See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

A series of curvilinear banks are visible as earthworks on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2004 and 2013 across a large area surrounding Willesley. The earthworks are interpreted as field boundaries of medieval origin that formed a strip field system and that passed out of use by the mid-19th century.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) RIDGE AND FURROW (Unknown date)
• FIELD SYSTEM (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

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

The earthworks do not correspond with any depicted features, however the banks are parallel to depicted field boundaries.

Environment Agency, 2000-2019, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: Tamar Aerial Survey project area, LIDAR Environment Agency LAST RETURN 19-DEC-2004 (Cartographic). SDV363954.

A series of parallel curvilinear banks are visible as earthworks.

Environment Agency, 2011, LIDAR data JPEG images (2 metre resolution) (Cartographic). SDV348634.

Map object partially based on this source.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: Tamar Aerial Survey project area, LIDAR Tellus LAST RETURN 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV363955.

A series of parallel curvilinear banks are visible as earthworks.

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

Map object partially based on this source.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2020-2021, Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 1 (AI&M project) (Interpretation). SDV363945.

A series of curvilinear banks between 5 and 20 metres in width and orientated in all directions are visible as earthworks on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2004 and 2013. The earthwork banks are situated across a large area of north-east and east facing fields surrounding Willesley.
The earthworks do not correspond with any features depicted on the available historic maps, however many are in parallel with depicted field boundaries. The historic landscape is characterised as medieval enclosures based on strip fields and post-medieval enclosures with medieval elements.
The earthworks are interpreted as field boundaries of medieval origin that formed part of an extensive strip field system, and that passed out of use by the mid-19th century.
An approximately circular mound is visible as an earthwork amongst field boundaries to the north of Willesley and may be associated with the field system. Alternatively, the mound may be a barrow or other earthwork feature such as a tree mound. The earthwork has been transcribed, however as it is situated outside the study area, has not been individually interpreted.

Understanding Landscapes Project, 2020-2021, University of Exeter Understanding Landscapes Project - Volunteer data, 429.22 (Interpretation). SDV363949.

Former strip fields

Horner, W., 27/08/2014, Various Lynchets around Willesley (Personal Comment). SDV358093.

Possible strip fields, lynchets or ridge and furrow around Willesley visible on Lidar image.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8345 - Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 1 (AI&M) (Ref: ACD2380)

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.