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Summary

Iron Age Settlement identified during archaeological investigations, land off Alswear, Old Road South Molton, Devon. The settlement comprise an enclosure, a round house, pits and postholes.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SETTLEMENT (Iron Age - 700 BC to 42 AD)

Full description

Webb, P., 14/09/2015, Land off Alswear, Old Road South Molton, Devon (Report - Evaluation). SDV359362.

Evaluation undertaken as part of the pre-planning requirement for a proposed rugby pitch. The trenches targeted a series of geophysical anomalies identified in an earlier survey.

Trench 4 was located in the south-western corner of the site, aligned approximately north-to-south. One feature was identified in this trench: penannular gully [401], which was cut into the natural. Post-medieval pottery was recovered from the topsoil. The gully was curving in plan and was located towards the northern end of the trench. The exposed section measured 7.5 metres long, and it was 0.36 metres wide and 0.29 metres deep with steep rock-cut sides and a V-shaped profile. The observed section of the feature would suggest an overall diameter of 10-11 metres. It contained a single fill. There were no finds.

The gully would suggest the presence of a roundhouse of Prehistoric or earlier Romano-British date. The lack of dating evidence in relation to sites in North Devon is not uncommon. This structure joins a select group of excavated ‘lowland’ roundhouses in North Devon, the other examples being at Middle Burrow Farm, East Worlington (Gillard et al. 2012) and Holsworthy Farm, Parracombe (Green 2009). The scale of the enclosure ditch sectioned in Trench #3 is surprising (probably up to 2 metres deep) in relation to its location (i.e. on sloping ground and overlooked from the north) and the size of its internal area. The fact that there may be a contemporary but unenclosed settlement nearby and that a relict fieldsystem extends to the south-west, it is possible the enclosure might have been a refuge rather than a homestead. However, that would itself require further validation.

Bampton, J., 2015, Land near Alswear Old Road, South Molton, Devon (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV358133.

Webb, P. + Balmond, F. + Morris, B. + Walls, S.H., 2018, Land adjacent to Alswear Old Road, South Molton: Excavation, South Molton Rugby Club's New Pitch (Report - Excavation). SDV364652.

South West Archaeology Ltd. (SWARCH) was commissioned the South Molton Rugby Club (the Client) to undertake an archaeological excavation prior to the creation of a new rugby pitch on land adjacent to Alswear Road, South Molton, North Devon. This work was undertaken in fulfilment of a planning condition, and follows on from a programme of geophysical survey (Bampton 2015) and evaluation trenching (Webb 2015). The archaeological excavation was carried out as part of a HLF-funded community project which involved members of the community and local school children in the excavation, post-excavation processing and other archaeologically-themed activities.

Area A contained a scattered of features: several pits, a group of postholes, and a series of narrow curving gullies. The narrow curving gullies lend themselves very readily to interpretation as the drip gullies and/or foundation trenches to a roundhouse. The parallel gullies on the south-eastern side, and re-cut entrance posthole [249]/[263], would suggest this complex was occupied for an extended period and was rebuilt or refurbished at least twice. Dating for this complex is very tentative, but the (albeit limited) dating for the other features here, and the presence of iron slag in the gullies, would point to an Iron Age date.

The general paucity of material culture is notable despite the fact the site was very extensively and carefully excavated; the features also lacked charcoal. The single sherd of post-medieval pottery from [105] is most likely to be intrusive. Were it not for the general dearth of material culture in North Devon, it would be tempting to suggest this was not a domestic site in the usual sense. There is also some evidence for structured deposition focused on the entrance. Here the postholes and gullies contained a number of elongate river cobbles that must have been brought to the site from the valley below. Posthole [263] also produced a large fragment of furnace lining, which must also have been brought to site from elsewhere. Until comparison can be made with better preserved or less truncated sites, it is safest to conclude the site represents a small (truncated) Iron Age farming settlement.

The three pits to the north of the gullies [139] [141] [143] were somewhat different, in that the fills contained charcoal and pottery (4 sherds (21g) of Middle Iron Age South West Decorated ware). Charcoal from pit [141] was dated to 191-40 calBC (95.4% prob. SUERC-78028). The purpose or function of these pits is open to speculation, but the charcoal from [141] and [144] is noted as highly vitrified (see Appendix 6, Table 1). This could be attributed to a high-temperature process (i.e. smelting), but experimental work has failed to demonstrate the link between charcoal vitrification and high temperatures (McParland et al. 2010). That said, the low taxonomic diversity of the charcoal (all from oak and hazel/alder) would point to its selective use, and oak was favoured for smelting operations. The fact that the hazel appears to be roundwood might hint at woodland management, as noted at North Tawton (see Gale 2009).

The two postholes further to the north [145] [147] are similar to these pits, but contained large stones that appeared to be placed. On that basis it is more likely they are postholes with remnant post-packing, but to no discernible purpose.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6719 - Gradiometer Survey, Land near Alswear Old Road, South Molton, Devon (Ref: 150224)
• EDV6901 - Trench Evaluation, Land off Alswear, Old Road South Molton, Devon (Ref: 150904)
• EDV8756 - Excavation: Land adjacent to Alswear Old Road, South Molton (Ref: 181123)

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