest within the overall scheme area. The majority of archaeological features in these areas date to the Iron Age and Romano-British periods and are shown on Figs 2 and 3. While a moderate to large assemblage of artefacts was recovered, a number of features did not contain finds or were recorded in plan only. There is therefore clearly scope for discrepancies in this provisional phasing. However, the colour-coded period interpretations shown on Figs 2 and 3 are based on a combination of factors, including the presence of artefacts, proximity to other features containing artefacts, feature types and character, distribution, patterns, position in the layer sequence (eg. Those
features below the agricultural subsoil layer are likely to be earlier), fill composition and the results of the earlier work.

It appears that the settlement activity recorded during works at Long Range for the present A30 continues into this site. At Long Range, an open settlement with evidence of three or possibly four roundhouses was identified. Adjacent to the houses were postholes from two, three or four-post structures typical of Iron Age settlement. These feature types are present even more abundantly and extensively at Straitgate and a much larger open settlement is clearly present. Including the Long Range site and Areas 2 and 6 at Straitgate it is apparent that this Iron Age open settlement extends over an area of potentially c. 10 hectares; its full extent to the west cannot be established, but it can be suggested that it is largely confined to the highest ground. However, a possible roundhouse was identified, off the slope and represented by a probable pennanular gully. Based on the geophysics and trial trenching at Straitgate a number of further Middle or Later Iron Age roundhouses are present, albeit in localised clusters, represented by either post-built or pennanular gullies, the total number of which cannot be accurately calculated within the confines of narrow trenches. However, based on the geophysics and trench results, around 12-15 further roundhouses in total might be anticipated, in addition to other potential 2, 3 and 4-post structures. Other Middle to Late Iron Age settlement-type features present included pits, stakeholes and a hearth.

The occupation at Long Range has been dated by radiocarbon method and ceramic evidence mainly to the Middle-Late Iron Age periods (c. 400 cal. BC – AD10) and a similar period of use at Straitgate can be suggested from the ceramic forms and fabrics represented. Iron Age pottery of identical type was present and, although full excavation was undertaken at Long Range, whereas hand-excavation at Straitgate was very much a targeted approach, similar quantities were recovered (365 sherds at Long Range, 293 sherds at Straitgate).

In Area 2, potential evidence for Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age settlement was identified in the form of a probable roundhouse and associated features in Trench 50. This is relatively some distance away from the main focus of Middle to Late Iron Age settlement, so it is tempting to suggest that the pennanular gully and associated features in Trench 52, which contained only a single sherd of undiagnostic prehistoric pottery, might too be of this earlier date. However, a probable Late Iron Age structure was identified further to the east in Trench 55. The presence of at least one earlier structure does indicate a continuity of occupation on the site.

In Area 6, evidence for Romano-British settlement was identified, dating from the 2nd century AD onwards. Feature types present included pits, postholes ditches and gullies, as well as a possible roundhouse gully (F2613) with a hearth in Trench 26. The continuation of the roundhouse structure tradition into the Romano-British period in Devon is not uncommon and can, for example, be seen extensively at the 2nd to 3rd-century AD civil settlement at Pomeroy Wood near Honiton (Fitzpatrick et al. 1999, Plan 1: Phase 4i).

The majority of Romano-British features were shallow. Many smaller discrete features were ephemeral. One exception to this was a large linear feature, which contained burnt clay and metalworking debris in its fill indicating probable small-scale industrial activity in the vicinity. The majority of finds were recovered from its upper fill and are likely to have been inserted post-use, including evidence for consolidation in the form of an area of cobbling. The finds from the ditch mainly date to the 2nd and 3rd-centuries AD, although a single sherd of Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age pottery was recovered from its lower levels. The interpretation of function of this ditch is problematic as, while it is situated on hilltop, adjacent to a major Roman road and its width and exposed profile indicates a defensive function, it is only 30m long and has butt-end terminals at either end. It is clearly, therefore, not part of or associated with a wider defensive enclosure or as an outwork to one and, the date of the finds from within it and elsewhere on the site is later than would be expected for a Roman military feature. No close comparisons are therefore possible to draw at present, but further investigation may assist in clarifying its function. Three pieces of Romano-British period tile from overlying deposits and two holed slates from the large ditch in Trenches 22 and 56 may indicate a ‘Romanised’ building is present in the vicinity, but this was not present as buried archaeological features, and certainly no stone foundations were identified within the trenches.

Also in Area 6 was an isolated section of ditch containing pottery and flint of probable Early Neolithic date. A pit of similar date was seemingly cut by a roundhouse gully at the northern end of Trench 37 (3704). The location of these features is close to the spot of an Early Neolithic pit containing pottery and flint excavated ahead of the new A30, although evidence for activity at this date was regarded as being rare (Butterworth 1999).

Across the central portion of the site in Areas 4 and 7, remains were more diffuse comprising occasional, apparently isolated earlier prehistoric features, including a ‘structured’ Middle Neolithic deposit in the fill of a probable tree throw, and possible field system ditches potentially associated with the Iron Age and Romano-British settlement evidence upslope. The southern and eastern part of the site (Areas 8, 10, 11 and 12) demonstrated a generally low potential for the presence of early archaeological features and deposits, although a possible pennanular gully was present in Trench 17 (Area 8). However, this may be re-interpreted if more of this feature was to be exposed.

The previous excavations at the Long Range site, as well as elsewhere during investigations along the A30, demonstrated that there was good environmental potential in a number of features, comprising mainly charred plant remains and charcoal. An assessment of environmental remains from a number of Neolithic, Iron Age and Romano- British features at Straitgate has also indicated there is good potential here, again mainly for charred plant remains and charcoal, but also for insect material in the Middle Neolithic pit in Trench 42.

A series of post-medieval to modern former field boundaries was identified in a number of trenches, with these generally conforming to the existing field pattern and are therefore of limited archaeological interest. In addition, a number of artefacts of most periods was recovered from overlying layers across the site, indicating a general continuity of settlement and agricultural practices. While all spoilheaps were scanned by a metal detector for displaced metal finds, very few items were recovered and what was is modern in date and therefore does not relate to the in situ settlement evidence recorded.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds

• FDV5692 - STONE OBJECT (Unknown date)
• FDV5700 - CEREAL GRAIN (Prehistoric - 698000 BC to 42 AD)
• FDV5687 - (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2201 BC)
• FDV5693 - LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Early Neolithic to Late Iron Age - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
• FDV5701 - ORGANIC MATERIAL (Early Neolithic to Roman - 4000 BC to 409 AD)
• FDV5686 - SHERD (Early Neolithic - 4000 BC to 3001 BC)
• FDV5688 - SHERD (Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age - 1000 BC to 301 BC)
• FDV5689 - SHERD (Middle Iron Age - 300 BC to 101 BC)
• FDV5691 - SHERD (Middle Iron Age to Late Iron Age - 300 BC to 42 AD)
• FDV5690 - SHERD (Late Iron Age - 100 BC to 42 AD)
• FDV5699 - ANIMAL REMAINS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FDV5696 - CERAMIC (Roman to Post Medieval - 43 AD to 1750 AD)
• FDV5697 - FIRED CLAY (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FDV5698 - ROOF SLATE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FDV5694 - SHERD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FDV5695 - SLAG (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV6689 - Evaluation, Land at Straitgate Farm, Whimple (Ref: ACD983/3/1)
• EDV6105 - Watching Brief, Straitgate Farm, Ottery St Mary (Ref: STO12/190)
• EDV6560 - Geophysical Survey on Land to the West of Straitgate Farm (Ref: 140128)

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