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Summary

Curvilinear and linear banks and ditches are visible as earthworks on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2011 and 2016, within Lifton Wood. They are interpreted as evidence of relict field boundaries of a medieval or post-medieval field system, with possible evidence of a medieval park pale and post-medieval to 19th century wood banks. The earthworks had been removed prior to the establishment of Lifton Wood by the mid-19th century.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD SYSTEM (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))
• PARK PALE? (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1880 AD (Between))
• WOOD BANK (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1880 AD (Between))

Full description

South West Heritage Trust, 1838-1848, Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments (Cartographic). SDV359954.

The earthworks occupy land parcels 1203 and 1412 which are both recorded as ‘Plantation’ and 1215 which is recorded as ‘Lifton Park and House’. One of the earthworks to the south possibly corresponds with a field boundary on this map.

Environment Agency, 2000-2019, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: Tamar Aerial Survey project area, LIDAR Environment Agency LAST RETURN 24-NOV-2016 (Cartographic). SDV363954.

Curvilinear and linear banks and ditches are visible as earthworks.

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

Linear earthwork banks are visible.

Hegarty, C., 2015, Comments arising from the transcription of earthworks at Lifton Wood from Lidar data (Interpretation). SDV358492.

A number of eathwork banks of probable post-medieval to 20th century date were visible at Lifton Woods on images derived from lidar data. The banks are probably wood banks associated with the plantation at Lifton Wood, part of the designed landscape of Lifton Park. The banks do not correspond with any features depicted on the 1880s-1890s 25 inch Ordnance Survey first edition map. It is possible the outermost banks, at circa SX38208489 and SX38558458, might have been made as part of a park pale; a break in the latter could have been used as an easily regulated entrance to the parkland. One of the banks crosses and probably slights the earthworks of a hillfort of probable Iron Age date at the summit of Lifton Wood.

Gent, T. + Manning, P., 2016, Lifton Wood and the Development of the Surrounding Area. (Report - Assessment). SDV359657.

This desk-based assessment was carried out between August 2015 and February 2016 to assist in the interpretation of a recently rediscovered hilltop enclosure and other features in Lifton Wood, Lifton, Devon.

A collection of linear boundary banks has been identified by the landscape survey. Physical relationships show that these post-date both the hilltop enclosure and, the additional defences.

Newman, P., 2016, Lifton Wood Hilltop Enclosure, Devon (Report - Survey). SDV359658.

An earthwork survey was commissioned by Bill Horner, Devon County Archaeologist, following encouraging results from a LiDAR transcription which led to the discovery of Lifton Wood Hilltop Enclosure.

Following abandonment of the hilltop enclosure, the summit of the hill and its southern slopes were partitioned by a series of linear field boundaries. Their chronology is uncertain and without accurate dating it may only be stated that in their present condition they are of a medieval or post-medieval character, but could have earlier origins. None of these boundaries were depicted on the tithe of 1840, but two are shown on an estate map of Lifton, dated 1807 (Gent and Manning 2015, Fig 4), by which time they may have been abandoned as the area became transformed into woodland. This transformation was clearly well advanced in 1807 when the hilltop was referred to as Lifton Wood, and in 1809 it was depicted as completely wooded on the OS 1-inch (old series) first edition.

These boundaries survive as substantial earthen banks of up to 5.5m wide, and over 0.5m high, with a ditch on one side, though these have become silted to various degrees. Only the hilltop sections have been surveyed but it is known that they all extend down the south slopes of the hill, where other, similar earthworks survive.

The most significant of these boundaries (t) is not depicted on the 1807 map. It runs in a straight line for 150m just below the northern edge of the hilltop plateau, where the hillside falls away steeply below. The earthwork commences near a quarry to the west of the enclosure; it probably once continued further west, but has become effaced by the quarrymen’s activities. Eastwards, it meets the hilltop enclosure near its northern corner and, as it extends further east, it sits at the foot of the rampart scarp. It is possible that from this point the later boundary has either modified or completely overlain the counterscarp of the earlier rampart. As it rounds the northeast corner, then diverts south, the bank appears to be straddling the rampart ditch.

A similar substantial boundary (u) extends southwest to northeast across the hilltop, 70m west of the enclosure. This boundary has also been partly cut by the quarry but can be traced northwest for a further 50m. Intriguingly, this bank overlies the escarpment that was created when an earlier track (x) was cut along the hillside, though has itself been cut by an even later track (y).

Thirty-seven meters to the west, a separate field boundary (v) also overlies the track escarpment, then follows a sinuous course off to the south. These two boundaries (u and v) are depicted on the 1807 estate map, on which they are shown joining to form a corner within the meadow north of the current woodland boundary (Fig 3), which is still maintained, but no trace of the boundaries (u and v) survives within the meadow today. At the far northwest of the surveyed area, a natural slope running across the plateau has been adapted to form a curved boundary of substantial proportions (w), being 11m wide by 1.5m high on its western slope. Although it is suitably positioned to be a possible outwork associated with the hilltop enclosure, it has been partly effaced by a modern road at the northern
end, so this has to remain as speculation for the time being. However, it is known from the LiDAR transcription that a more slight boundary extending southwest down the hillside, follows the alignment of this bank and is a continuation of it. It is therefore more likely to have origins as a medieval boundary.

Hegarty, C., Houghton, E., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2020-2021, Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 2 (Culture Recovery Fund project) (Interpretation). SDV364011.

Curvilinear and linear banks and ditches are visible as earthworks on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2016. The earthworks measure between 4-12 metres wide and are typically orientated north-east to south-west and north-west to south-east. They define a series of rectilinear land parcels of varying extent and encompass an area of circa 22 hectares of north-west, south-west and south-east facing slope.
The visible earthworks occupy land parcels 1203, 1412 and 1215 shown on the mid-19th century Parish Tithe Map. On the accompanying Tithe Apportionment, land parcels 1203 and 1412 are both recorded as ‘Plantation’ and 1215 is recorded as ‘Lifton Park and House’. With possible exception of one of the banks at SX38408445, the earthworks do not correspond with any field boundaries or features shown in this location on this map, or on later available historic maps.
They are interpreted as relict field boundaries of a field system of potential medieval origin with probable post-medieval adaptations, that had been removed prior to the establishment of Lifton Wood by the mid-19th century. The boundaries are mostly visible as banked features but are flanked in places by ditches at SX38558463; SX38408483 and SX37948482. Earthworks visible at SX38438461, which comprise a narrow hollow flanked on each side by banks, may define the course of a former trackway.
Some of the earthworks in this location have also been interpreted elsewhere within this record as possible evidence for a medieval park pale and post-medieval to 19th century wood banks.
The boundaries intersect with earthworks of a possible Iron Age hillfort (MDV108533) to the north-east. Given the complexity of earthworks in this location, it has not been possible in places to disaggregate those earthworks that are associated with this field system from those that are associated with the hillfort.

Horner, B., 27/04/2015, Park Pale, Lifton Park, Lifton (Ground Photograph). SDV358262.

Ground shots of park pale

Horner, B., 27/04/2015, Park Pale, Lifton Wood, Lifton (Personal Comment). SDV358268.

While recording the hillfort (MDV 108533) a possible park pale was also observed running roughly north-south through Lifton Wood. It appears to overlie the eastern defences of the hillfort.

It is a substantial bank about 2 metres broad at the top and 1.0 metre tall. It has a ditch on its west side and the land on the east side appears to be lower by about 0.2 metre (see sketch plan of hillfort). It has the characteristics of a deerpark pale.

On the LiDAR it continues beyond the hillfort to the north and also to the southern carriage road of the park, where it begins to curve slightly westward. It is also visible on the RAF 1940’s aerial photos. LiDAR records a similar boundary 220 metres to the west, with a ditch on its east (? Inner) side, running through the wood from the quarry (MDV 73250) southwards to the southern carriage road.

On the ground the eastern ‘pale’ it is cut through by later forestry tracks and also appears to be overlain by woodbanks.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6998 - EarthWork Survey, Lifton Wood Hilltop Enclosure
• EDV6997 - Desk-Based Assessment of a Hilltop Enclosure in Lifton Wood and the Development of the Surrounding Area. (Ref: 1155)
• EDV8356 - Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 2 (Culture Recovery Fund) (Ref: ACD2424)

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